On Christmas Eve we’ll sing my brand spanking new arrangement of “O Holy Night.” To help the musicians prepare, here’s an MP3, score and parts (choir/piano, strings, brass, percussion). Strings–get cracking on that high part in the refrain!
Last night at Church of the Servant we had our Lessons & Carols service. (You can read more about the service at the COS worship blog.) One of the songs the choir sang was my composition “Every Valley.” This is one that I’ve done before, but it was great to do it again, especially because Jordan Clegg was singing the solo part. He rocked, as did Carol and “The Little Choir that Could.”
Every Valley is part of a set of pieces tentatively titled The Christmas Canticles that are written for solo, choir, piano, rhythm section and horns. I’ve already completed Every Valley, Blessed Be, and My Soul Will Magniy the Lord. Someday I hope to complete the canticles with a Gloria and Nunc Dimittis, but it will have to wait until some imaginative and well-endowed choir commissions me. (Hint, hint)
Until then, take a listen to Jordan Clegg, the COS Choir and Carol Rienstra (piano) performing Every Valley.
Last week at gregscheer.com I introduced the Advent song “The King Shall Come.” Actually, it was a reintroduction, as the song has been available at my site for a few years, but I recently made substantial changes to the lyrics (what we call improvements in the business) and wrote a piano accompaniment. Of course, the whole thing is based on a hymn by John Brownlie written in 1907, making it a re-reintroduction. (And Brownlie is said to have based it on a Greek Orthodox hymn, which would make it a re-re-reintroduction, but I digress…)
Hurry! There are only two more weeks in Advent to enjoy The King Shall Come.