The Musical Diary of Greg ScheerUpdate: Sheet music for this song is available at gregscheer.com.
A few weeks ago, I posted a Korean song I translated into English with the help of some friends. This week, I revisited the song, adding a piano accompaniment, instrumental parts, and a smooth-as-butter descant for strings and flute. Love it.
Update 1/20/22: Sheet music for this arrangement is now available at gregscheer.com.
When the Joyful Noise Orchestra leads worship at Church of the Servant, I try to give them a little something to sink their teeth into. Yesterday, it was a short little introduction I wrote for the tune DIX. This tune is usually associated with the text “For the Beauty of the Earth,” but yesterday we sang it with a version of Psalm 67, “God of Mercy, God of Grace.”
I feel like I was just beginning to explore this tune’s possibilities, so hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to work it into a bona fide orchestral arrangement at some point in the future.
You know you’ve arrived when people start covering your tunes. And when the person doing the covers just happens to be Grand Rapids’ preeminent octave mandolin player, it’s total street cred.
Listen to Scott De Young play As the Deer and May the Mind of Christ.
As you know, I consider myself a song maven, scouring the world for songs, employing my impeccable taste to discern the cream, and then showering the best of the best on the eager masses. This, at least, is how I like to picture the situation.
My latest discovery comes from Korea. 우리 보좌앞에 모였네 (Vision) is a praise song by Hyung-won Koh based on Revelation 7:9-10. It’s a lovely song, and representative of the tuneful, heartfelt worship songs that the Korean church sings. With the help of James Ju and Paul Han, I translated it into English and introduced it to the congregation this Sunday with the help of the Guitarchestra: MP3.
Wondering if the Guitarchestra looks as good as they sound? Wonder no more:
On Saturday night, an encouraging number of people showed up to play, hear and sing my new cantata, Everlasting to Everlasting. Thanks to everyone who came out, but especially to The Choral Scholars, who sounded brilliant as always, and the hastily named Grand Rapids Hallel Ensemble, who walked my musical tightrope with style and grace.
We’ll perform the cantata again in its entirety at the Calvin Worship Symposium (Jan 30-Feb 1, 2014) as part of the Vesper services on Thursday and Friday night. After that, we will be accepting invitations to exotic locales for further performances. Book it now. Seriously.
In the meantime, here’s an excerpt: MP3. Movement 9, “All You Nations” (Psalm 117), dovetails with the instrumental “All Nations Hallel.”
Update 10/6/20: Sheet music for this song can be downloaded here.
When I worked at Wildwood Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee, we did a preaching series on Romans. I committed to studying Romans and writing a new song each week.
No one noticed.
But don’t cry for me, Tallahassee. Some of the songs turned out quite nicely. Two were included in Singing the New Testament: “Faith, First and Last” and “Grace and Peace to You.”
Here’s a third, based on Romans 1:18-32: MP3 (see link above for sheet music)
Where have I been this summer? Indeed.
Sadly, the creation of music is balanced by the business of music. (Anyone interested in becoming my full-time business manager?) One of my goals for the summer is to make my whole back catalog available online. The first, a CD of praise songs that I recorded in 1999, The Greg Scheer Songbook is now available on iTunes, Amazon MP3, Spotify, etc.
Check it out. Write a review. Tell your friends. Kick it old school by purchasing a copy of the CD at www.gregscheer.com or CDBaby.
And stay tuned for more!
As you know, I’m a song maven. I search high and low for good songs, and when I find them I make a point of creating accessible arrangements/editions and telling everyone I know about them. Here’s my latest find:
“Come to Me” (PDF, MP3) is a song that began it’s life at the turn of the last century when a woman by the name of Lizzie Akers wrote words for a hymn set to music by J.M. Black (best known for “When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder”). 109 years later Michael Bleecker and some folks at The Village Church in Texas wrote new music for Akers’ text and added a chorus.
It’s a simple song, and that’s one of the things I like most about it. Too many modern worship songs are difficult for churches who don’t rely on a praise team exclusively. This one is well-crafted and singable by a wide range of churches. It’s also heartfelt, but substantial. The Church needs more songs that combine the heart and mind.
I arranged the song in a four-part hymn-style. Nothing fancy–just enough to help the song jump the world of chord charts and enter into new church territory.
My friend Herbert Tsang and the stellar folks at Church Music Ministry of Canada held a Psalmfest in Vancouver late last year which included the orchestrated version of “One Generation Calls to the Next.”
Lucky for us, he recorded it. Check it out: MP3
Update 1/15/22: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com.
Has it really been a month since I last posted something to my blog? Shame on me!
I hope the slower rhythms of summer soon kick in, but for now all I have time for is a quick post. Follow the link above for a piano accompaniment for “All of My Heart.” I’m really pleased that my congregation loves this song. We’ll be singing it throughout the summer months.
And here is a link to the composers leading the song in Brazil recently: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCQJlrPNeNU