A monumental organ work by W.T. Best, frequently transcribed for solo piano, which incorporates liturgical themes with grand, romantic textures. It is marked by its majestic chordal structures and sweeping, ceremonial melodic lines.
At Henle 5 this is a late-intermediate piece — technically substantial, with musical demands to match. The main demands: big chords that need weight without harshness; chord voicing — bringing out one note inside a handful of others; and careful pedaling — clarity depends on the foot as much as the fingers.
Beyond that, expect a true singing tone, with the melody floating above the accompaniment.
The primary technical difficulty is balancing large, sustained chordal textures to ensure the cantabile melody remains prominent.
Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.
A level or two down with the same spirit — ideal if this piece is still out of reach.
Where this piece's skills lead: slightly harder works making similar technical demands.
Christmas Postlude 'Sit laus plena, sit sonora' is rated Henle level 5 of 9 — late intermediate repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 6–7. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 8.
You should be comfortable at Henle level 5 — meaning you can already play level 4–5 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.
A typical performance of Christmas Postlude 'Sit laus plena, sit sonora' lasts about 6 minutes.
Christmas Postlude 'Sit laus plena, sit sonora' is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.
Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Alla Marcia, Canzonetta und Scherzo for Piano by Adolf Jensen, Ballade by Max Jentsch, 1914 Overture by Oliver Wilder Welles — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.