Category: Commissions

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Arrangement Art Music Choir Church Commissions Congregational Songs Live

Born to Die, Born to Rise

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

For the fourth year in a row, I’ve been commissioned to write a piece for Calvin College’s Lessons and Carols service. Not only is it an honor, but it’s always a treat because I know the performances will be top-notch. This year was no exception. Calvin’s musicians did a wonderful job with my choral fantasy on the hymns “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming,” “Ah, Holy Jesus,” and “All My Heart Again Rejoices.”

Calvin College 2017 Lessons and Carols: Born to Die, Born to Rise

It seems that each year the commissions become more difficult. Last year I was asked to weave “Jacob’s Ladder” with a variety of “Gloria” songs; difficult, but at least the songs were similar in nature. This year, I almost thought John Witvliet was jerking my chain when he asked me to put “Lo, How a Rose” and “Ah, Holy Jesus” together in one anthem. You couldn’t find two more different songs!

On the other hand, they fit the theme, “Born to Die, Born to Rise” beautifully. Christmas can become saccharine when it’s populated only with sweet baby Jesuses, choruses of angels, and mild Marys. Just as the Magis’ myrrh foreshadowed Jesus’ burial, “Ah, Holy Jesus” reminds us of the full meaning of the incarnation. As I began to work on the piece, I found that I could weave “Lo, How a Rose” and “Ah, Holy Jesus” together in musical counterpoint that thickened both their differences and underlying unity. After focusing on these two sides of Christ, our only response can be praise; the piece ends with a rousing rendition of “All My Heart Again Rejoices.”

The recording is above. Follow the link above if you’d like to see the score.

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Arrangement Art Music Church Commissions Finale demo Production music

Savior of the Nations, Come (String Orchestra)

Carlos and I being served drinks by a statue in Indianapolis.

Update 10/28/21: Sheet music for this piece can now be purchased at gregscheer.com.

My friend Carlos Colón directs worship at Baylor University. He recently asked if I had anything for string quintet that might work as an interlude for an upcoming Advent service. And he needed it quickly. I sent him a few ideas, including this fugal intro to the Advent hymn, “Savior of the Nations, Come.” I thought I was going to be able to simply adapt what I had written before, but once I got started it was clear that I needed to rewrite it from the ground up. Two days from inquiry to completed score. That’s how I roll.

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Arrangement Church Commissions Congregational Songs Demos Global Production music

Oh Jerusalén, que bonita eres/Oh, Jerusalem, How You Shine in Beauty

Lately, a large part of my work for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship has been translating and arranging Hispanic worship songs for the forthcoming bilingual (Spanish/English) hymnal. These songs have included everything from the smooth pop praise of Marcos Witt to the joyous coritos that travel from church to church in Latin America and the USA, often changing as they go. I’ve completed almost 50 songs and have at least another 25 to go before my work is done.

To give you a taste of the project, my boys and I recorded “Oh, Jerusalén, que bonita eres / Oh, Jerusalem, How You Shine with Beauty.” The MP3 is above. You’ll just have to wait until the hymnal is published to see the music!

The Scheer Boys: they’re not only your favorite boy band, they’re a biking team!
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Arrangement Choir Church Commissions Congregational Songs Global Live

Abana at Southwood Lutheran in Lincoln, Nebraska

One of the most satisfying things about writing music for the church is to see how different songs migrate. “Abana/The Arabic Lord’s Prayer” is quickly becoming one of the most popular global songs I’ve translated and arranged. It was already a beloved song among Arabic-speaking Christians, and it strikes a deep chord with Western churches that are trying to embrace the communion of saints in an age of division.

My friend Denise Makinson at Southwood Lutheran Church in Lincoln, NE recently sent me this fine recording of her choir and instrumentalists introducing “Abana” to their congregation. Wonderful!

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Choir Church Commissions Congregational Songs Finale demo Live

Make Us One within Your Spirit – choir, brass, and organ

Update 10/1/20: Sheet music for this song (including this arrangement) can be downloaded here.

“Make Us One within Your Spirit” has a history that includes rejection, revision, and revival. But then, don’t we all?

https://www.facebook.com/ken.hitchens.3/videos/10211667814882778/

It began its life in Fall of 2008 as a tune for another person’s hymn text. After my musical gift was ignored, scorned, and forsaken (Seriously? How many more hymn texts need to be paired with NETTLETON?) I wrote the text, “Make Us One within Your Spirit” to go with the tune. I submitted it to a contest. I lost. After a number of revisions I still believed in its potential, and two years ago wrote on this blog, “Maybe someday someone will commission me to turn this into a regal choral anthem with brass and timpani.”

That day has come!

Last Sunday, it was premiered at River Road Presbyterian Church, commissioned for their 60th anniversary and in honor of their retiring music minister, Larry Heath. Though it didn’t include timpani, it did include choir, brass, and organ.

You can enjoy the MP3 (played by Finale) or video (in which I conduct the musicians of River Road Presbyterian Church) above. If you want to go to the next level, you can download the one-page hymn version or the full score (see link above).

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Adopt-a-Psalm, 2017 Church Commissions Congregational Songs Demos Psalms

Psalm 46: O Lord of All, You Are Our Home

Update 10/6/20: Sheet music for this song can be downloaded here.

You will no doubt remember that during my Adopt-a-Psalm composing frenzy, I wrote a setting of Psalm 46 in 4+6/8 time. Yes, it worked. Yes, it was kind of catchy in its own asymmetrical way. But realistically, it would have been quite difficult for a congregation to pick up. And that’s the point, right? I want congregations to sing the Psalms, so I need to make them as accessible as possible.

So I wrote a spanking new setting of Psalm 46 for my Psalm adopter. Though it shares the same text, it is very different from the previous one. I think it came out so different because when I sat down to write it, the old song’s rhythms were still in my head; I had to expunge them by coming up with a song that had an entirely new character. 

I began with the most unique aspect of the text: the stressed/unstressed endings of each couplet. (“Refuge,” “rescue,” “with us.” What they used to call a “feminine cadence.”) That suggested to me an appoggiatura. One thing led to another and those downbeat appoggiaturas became the song’s primary personality. It’s not unlike “Eagle’s Wings,” come to think of it. 

In any case, this harmonic language gives the song a sweet and gentle feel. I like how it draws out of the text a sense of contented trust, whereas the previous tune or EIN FESTE BURG highlights strength, confidence, and completion. Listen to the above demo or play it for yourself from the leadsheet (see link above).

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Church Commissions Congregational Songs Demos Psalms

Psalm 118: Give Thanks to the Lord

Two weeks ago, I was artist-in-residence at Western Theological Seminary at the invitation of Prof. Dr. Rev. Ron Rienstra. Part of my work was to plan chapel services with students. We chose the theme “Psalm Echoes,” each day pairing a Psalm with a New Testament passage that quoted the Psalm or resonated with its themes. It was pretty splendid if I don’t say so myself.

Friday’s chapel (a weekly communion service) paired Psalm 118 with Matthew 26. In this retelling of the Last Supper, it is thought that “When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” refers to the singing of the last Hallel Psalm, Psalm 118. Ron was planning to preach on the texts, letting them lead him right to the communion table. Brilliant.

On Thursday evening, I got a text:

(7:17 pm)
Ron: Hey Greg – you want a challenge?
Greg: Maybe?
Ron: At the beginning and end of the sermon can we sing [picture of “Feed Us, Lord” melody with Psalm 118 text] I was gonna ask you to write a quick new song to exactly those words – but then I thought: hey, this would work, too.
Greg: What style and tempo are you looking for?
Ron: Joyful and thankful without rocking out.
Greg: I’m baking fresh bread and might want to add a loaf of fresh notes to the oven.
Ron: Hey if that’s what you wanna do… you are most welcome to do so! If you are up to the challenge, that is. (7:34 pm)

Of course, Ron knew exactly what he was doing. Baiting me with a challenge. Getting me firmly on the hook with a song that would get the job done but wasn’t inspiring or new. And then reeling me in with “If you are up to the challenge…” Naturally, I couldn’t resist. Between baking bread and driving kids various places, I wrote a few drafts. None was quite right. I was just about ready to admit defeat but gave it one last look before heading to bed. Things clicked and I finished it a few minutes later. The night ended with an email to Ron:

(10:47 pm) This is all you’re getting from me tonight: [PDF of new song]

We sang it in chapel the next morning and it worked beautifully. Simple, but fitting. In the recording above I interspersed the refrain with a reading of Psalm 118 in its entirety.

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Adopt-a-Psalm, 2017 Church Commissions Congregational Songs FAWM 2017 Psalms

2017 Adopt-a-Psalm Compilation

February is over and my Adopt-a-Psalm commissions are complete. The stats?

