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Choir Church Commissions Congregational Songs Demos

Our Souls Will Magnify the Lord (O Antiphons)

I forgot to post this to my blog when I completed it in December!

My alma mater congregation, Church of the Servant, reached out to me last year about their O Antiphon service.* They had been using various musical resources and wanted to commission a brand new setting of all seven “O” texts. I set to work writing new texts based on the original Latin verses and composing an original melody.

Since the O Antiphons are traditionally associated with the Magnificat, I decided to tie all seven verses together with Mary’s song of praise, turning her words into a group response: “Our Souls will Magnify the Lord.” It is a pentatonic (five-note) melody that never seems to come to rest because it begins on the second scale degree and ends on the third. Let me put that in normal person language: the melody has a mystical, elusive quality that reflects the tone of the text and worship service.

This should have been a simple one-and-done seven-verse hymn, but as I continued to work on it, I imagined more sonic textures. By the time I was done I had written a 60 page score for choir, flute, alto recorder, violin, viola, bass, and piano. Feel free to follow along in the scrolling-score video above.

*If you’re not familiar with this Advent tradition, the O Antiphons are seven songs, each beginning with “O” and then addressing the coming Savior with a title like “O Wisdom” or “O Root of Jesse.” You may know them in one of their most popular forms, the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”

Categories
Church Congregational Songs Demos

Psalm 32: Blessed Is the One

Psalm 32 is the classic Psalm of sin, confession, and forgiveness–so classic that Paul quotes it in Romans 4:6-7 to explain righteousness apart from works.

The Psalm begins with a beatitude in three parts: “Blessed is the one whose sins are forgiven” is reiterated with three nuanced synonyms for sin and forgiveness:

  • rebellion – burden lifted
  • wandering/failing – covered/hidden
  • defilement – cancellation of debt

What is more important than the exact meanings of each is the parallelism that tells us “This is important and complete; God will forgive every sin.” I kept this parallelism in the chorus of my song.

One of my favorite things about this Psalm is the vivid picture of unconfessed sin: “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away.” People often glibly say, “Confession is good for the soul,” but this Psalm takes a much more serious view of not confessing–your secret sin will eat away at you until it causes you physical distress.

And then–Poof!–just like that, the Psalmist confesses and is forgiven. It begs the question of why we are often so reluctant to own up to the messes we’ve made. The Psalmist has a thought about that: “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding.” I recast this in more colloquial terms: don’t be as “stubborn as mules.”

Musically, I found myself in a folk/world groove that is amplified by all sorts of sonic doodads in the recording–tabla samples, Arabic tambourines, overdriven guitars doubled with synthesizers, and even a cloud of rhythmic patches like you’d find in EDM. What I most like, though, is the way the key of C minor slides into all sorts of other harmonic terrain without sounding forced.

Blessed is the one whose sins are forgiven.
Blessed is the one whose wrong is recalled no more.
Blessed is the one whose spirit is washed from iniquity’s stain.

1. Oh, when I kept silent,
my bones, they wasted away.
My secrets consumed me;
my groaning accompanied my days.

    The longer I hid
    the more weary and weak I became.
    I longed for relief
    but was filled with the heat of my shame.

    2. I finally gave in
    and confessed the depth of my sin.
    I trusted your mercy
    and God, you forgave me again.

      Oh, why did I hide
      from the One who sees sins and hears prayers?
      The waters may rise
      but I’m singing salvation’s refrain.

      CHORUS

      3. As stubborn as mules
      we insist that we find our own way.
      But we’re lost little lambs
      and too proud to admit that we’ve failed.

        God’s bottomless love
        will surround those who give him their trust.
        Rejoice in the Lord!
        Rely on his mercy and love.

        CHORUS

        Categories
        Church Congregational Songs Psalms

        Psalm 135: Praise the Lord!

        I’m planning a recording project and realized I needed a setting of Psalm 135 to fill in the sequence from 120-136. You’ll remember that Psalms 120-134 are the Psalms of Ascent; 135-136 are often considered addendums to the collection.

