Category: Congregational Songs

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Church Congregational Songs Global Live

At the Throne of Our God

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:

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Art Music Church Congregational Songs Hallel Psalms Live Psalms

Everlasting to Everlasting premiere

trinity_hallelOn 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.”

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Church Congregational Songs Demos Psalms

One Take Terror: The Heavens Tell the Story

Fearful

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)

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Congregational Songs

The Greg Scheer Songbook

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!

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Arrangement Church Congregational Songs Demos

Come to Me

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.

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Choir Church Congregational Songs Live Psalms

One Generation in Vancouver

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

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Arrangement Church Congregational Songs Finale demo

All of My Heart – piano score

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

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Church Congregational Songs Psalms

2013 Spring Cleaning: Lead Me to the Rock

Update 10/2/20: Sheet music for this song can be downloaded here.

In preparation for the Cry Out to God! CD, The Choral Scholars and I read through hundreds of Psalms. Literally, hundreds. We’d read through 40 songs in an evening, making quick recordings as we went, and after many of these mammoth sight-reading sessions we eventually winnowed it down to the 22 songs that appeared on the final CD.

One of the songs that didn’t make the CD was “Lead Me to the Rock,” my setting of Psalm 61. It’s just a first read through, so go easy on us. If you want the leadsheet, piano accompaniment, or a different demo, see the link above. If you want the MP3, click on the word “MP3.” (That’s how the Internet works, you know.)

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Choir Church Congregational Songs Psalms

2013 Spring Cleaning: As the Deer

I can’t believe I’ve never uploaded my setting of Psalm 42/43, “As the Deer,” to this blog. It’s kind of my big hit, appearing on the Greg Scheer Songbook CD, as a choral anthem in Augsburg Fortress’s GladSong Choirbook, on the Choral Scholar CD Cry Out to God, and even available in Chinese translation.

Sorry for the oversight. Here’s an MP3 to make it up to you.

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Arrangement Choir Church Congregational Songs Finale demo Global

Kwake Yesu for SATB/piano

My dad tells me that there’s a Spanish proverb that says something to the effect of, “Write a book. Have a son. Plant a tree.” I’ve done the first two and figure I’m covered on the third, because I have two of the second.

When I take stock of things I’ve done that I’m proud of and that are likely to outlive me, the song “Kwake Yesu Nasimama” is pretty high up on the list. I didn’t write the song–just translated it–but there’s no better feeling than finding a great song from Kenya (or elsewhere) and making it available to the larger Church. This Kenyan heartsong has already become the heartsong of lots of people in the English-speaking world.

In any case, the next step was to make choral arrangement of the song. And that’s just what I did. I’m not going to upload the score, because it’s under consideration by a publisher. And though this publisher rarely answers my email, I want to give them first crack at rejecting it before I blog it. But I’m sure I could be convinced to send you the PDF score if you ask me nicely via email…

For now take a listen to this sterile Finale playback, and imagine a heartfelt performance: MP3