  • 28 days
  • 10 Psalms
  • 38:50 minutes of recorded music
  • 12 pages of completed music
  • 62 pages of drafts

Below is a link to an audio compilation of the all the songs. If you want to experience them live, join me at Western Seminary in Holland, MI on Tuesday, March 14 at 7 PM.

https://soundcloud.com/gregscheer/2017-adopt-a-psalm-compilation

 

Psalm 3: I Shall Rest in Peace
Neither Death nor Demon
Psalm 4: I Rest in You
May the Peace
Psalm 12: I Will Now Arise
Psalm 16: The Refuge of My Soul
Psalm 24: Lift Up Your Heads, O You Gates!
Psalm 33: A Symphony of Praise
Psalm 46: The Lord of All Is with Us
Psalm 125: Those Who Trust in the Lord Shall Abide
Psalm 145: My Mouth Will Speak the Praise of the Lord
Psalm 150: Hallel, Hallelujah!

Categories
Adopt-a-Psalm, 2017 Choir Church Commissions Congregational Songs FAWM 2017 Psalms

Psalm 150: Hallel, Hallelujah!

Update 11/4/21: Sheet music for this song can now be downloaded at gregscheer.com.

Psalm 150 is the last, but by no means least of the Psalm settings I wrote this month. 

Interestingly, it was the first one I drafted. The exuberance and repetition in the Psalm text gave me the idea of writing a Taizé style chorus, repeated and adding descants, but in a regal rather than meditative style. I wrote the basic chord sequence and some of the descants at the beginning of the month and then put it away. When I returned to it today, I saw that the basic form of the song was strong; I just needed to tweak the descants so that everything flowed.

You’ll notice that the song is built on a repeated 10 measure phrase. In some ways this is unusual; music is normally written in divisions of four. But the irregular phrase length keeps the repeats from feeling banal. Also keeping the song’s motion moving forward is the unresolved final chord.

Which brings me to my biggest dilemma: how do I end this song? On the recording I fade out, which is not possible in a worship setting. I guess I’ll have to treat it like a Taizé chorus and just let it flow until it seems like it’s done, at which point I guess I’ll just ritard into the final chord. 

Take a look at the score at gregscheer.com (link above). Be thankful that I didn’t go through with my original plan of using 5 flats!

Categories
Adopt-a-Psalm, 2017 Church Commissions Congregational Songs FAWM 2017 Psalms

Psalm 145:13-21: My Mouth Will Speak the Praise of the Lord

Update 10/28/21: Sheet music for this song can now be purchased at gregscheer.com.

The composition process is funny, because sometimes when you’re in the thick of writing something you begin to psych yourself out thinking that you’re polishing a fundamentally mediocre idea. I wrote a first draft of this yesterday, but by the end of the day I had so many Psalms in my head, I didn’t know which way was up. I put it aside and thought, “Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to start from scratch tomorrow.” But then in the evening, I played it for my kids and they really liked it. I slept on it and when I returned to it this morning I thought, “What was I thinking? This is really good!” 

The melody flows like butter (if I might say so myself) and it supports lyrics and a Psalm text that has so many beautiful words: goodness, blessing without end, gracious, satisfy, compassion, care unbounded. It was just delightful to work with. I was telling my son Theo that after the 8th Psalm song I wrote this month I began to think I was repeating myself, but then I realized that themes like compassion and forgiveness are woven through all the Psalms. 

Depending on who you ask, Psalm 145 is thought to be in four parts, with sections on a God who is great, good, faithful, and righteous. Those themes are bookended by verses 1-2 and verse 21. Since I was only setting the second half of the Psalm I decided to turn v21 into a refrain and write two verses based on the faithful and righteous sections of the Psalm. I especially like how the music in the verse changes half way through and the lyrics switch from talking about God to praying to God. 

Take a look at the lyrics below:

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord.
My tongue will bless God’s name.
All flesh shall see the goodness of God,
and blessings without end.
God has blessed us without end.

1. The Lord is gracious to all,
like a mother to her child.
God raises us when we fall
and sets us by his side.

Our eyes look up to you, Lord,
to provide our daily bread.
You satisfy our longings
when you open up your hand.

2. The Lord works justice for all.
God’s compassion knows no end.
God hears his children who call
and comes to our defense.

We wait, O Lord, surrounded
by those who’d do us harm.
Lord, in your care, unbounded,
reach down your saving arm.