Where to obtain sheet music[]
This is a surprisingly hard question since:
- Some publishers sell only through dealers
- Other publishers refuse to sell through dealers
- Most dealers are not very forthcoming with catalogs.
These publishers will accept orders from individual churches and musicians are best dealt with directly rather than through dealers. Dealer orders are often delayed for several weeks until the dealer or distributor has accumulated a minimum order necessary to achieve dealer pricing, while individual orders get filled right away:
- Lorenz Publishing (including their imprint "Sacred Music Press")
- Wayne Leupold Editions
- Masters Music Publications
- GIA publications
- Concordia Publishing House
- Augsburg Fortress
- MorningStar Music
These publishers do not welcome direct orders and are best dealt with through a dealer:
- G. Schirmer
- International Music Co.
- Hal Leonard
The following retailer provide organ sheet music:
- Chappell of Bond Street - Established in 1811 and apparently have 1600 pieces of organ sheet music
- Music Room
- Allegro Music
The European publishers are a special case. In general, it is best to find a U.S. dealer that has the material you want in stock. The Organ Historical Society carries many of the more important items. Special orders through dealers can take forever (2-3 months) so if the item you want isn't in dealer stock you're probably better off ordering from the publisher and paying the shipping and currency conversion fees if necessary.
In general, J.W. Pepper has the most useful online catalog covering multiple publishers. They are helpful on the phone but charge full list price plus a hefty shipping charge. Sheemusicplus.com has a rather less usefully organized web site and less responsive customer service, but lower prices. Patti Music is another inexpensive source that works primarily by phone and offers discounts off list price.