        Like many of the Psalms that surround it, Psalm 135 is a call to praise, pointing to creation, the calling of Israel, and deliverance from enemies as reasons for praise. It was a trick not getting bogged down in details like the killing of Og, king of Bashan, while still retaining the overall sense of the Psalm. As often happens, the discipline of trying to find rhymes and rhythms that express the Psalm in modern language led to some fresh imagery and phrases. “Dwell” and “Hallel” for the win!

        Praise the Lord,
        all you servants of the Lord.
        Praise the Lord,
        those who serve in the house of God.
        Praise the Lord,
        for God has claimed us as his own.
        Praise the Lord!

        1. Our God has done as he has pleased.
        For joy he formed and filled the seas.
        The mountains grandeur and the heaven’s expanse
        all leapt to life at his command.

        God’s breath blew clouds into the skies;
        lightening and rain made their reply.
        And then God carved a path upon the earth;
        called us and led his people forth! [Chorus]

        2. Your name endures forevermore.
        Each generation joins the song.
        Our God is known for his unending love.
        His tender mercy covers all.

        Some trust in idols made of gold,
        but we will trust a living God
        who leads us on to where his glory dwells,
        where we will join the great Hallel. [Chorus]

        Categories
        Jazz Live Rock and/or Roll

        Christmas in Michigan (Sax & Violins Edition)

        Beer City Saxes and St. Sinner Orchestra joined forces for a Night of Sax & Violins on November 8, 2024 at The Stray. One of the songs we played together was a brand-new tune celebrating the magic of the holidays in the Mitten State: “Christmas in Michigan.”

        Categories
        Jazz Live Rock and/or Roll

        Broken (Sax & Violins Edition)

        On November 8, 2024, the St. Sinner Orchestra teamed up with Beer City Saxes for an Evening of Sax & Violins at The Stray. It was an amazing evening of traditional jazz, rock and roll, and a bunch of stuff in between. I want to call it a “historic” or “ground-breaking” collaboration, but I’ll settle for “unprecedented” or “highly unusual.” The 22 musicians involved played beautifully and went home content.

        Here is one of the five songs we played together: “Broken,” from our 2024 release, Synonyms for Goodbye.

        Categories
        Art Music Commissions Live

        Cannon

        I was commissioned to compose a new piece for The Northwest Iowa Christian Schools String Orchestra Festival. The result is Cannon, which premiered on October 31, 2024.

        It was a lovely performance featuring over 100 student string players. Here are the notes about the piece that appeared in the program:

        I’ve always joked that I continue composing because I want to have my Pachelbel’s “Canon.” Though Pachelbel wrote hundreds of pieces, most of us only know his ubiquitous “Canon in D.” Not bad for a “one hit wonder”! As an homage to Pachelbel, I named my piece “Cannon in D Minor” and began composing. However, I soon ran into a problem: the orchestra would sound a lot better in a key like G or D. I transposed my draft to G and shortened the title to “Cannon” (this music is explosive in any key!) and got back to work. 

        What emerged is a composition that is full of rhythmic energy and surprises. The piece begins with a bang, a fanfare that sets the tone for what is to come. Suddenly, the bombast stops and a stately canon begins. (You’ll remember that a canon is another word for round, where a musical theme is repeated in each section. Think “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”) After a brief reappearance of the fanfare, we enter an extended rhythmic section that has hints of Irish Jigs, African rhythms, and Rock and Roll. Once again, we hit the brakes for a canon, but this time it is a quote of Pachelbel’s “Canon”—with a twist. The orchestra has barely finished the first eight measures of Pachelbel’s theme when a solo violin interjects a theme of its own—a double-canon mash up of Pachelbel and Scheer that takes us to the final fanfare. 

