Category: Demos

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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)

Categories
Demos Quirky Rock and/or Roll

One Take Terror: There Was Nothing There

Fearful

When I lived in Pittsburgh, I was part of a group called the Rascals, Rogues and Rapscallions. It was a men’s club (not that kind of men’s club) that convened to hear presentations on a variety of arcane topics, after which songs were sung and cigars were smoked. Our summer meetings always centered on a “mass challenge.” Instead of one person presenting in depth, everyone was given the challenge to find “that interesting thing” about XYZ, and give a 5 minute presentation on what they found.

One year, we were given random coordinates on a map and given instructions to bring back a story. I was given coordinates that landed me in the middle of a state forest. All I could bring back was a song, aptly entitled “There Was Nothing There.”

 There Was Nothing There
Latitude 41 44 53
Longitude 79 13 58
June 2, 1995 Greg Scheer

If you look at a map of world
in the center’s the United States
take a right at Chicago, IL
you’ll run right into Warren, PA
In Warren County the heart of it all
Watson Township the crowning jewel lays
like the big empty ring that it is
it runs circles around lots of space.

There is nothing there.
There is nothing there.
Everywhere you look you’ll find
nothing, ‘cause nothing is there.
If you lo œok to the North,
If you look to the South,
Search the East or West
still there’s nothing there

I just had to see for myself
what mysteries this place could hold
I blazed a path to the depth of the woods.
And when I fixed my sore eyes on my goal

There was nothing there…

But in the end I needed some proof
so I went to develop my film
that would show that this journey was no spoof
but what I found in the camera shocks me still.

There was nothing there…

Categories
Demos Rock and/or Roll

One Take Terrors: Walk Away

Fearful

Today begins a series of “One Take Terrors.” These are songs in my back catalog that deserve to be heard, but have never quite fit into a larger recording project. To let them see the light of day, I went through a stack of them all at once, recording them quickly, without any frills and with no overdubs. Just raw songs.

This first one is something of a country ballad. To tell you the truth, I can’t remember what inspired it. I’m not much of a lonesome wanderer, so it’s not biographical. But I guess I tapped into the weariness of a long distance relationship, right at the point you’re wondering how long it can go on.

Listen to “Walk Away.”

There comes a time when I wonder why I’m calling.
You’re on the line, but your voice sounds like it’s miles away–and it is.
How long can I pretend that our love is what it once was?
No matter how hard I try, you’re fading away a little more everyday.
Everyday.

You know if I could, I would stop this foolish wandering.
I’d make up my mind to turn around and make my way back to you.
I’d make my promise good, and we would have all we’ve dreamed of;
but I don’t know how…maybe promises and dreams are all the same in the end.
All the same.

There comes a time to end all my talking.
I hang up the phone, find the road, and walk away…
Walk away.

September, 1990

 

Categories
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.

Categories
Demos Rock and/or Roll

2013 Spring Cleaning: Prayer (God in Heaven Above)

During college, I had a long season of doubt. On Sunday December 6, 1989 at 10:13pm of that season, I wrote this song. What I think is especially interesting in hindsight is that I wrote my song of doubt in the form of a prayer!

Listen to the MP3 while reading the lyrics below:

God in heaven above (or in my heart below)
why keep me waiting for love?

If I were to see you would I know you?
If I were to know you would I love you?
If I were to love you would you love me too?

If I were to strike you woul it hurt you?
If I were to leave you would you follow me?
If I were to hate you what would you do?

God in heaven above (or in my heart below)
why keep me waiting for love?

If you think of me keep me in your prayers —
I need some help with things down here

If you would approach me I’d be listening
When you’re passing by me you can stop with me
When my heart is hungry maybe that is you after all.

If you’re feeling lonely you can talk to me.
I know just how lonesome one can feel.
If you really knew me would you still love me, after the fall?

God in heaven above (or in my heart below)
why keep me waiting for love?

If you think of me keep me in your prayers —
I need some help with things down here.

