Author: Greg Scheer

Psalm 114: The Hills and Mountains Tremble

Post author By Greg Scheer
Post date September 17, 2008
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This Sunday at Church of the Servant we sang a brand new song of mine, Psalm 114. I was really pleased with the way it turned out, especially in light of the fact that I had studied the Psalm for quite a while before I really connected with it.

The Psalm tells the story of the exodus in poetic form. Once I latched onto the idea that Israel’s history is not just the events of a long ago people but part of the living story of all of God’s people, I quickly arrived at a way to represent this musically: the first half of each verse tells Israel’s story as it appears in Psalm 114, the second half of each verse reflects on ways in which God continues to work in similar ways today, and the refrain answers with overarching them of the Psalm: “The hills and mountains tremble, the rivers stand in awe, for in this pilgrim people is the presence of the Lord.”

Listen to the recording of the service or email me for the score.

Church Demos

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You

Post author By Greg Scheer
Post date August 31, 2008
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Last week I finished an arrangement of “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You” for use in my church. How dare I mess with Beethoven, you ask? Indeed. A few years back I decided that I could no longer bear to hear praise bands butcher Beethoven’s fine tune. And since it had already been adapted for the hymnal, I thought I’d arrange something that would work for praise band. Since then I’ve written a lead sheet, a piano accompaniment, and string parts. You can find the piano music at my main website for a short time, and the demo you can find right here.

Rock and/or Roll

You Can Talk to Me

Back in 1993 I released a cassette (yes, that’s how one did it in the last century) called From the Hand of… Greg Scheer, a collection of my folk/jazz/rock songs performed on acoustic guitar, bass and vocals (me) with Elizabeth Way on violin. It included a song called “You Can Talk to Me,” which I somehow ended up singing in my friends’ Jeff and Kathy’s wedding, which I somehow mentioned to my friends Andrew and Jessica, which they somehow are now interested in hearing, which may somehow entice them to work it into their wedding, which will mean that I’ll somehow have to remember how to play it.

Demos Rock and/or Roll

My Arms Are Open Wide

Back in 1990 there was a singer in Pittsburgh whose name I can’t remember who sang a lot of public school assemblies raising awareness about teen suicide. Because she couldn’t present an explicitly Christian message, she was looking for songs that offered a message of hope without being preachy. So I wrote the song My Arms Are Open Wide. 18 years later, I’m still wondering why she didn’t end up using it. This thing is a hit! All it needs now is a hit maker–a singer who can bring it to life. Carrie Underwood, where are you when I need you?

Church Demos

Living Justly

At Church of the Servant the theme verse of this year’s Girls’ Club is Micah 6:8. They found a few songs that worked pretty well (PsH 293, Schmit), but none that fit like a glove. And you know I can’t leave well enough alone, so I took it upon myself to compose my own by the end of the day. I like how it turned out. It’s simple to sing or play, and more importantly it turns the verses into a prayer. Sung justice scriptures often sound so heavy handed, so I like the way these lyrics convey a sense of aspiration rather than obligation. Listen to the MP3 or print off the PDF and take it to the nearest piano for a careful read-through.

Church Demos

I Surrender All to You

Matt Redman, look out! Here’s a heartfelt song of dedication with jangly, open chords, intimate verse and soaring chorus. All it needs now is a good recording by a gifted performer. Matt, let’s talk…

Listen to the MP3 or check out the music at my website.

Choir Church Live

Creator of the Stars of Night

Post author By Greg Scheer
Post date July 21, 2008
1 Comment on Creator of the Stars of Night

Here’s a recording of “Creator of the Stars of Night” from last year’s Lessons and Carols service at Church of the Servant. The choir processed from the back of the sanctuary singing this beautiful 9th century chant, while the strings interjected tropes that I had composed a few weeks before. Now that’s ancient/future!

Art Music

Rhythm Shift

This is one you’ll either love or hate. Rhythm Shift is something I wrote while in grad school at a time when I was studying a lot of minimalism. Like a lot of Steve Reich, two instruments repeat the same motive and slowly move out of phase with one another. In Rhythm Shift, I wanted to see if I could write something simple enough for two musicians to play live. I have fond memories of grabbing unsuspecting pianists, hauling two pianos into the same room, and playing this. No matter what you think of it as a listening experience, it is a ball to play. If there are any marimba duos or piano duos who want to have a mezmerizing musical experience, I’ll get you a score. For those of you who are listening at home, I recommend headphones.

Contests Demos

Money in the bank, part 2

In my ongoing attempt to win enough song contests to retire from my day job, I just completed a new song called “Christ Shall Reign.” This contest is sponsored by the National Federation of Catholic Youth Workers. If my song is chosen it will be the theme song of this year’s National Catholic Youth Conference. You can read the official contest rules if you’re interested. Hey, wait a minute. The rules don’t say anything about money. Drat! I guess this one will just have to be for the love of the game.

As I prepared this blog post I stumbled across another person who is entering a song into the contest. So now, my dear readers, you can judge for yourselves who should win this contest: the gentlemen at Oddwalk, or yours truly (MP3, PDF). May the best man win! (Feel free to inundate my competitor’s blog with smack talk comments.)

Colin Demos Finale demo

This Is the Way

I just finished my 34th song with lyricist Colin Gordon-Farleigh. It’s a ballad called “This Is the Way.” If you know any Broadway musical producers, call them and tell them I’ve got their next hit. Listen to the MP3 or download the PDF file.