        Astute music connoisseurs will notice a unique feature of the “Cannon” orchestra: the addition of Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Percussion, and Drum Set. The idea of adding a rhythm section was suggested after the conductors heard some songs I had written for the St. Sinner Orchestra, a symphonic rock group I lead. I quickly agreed, being a composer who loves combining styles and timbres in fresh ways. 

        Who knows? Maybe “Cannon” will be my Pachelbel’s “Canon”!

        Categories
        Demos Rock and/or Roll

        The It and I

        You’re likely familiar with Freud’s theory that the psyche is structured in three parts: the Id, Ego, and Superego. The Ego is the you you think of when you think of you. The Id is your animal nature: the part of you that wants immediate gratification with food, sex, and violence. The Superego is the angel sitting on your shoulder reminding you to have patience, plan ahead, or take the high road.

        What you might not know about Freud’s theory is that the German words he chose were everyday words, rather than Latin: Das Es, Ich, and Über-Ich. That is, “The It,” “I,” and “Over-I.”

        From Jekyll and Hyde to Nick Lowe’s “The Beast in Me” to St. Paul’s “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do,” people have been trying to figure out what this thing is that rears its ugly head when we least expect it. Freud would call it The It.

        With that in mind, I wrote “The It and I.” The song laments the shadow side that accompanies us all our days. Neither the song–nor I–have come to any conclusions about this ugly part of ourselves. Make peace with The It, my friend–It is you.

        1. The It and I.
        The It and I.
        By night or in the day,
        I cannot get away;
        my shadow never leaves my side.
        The It and I.

        2. The It and I.
        The It and I.
        I feed it or I starve
        this beast inside my heart
        and yet it seems he’ll never die.
        The It and I.

        3. The It and I.
        The It and I.
        Why won’t it let me be?
        Oh, will it ever leave?
        Or will it hound me til I die?
        The It and I.

        I’m starting to believe it’s me.

        Categories
        Demos Jazz

        Outside Looking In

        This jazz-pop tune has been languishing on my hard drive for months. A few things kept me from finishing it:

        The first was that the recording simply wasn’t gelling. I imagined the song to be an understated, funky tune driven by electric piano. As you know, my keyboard abilities are woeful. I just couldn’t get my fingers around the complicated chords and extensions in a way that pushed the recording forward.

        The second reason it remained dormant for four months was my doubts about how good it was as a composition. I liked the angular melody above simple chords and the sudden shifts into new tonal areas every 8 or 16 measures. But did it have a spark?–that je ne sais quoi that I want for each of my songs?

        Finally, I felt insecure about releasing a song about my insecurities. We all want to curate an image of ourselves that makes us look good. Even a song about being bad can put the protagonist in a positive light: “I’ve changed for the better,” “I was wronged but heroically rose above it,” “I’m a tragic genius or a mysterious bad boy.”

        One of my commitments here at my musical diary is to forego the posing and the polish, simply releasing music in its raw form. The Musical Diary of Greg Scheer: what music looks like when it wakes up in the morning!

        How did I overcome my deficiencies, doubts, and insecurities to finish the song? First, I moved away from my mediocre piano playing to my less mediocre guitar playing. Eventually, I’ll record this with a real pianist, but for now, the repeated electric guitar quarter notes get the job done. I also put the bass way up in the mix; play to your strengths and all that. I had left room for a solo in the middle of the song, but once again decided I wasn’t up to the task. Instead, I found a graduation speech from Jon Batiste that addressed the very kind of musical outsiderness that the lyrics talk about. It was encouraging to hear such a fine musician discuss the resilience it takes to be your own person and how rejection can strengthen your vision. Thank you, Jon! I ended the song with a rising chorus of harmonies–simple, but cool.

        So there you have it: a song that has overcome adversity to make its way into the world. I don’t know if it will be a colossal failure or a runaway hit, but it’s part of the exploration that is invaluable to my growth as a composer.

        How many times am I going to try
        before I just give in?
        How long can I find
        the strength to begin again?
        How many doors have I knocked on
        and still not been let in?
        How long will I stand
        on the outside looking in?

