Category Archives: Commissions

Once in Royal David’s City (w/ Carlos Colón)

As the year ends, I’m going to try to catch up on blogging 2023 compositions. Posting them in 2024 will seem…stale. This arrangement of the classic Christmas carol, “Once in Royal David’s City” is a collaboration between me and my … Continue reading

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Music Unites Us: The Making of…

We started this “Music Unites Us” series with an overview video introducing the project. We’ll end with this documentary that goes behind the scenes, interviewing the performers and me about the creative process. I usually hate watching videos of myself, … Continue reading

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Music Unites Us: Dòng máu Lạc Hồng (The Children of Lac Hong):

Lương Chí Cường moved to America a few years ago after a successful singing career in his home country of Vietnam, even winning Vietnamese Idol. The song we chose for his collaboration with the Holland Symphony Orchestra was a rousing … Continue reading

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Music Unites Us: Babirye

Samuel Nalangira is a Ugandan songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has lived in West Michigan for several years. He is a consummate performer, an Adungu virtuoso, and a lovely human being. He wrote a song when his twins were born called … Continue reading

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Music Unites Us: Sufro Por Tu Amor

Grupo Super Nova is Cumbia band from Holland, MI, comprised of the Garcia brothers, who immigrated from Mexico when they were children. We decided on their original song, “Sufro Por Tu Amor” (“How Long Must I Suffer for Your Love?”) … Continue reading

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Music Unites Us: Minka Variations

The first collaboration was with Nina Tritenichenko. She sings and plays Bayan Accordion, an all-button accordion that is common throughout the world, including her home country of Ukraine. The tune she chose was “Ikhav Kozak za Dunaj” (“The Cossack Rode … Continue reading

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Music Unites Us: Overview

This year I was asked by the Holland Symphony Orchestra to work with four global musicians to choose and arrange a selection they would perform with the orchestra. I was thrilled: I have a lifelong interest in global music, have … Continue reading

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Once in Royal David’s City Live at Baylor University

One of the great joys of composing is when a fine musician performs one of my pieces in a way that really makes it come alive. In the case of this recording, there were three fine musicians: Hunter Morris on … Continue reading

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Jesus Cristo, esperança do mundo/Jesus Christ, Hope of the World

This fall, I was commissioned to write an arrangement of the lovely Brazilian milonga, “Jesus Cristo, experança do mundo.” It premiered last night in the second installment of Calvin University’s four-part Lessons and Carols. The whole program was lovely and … Continue reading

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By Blessed Wounds (T.L. Moody)

Update 2/4/22: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com. Tammy Moody wrote a lovely text about trusting God to be a good father rather than a vengeful or cruel one. She and I have discussed the fact … Continue reading

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