This is the first printing of my little choral prelude on Christ the Life of All the Living from 1983 on sturdy 105 pound acid-free paper. 2 pages. This tune is known by two different names, and you know one or the other because of your first association with it. If you learned it through Bach’s Orgelbüchlein, you know it as Alle Menschen müssen sterben, meaning “all men (mankind) must die” but usually sung as “all men living are but mortal.” If you learned it as a hymn, you probably know it as Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, translated by Catherine Winkworth as “Christ, the life of all the living.” I used the version of the tune that Bach used because it is simple and clearly understood in a a polyphonic setting. Highest quality. Graphics below are reduced in size and quality for faster loading. Quality guaranteed. Size of music is 9.5" x 12.5". $4.00.

Michael Johnston (b 1956) studied piano (Flora Neeley) and composition (Michael Pittard) from early ages with the intent to learn the organ. He is a graduate of Mars Hill College (Donna Nagey Robertson) and Westminster Choir College (William Hays) and with John Apple began Michael's Music Service. Christ the Life of All the Living has been his most often performed piece of music. It is simple in form and harmony, contains no page turns or registration changes, and it is somewhat brighter than the typical music for Lent. The entire piece is moderately easy and requires minimal scale and arpeggio skills.