Category: Arrangement

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Arrangement Choir Church Congregational Songs Global Live

2016 Calvin Worship Symposium, final service

Only 5 months after the fact, here’s a video from the concluding worship service at the 2016 Calvin Worship Symposium. I led the service with my Church of the Servant home team, which made it really special. http://worship.calvin.edu/resources/resource-library/new-heavens-and-new-earth/

New Heavens and New Earth from Calvin Worship Institute on Vimeo.

Some of my contributions (beyond my welcoming hand gestures):

  • 5:20 Let the Spirit of the Lord Come Down (Nigeria, one that I arranged last year)
  • 8:18 Sing Praise to the Lord (SweeHong Lim, Singapore, with a new string arrangement)
  • 47:40 Canticle of the Turning with dance (I didn’t do anything, but I like what the COS dancers do with the song)
  • 1:04:40 Abana In Heaven” (my GIA anthem, led by choir and sung by the whole assembly)
  • 1:13:49 Fear Not, Rejoice and Be Glad (a new arrangement)
  • 1:23:26 May the Love of the Lord (SweeHong, string parts I’ve been using for a few years)
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Arrangement Choir Church Congregational Songs Global

GIA Choral Subscription Service

Abana

Kwake Yesu

5,000 people receive GIA’s Choral Subscription Service, and each one will get the chance to review my two new anthems published by GIA, Abana, and Kwake Yesu. Pretty cool. Even cooler? The sample octavos are accompanied by recordings of each piece. They did a really nice job with these. Take a listen above. Then head over to GIA and buy the anthems to sing at your church.

Thank you.

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Arrangement Church Congregational Songs Live Psalms

Kimbrough: Oh Rejoice in All Your Works, strings

Update 12/11/21: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com.

Wendell Kimbrough won the Church of the Servant New Psalm Contest a few years ago with his setting of Psalm 104, “Oh Rejoice in All Your Works.” Since that time it has become a favorite of our congregation. Psalm 104 was the lectionary Psalm for Pentecost and I had a string ensemble available, so I took the opportunity to write a string arrangement for the service. It turned out splendidly, if I don’t say so myself.

If you want to hear the song in context (along with Pastor Jack Roeda’s exclamation at the end of the singing) visit the COS website.

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Arrangement Choir Church Congregational Songs Global Live

Kwake Yesu at Calvin Colloge’s LOFT

My choral arrangement of Kwake Yesu/Here on Jesus Christ I Will Stand (GIA) is beginning to make its way in the world. Here is a video from a recent LOFT service at Calvin College: http://livestream.com/calvin-college/events/4678265/videos/113157761.

Kwake Yesu begins at 22:55.

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Arrangement Choir Church Global

Guatemalan Santo, flute and choir

Update 12/11/21: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com.

I am not an abstract composer. That is, I find it difficult to compose a piece for a performer who doesn’t exist and a concert that might not happen. But give me an ensemble, an opportunity, and a deadline and I’ll whip out my pencil and get to work. Such was the case this Palm Sunday when I had a willing choir and a flutist who I knew would practice whatever I wrote. The result is an energetic prelude for choir, flute, and congas; an arrangement of the Guatemalan “Santo es el Señor/Holy Is the Lord.”

art by Matt Plescher (http://www.mattplescher.com/)
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Arrangement Church Congregational Songs

God Himself/O Rejoice

Update 12/18/21: Sheet music for this arrangement is now available at gregscheer.com.

This is not a new arrangement, per se, but it’s newly notated and recorded. Plus, it segues right into Wendell Kimbrough’s “O Rejoice in All Your Works,” so that warrants its own post.

“God Himself Is with Us” is a stately hymn that goes underused in most churches. My church sings it so confidently that I can count on them to hold their own against a tricky violin descant, so I kind of went over the top with what I gave the violin…

Appearing here for the first time is the score for the violin descant you hear above. If you use it in your church, why don’t you head over to my “orders” page and plunk down $3 to let me know you care.

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Arrangement Church Congregational Songs Live

We Sing the Mighty Power (Christ Church Davis)

While it’s fun to have your music played on your home turf, there’s something special about learning that a church far away is using one of your songs or arrangements. My friends Phil and Sarah Majorins used my string arrangement of “We Sing the Mighty Power” (KINGSFOLD) at Christ Church in Davis, CA this Fall. As you’ll hear, they did a splendid job. While you’re checking out my song, make sure to take a listen to Sarah’s “Psalm 8,” “Sanctus,” and “Mystery of Faith.” I am a thorn among roses!

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Arrangement Choir Church Congregational Songs Global

Kwake Yesu, GIA recording

One of the nice things about getting a choral piece published is that the publisher often makes high quality recordings of the pieces for promotional purposes. Here’s a new recording of “Kwake Yesu/Here on Jesus Christ I Will Stand” by GIA:

What’s that? It’s so lovely you want to purchase 40 copies for you choir? Well, head on over to the GIA website and they’ll be glad to help you out!

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Arrangement Church Congregational Songs Retuned hymn

Do not I love Thee, Oh my Lord​?​ (DETROIT)

Update 12/18/21: Sheet music for this arrangement is now available at gregscheer.com.

I’m proud to be included on the latest Cardiphonia compilation. This time around the the theme was “shape note” hymns in new arrangements. If you’re not familiar with the shape note singing tradition, do yourself a favor and watch the documentary Awake, My Soul, or visit The Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association. Until then, listen to The Hollow Square Hymnal.

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Arrangement Choir Church Global

GIA’s Abana

No one tells me anything. I just stumbled across a recording of my anthem Abana at the GIA website.