Category: Psalms

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Choir Church Congregational Songs Psalms

Everlasting to Everlasting (Psalm 118) Easter @ COS

Update 3/12/22: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com.

The last song from my Hallel Psalm cantata, Everlasting to Everlasting, is a setting of Psalm 118 for which the cantata is named. Psalm 118 is also the lectionary Psalm for Easter Sunday, so I decided to use the song at Church of the Servant this year. This is a slow burner–it sneaks up on you rather than grabbing you by the collar and shaking you–but I think it worked rather well. Of course, who can dislike a song that starts with a boy soprano? Thank you, Christian Voetberg for doing the work of winning over the congregation to my new song!

Listen to the MP3.

Categories
Arrangement Choir Church Congregational Songs Psalms

Kimbrough’s Psalm 31: In You, Lord, I Refuge Take

Update 3/16/22: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com.

Wendell Kimbrough is one of my favorite new congregational songwriters. I figured I’d hitch my wagon to this rising star early on his career so that when he becomes a household name, I’d be a household footnote.

One of his latest songs is a setting of Psalm 31 called “In You, Lord, I Refuge Take.” It’s simple–most congregational songs are–but also profound, translating the desperate prayer of Psalm 31 into fresh new language that sings well. I wrote a four part harmonization of it so we could use it in my church. As you can hear from the recording, my congregation took to it right away.

Since you all are so kind to stop by my blog, here’s little bonus Palm Sunday music for you: Hosanna in the Highest, and Sanna Sannanina (piccolo, djembe, choir).

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Choir Church Live Psalms

Deeper than the Sea in Canada

The Rosthern Junior College Choir in Saskatchewan, Canada did a bang up job of singing “Deeper than the Sea” (Psalm 36):

What are you waiting for? Get your sorry self over to GIA and buy a few dozen copies for your choir!

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Church Congregational Songs Global Psalms

One Generation in Singapore

It’s very satisfying to know that half a world away, the Kampong Kapor Methodist Church of Singapore sang my song as part of their 120th year anniversary celebrations!

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Arrangement Choir Church Congregational Songs Psalms

As The Deer (Augsburg Fortress)

I just got the Lent, Easter, Spring 2014 new music sampler from Augsburg Fortress, and my anthem “As the Deer” was first on the list. (The list is alphabetical, so it was simply fortuitous placement rather than them highlighting my octavo.)

You can listen to their demo, or even better, head on over to their website and buy a bunch of copies for your choir.

 

Categories
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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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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Art Music Church Finale demo Hallel Psalms

Hallel Postlude

With a Hallel rehearsal looming in my near future, it’s about time I wrapped this thing up. And nothing wraps up a piece of music like a postlude, eh?

MP3, PDF

Categories
Psalms

2013 Spring Cleaning: Psalm 126

Once again, spring cleaning can unveil some ugly dust bunnies.

This version of Psalm 126 isn’t exactly an ugly dust bunny, but as I listen to it I hear a half dozen things I would change if I were doing it today. Okay, a dozen. But what’s done is done. Let me point out the interesting thing about the song: the verse and chorus sound like two different song parts (and they are) but then–voila!–they come together in perfect harmony.

I was quite proud of this contrapuntal trickery at the time, but I remember Dr. Gibbs, my composition teacher, becoming exasperated after seeing minute changes to the song three weeks in a row. He finally told me that we were done with this song and I was to bring in something new the following week.

Take a listen, won’t you?