        Where can I find the keys to this gate?
        What do I have to do?
        So far I haven’t had any luck.
        I haven’t got a clue.

        So I knock and I call
        and I pound and I shout
        and I do it again and again.
        And I scratch and I dig
        and I walk all around
        and I’m looking for any way in.

        Oh, I knock and I call
        and I pound and I shout
        and I do it again and again.
        But it’s always the same
        and I always end up
        on the outside looking in.

        Categories
        Arrangement Church Commissions Congregational Songs Demos Global

        與主合 / One with the Lord

        A friend sent me this lovely Chinese communion song and a literal translation by a missionary/translator. There is no better way to procrastinate than to translate, arrange, and record a new global hymn, so I set to work!

        The key to translating a song is to get the spirit of the song, rather than just the words. Is the song highbrow or heartfelt? What is the rhyme scheme in the original language–or is there one? Is the music simple or complicated? All these questions come into play when “transplanting” a song from one culture to another.

        “One with the Lord” is a simple chorus with no surprises or sophisticated nuances. And yet, in its simplicity it is lovely and immensely singable. You’ll notice that the lyrics are all in first person. I’m not always a fan of “Jesus and me” communion songs, but I’ll make an exception for this authentic expression of personal prayer. One of the difficulties was that meter is 6.6.6.4. With lines that short–and distinct breaks between each line–it’s hard to fit all of the Chinese lyric’s meaning into so few English syllables. In cases like this, I always choose singability over correct grammar.

        I would love to hear from anyone who has sung the song in its original language or know where the song originated!

        1. Christ gave himself for me–
        body and blood for me.
        The bread and cup I see
        come from our Lord.

        Christ broke the bread of life,
        poured out salvation’s wine.
        I eat and drink and I’m
        one with the Lord.

        2. I have been crucified.
        My sin is dead in Christ.
        And yet I am alive–
        alive for God.

        I am made new in Christ.
        Darkness gives way to light.
        Christ has become my life.
        Glory to God!

        Categories
        Church Congregational Songs Demos Psalms

        Psalm 26: Upheld

        Psalm 26 is like the prayer version of Psalm 1. Whereas Psalm 1 states “Blessed is the one…” (who does not walk, stand, or sit with the wicked), Psalm 26 makes it personal: “I do not…” (sit or associate with evildoers). On the one hand, it is not flattering to hear someone extol their own virtues. On the other hand, the Psalmist is praying an honest prayer many of us have prayed: “God, I really try to do the right thing–please save me from the trouble I’m in!”

        What drew my attention most as I poured over Psalm 26 is the final verse: “My feet stand on level ground.” Many Psalms talk about God putting them on solid rock, but only this and Psalm 143 use the phrase “level ground.” It echoes the words of Isaiah 40: “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.” To me, the image says that God is making a way, clearing a path for us. I like that.

        This “level ground” image seemed to ask for confident, relaxed music. I chose a 6/8 gospel groove which allows for a bit of crooning while still having some twists and turns that keep things from getting schmalzy. I especially like how verse 4 shifts harmonically, mirroring the impassioned cry for mercy, then returns to the level ground of the final chorus.

        You have set my feet upon steady ground.
        I am standing firm in my refuge strong.
        Let the saints join in, let their praise resound.
        We are upheld by our God.

        1. Uphold me, O God, for I’ve trusted in you.
        Test me, for my faith has not faltered.
        You know me, and my heart is forever true. Chorus

        2. Uphold me in your love, for I’m living in you.
        You’re faithful and you keep me from evil.
        It beckons, but you always have led me through. Chorus

        3. Lord, cleanse me again and your wonders I will tell.
        I’ll praise you in the midst of your people,
        proclaiming your great love where your glory dwells. Chorus

        4. Lord, don’t leave my soul to strangers
        who scheme throughout the night.
        Lord, redeem me, keep me blameless,
        have mercy on my life! Chorus