Categories
Choir Church Demos Psalms

2013 Spring Cleaning: I Cry Aloud to the Lord

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

Sometimes spring cleaning can get downright dirty. In this case, my men’s choir composition based on Psalm 142, “I Cry Aloud to the Lord,” is sung by Greg, Greg, Greg, and Greg. I apologize in advance. On the other hand, it’s pretty fun to hear what I did 20 years ago when I got a hold of a 4 track cassette recorder.

Listen to the MP3. You may want to look at the score to have any idea of what the piece is supposed to sound like!

Categories
Church Congregational Songs Contests Demos Psalms

Creation’s Chorus (Psalm 148)

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

I’ve had this song hanging around for over a decade, and due to a contest sponsored by Fuller Seminary (Brehm Center/Fred Bock Inst. of Music) finally decided to polish it up and send it out the door.

Psalm 148 is a call to praise three parts, starting with the heavenly realms, moving to the creatures of the earth, and finally calling all people on earth to praise the Lord. I’m not the first to write a three verse setting of this Psalm, but I’m probably the first to use a hip hop/black gospel style and an alternate third verse that modernizes the kings, princes, young and old of the original Psalm to scientists, theologians, bards and politicians!

This is a one-hour demo (that is, a 2.5 minute demo that took me about an hour to record), so try to be forgiving: MP3. (I know what you’re thinking: “couldn’t you have spent a few more of those 60 minutes tuning your guitar?…”)

Categories
Church Congregational Songs Demos Hallel Psalms Psalms

Psalm 115: Not to Us, O Lord

My head is in the Hallel Psalms (113-118), so this morning a little praise chorus just sort of began singing in my mind. I had to write it down.

Now, if this were the early 90s I would have a hit rocketing its way up the CCLI charts to shine like a star next to the songs of Graham Kendrick and Geoff Bullock. But this is not the 90s. And I’m still not sure if I’m going to include it in this project.

The trick is that the songs need to be sung reflections on the Psalms that can sit alongside complex instrumental interludes, something like Bach’s chorale preludes. So I don’t know if a sweet little bon bon of praise will be the right thing for this project. I’m happy to be convinced one way or the other. Take a listen and let me know if you think it’s a keeper: MP3, PDF.

Categories
Church Congregational Songs Demos Hallel Psalms Psalms

Psalm 114: Tremble Before the Lord

A few years ago I wrote a setting of Psalm 114 called “The Hills and Mountains Tremble.” I liked it, especially compared to the settings of Psalm 114 that are available. (There aren’t many.) I didn’t want to use the same setting in my new Hallel Psalm music, but I also didn’t want to close that door entirely, so I wrote something in the same key and with lots of echoes to the previous song. Here is my Taizé-like refrain, a musical summary of the major theme of Psalm 114: MP3, PDF.

Categories
Church Congregational Songs Demos Hallel Psalms Psalms

Psalm 113: From the Rising of the Sun

I finally decided to bite the bullet and do FAWM. What is FAWM, you ask? It stands for February Album Writing Month, and people who take part make it their goal to write 14 songs in 28 days. You can check out my page here: http://fawm.org/fawmers/gregscheer/.

For this year’s FAWM, I plan to write music around the “Hallel” Psalms (Psalms 113-118). For each Psalm there will be a song (that’s 6 songs), padded by instrumental interludes (7), and interjected Hallelujahs (5), for a total of 18 pieces of music. Part of the reason I decided to take the FAWM challenge this year is that I feel the need for a big project to keep me excited about life. It also coincides with a Cardiphonia project centered on the Hallel Psalms, due at the end of the month.

Now, on to the first post:

The first half of Psalm 113 is lots of beautiful creation imagery, but the second half contains some things that don’t fit as neatly into a modern worship song: God raises the needy from the garbage dump and places them among princes; he gives the barren woman children. I boiled this down to three themes in verse 2: God gives us a place at the table, a place in the kingdom of God, and a place in God’s family.

People at fawm.org get the MP3, but you, dear readers, get the PDF, too!

[Trivia for those who have too much time on their hands: this isn’t the first time I’ve set Psalm 113 to music. A few decades ago I wrote a whole cantata based on the Psalm for a church in Elterlein, East Germany.]