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Hallel Psalms Psalms

Hallel Post Sunrise

For those of you just tuning in, my FAWM project is a cantata of sorts. I’m writing a congregation-friendly song for each of the Hallel Psalms (113-118) and filling it out with instrumental interludes and hallelujahs. This is one of those interludes, written for alto recorder, flute, two violins and a continuo of bass and guitar.

Why the title “Post Sunrise”? It is the interlude that comes after (“post”) Psalm 113: From the Rising of the Sun.  This is just a working title. Once the whole cantata is assembled I’ll give each movement a proper name.

Hear Finale play the score (MP3) and follow along with the ears of your eyeballs (PDF). (It comes just before Tremble before the Lord if you’d like to hear it in sequence.)

Categories
Quirky

You’re Gonna Die (So Happy Birthday)

Some people might think that a birthday song that starts with the words “You’re gonna die” is inappropriately morbid. I, on the other hand, think that a realistic sense of our mortality leads to living a full, fruitful life. Wiser men than me have come to the same conclusion. (You know–Solomon in Ecclesiastes.) Whether you’re blowing out 6 candles on your cake or celebrating 75 years like my mother is today, sing this song and then get out there and live like you mean it!

MP3, PDF

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Church Congregational Songs Hallel Psalms Psalms

Psalm 115: For the Glory of Your Name

This is my second attempt at Psalm 115. (The first is here.) It’s interesting to see the two different directions one Psalm can go musically. The first version was prettier and more compact, but I like the earthiness of this one better and it will fit into my Hallel Psalm collection better. All that’s left from my Hallel project is a song for Psalm 118 and some instrumental connective tissue!

MP3, PDF

 

Categories
Quirky Rock and/or Roll

2 Love Songs

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air. Also music.

At the very end of yesterday and the very beginning of today I had some quick ideas that I recorded and uploaded to FAWM. Just in case you’re not following me there, I decided to post them here, too:

I’ve Got to Go

Perfect

Categories
Art Music Church Hallel Psalms Psalms

Hallel Prelude

Now that I’ve got most of the Hallel Psalm songs done, I can begin working on the instrumental parts of the piece. This “Hallel Prelude” (also known as “Hallel? Ooh Yah!”) is the lead off piece and will segue directly into the previously written “From the Rising of the Sun.”

All of the instrumental movements will be played by friends: alto recorder, flute, 2 violins, and a continuo of guitar/bass. The ensemble’s name is tentatively “The Grand Rapids Greg Scheer Consort of Old-Sounding New Music.” I’m open to other suggestions, though…

Sorry about the MP3 demo. I’m using Finale’s “Export to Audio File…” feature, and there’s something funky going on with it. Usually it just sounds robotic. This time it sounds robotic and distorted.

MP3, PDF

Categories
Church Congregational Songs Hallel Psalms Psalms

Psalm 117: All You Nations

This, the shortest of Psalms, is made up of two, diminutive sections. The first is a call to all people of the world to praise God, the second gives the reason for praise: God’s steadfast love. In a process very unlike rocket science, I have dedicated a verse to each of those themes. I was pleased that I was able to get all the lines of the first verse to begin with the word “all” and the second with “great.” It’s not a big deal, but little touches like this help tighten up a song.

 MP3, PDF
Categories
Quirky

Polyphonian Rhapsody

This is going to be one of the weirder things you’ll find here. And that’s saying something.

Here’s the story: over at FAWM they issue a weekly challenge to spur creativity among the Fawmers. Last week’s challenge was to write a song about a city, and this week’s is to write a song using a pentatonic (5 note) scale. I woke up with the deliciously ridiculous idea of a song in which different characters played the roles of different scales. Before I knew it, I was composing an operetta and singing all the parts.

Take a listen to the MP3. If you’re a true music geek, you’ll laugh out loud when the pentatonic scale is told that he’s just feeling blue. If you don’t get it, well…

Pentatonic:
Hey baby don’t get a bee in your bonnet,
but you’re making me feel pentatonic.

Chromatic:
I don’t think that word means what you think it means.
You’re just feeling blue that’s all.
You’re just feeling blue, that’s all.

Pentatonic:
Is this your way of being ironic?
Cause I’m still feeling pentatonic.

Chromatic:
I’ve told you a dozen times:
You’re all one hue–that’s you.
But me, I’m colorful and free.
I’m like the rainbow stretched across the sky.
Never monochromatic, never static,
quite dramatic: I’m chromatic!

Pentatonic:
Hey baby , don’t you sing me a sonnet.
I may be simple, but I’m pentatonic.
When the people want to rock on and on it,
I’m quintessential, I’m just the tonic.

Harmonic:
Why can’t we live in harmony?
Why can’t we let each other be?
Let’s all join our voices into one phonic
living in peace is so harmonic.

Categories
Church Congregational Songs Hallel Psalms Psalms

Psalm 116: Be at Rest, Once More, O My Soul

For the record, I no longer equate lots of notes with good writing. There’s a time to explore the thresholds of complexity.* But there’s also a time to keep pruning until nothing remains but the simplest, most pure form of what you want to say. Nowadays I’m more concerned about pacing than showing off my chops. That is, does the music unfold at the right pace? Does each new moment seem simultaneously inevitable and refreshing? At the end, do you feel both satisfied and left wanting more?

This is one of those heavily pruned pieces. I have 3 or 4 completely different sketches for this one, and this version is the result of 3 or 4 rigorous pruning sessions. A song whose theme is “be at rest” needs to feel restful. But not boring. It’s a fine line.

Walk the line: PDF, MP3

*My first composition professor, Dr. Gibbs, used to get a delighted look on his face if I handed in a lot of music at my lesson. He would take out a pair of reading glasses, look over the music and say, “That’s what I like to see: lots of notes!”

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Church Congregational Songs Hallel Psalms Psalms

Psalm 116: The Land of the Living

My FAWM challenge continues. I’m writing a piece based on the Hallel Psalms (113-118). Nine days in and I’ve got four of the six Psalms done, with sketches for the fifth. Once that foundation is laid, I can begin writing Hallelujahs and interludes.

Psalm 116 is a study in the contrast between death and life. The Psalmist had just about slipped into the pit of death when God restored him to the land of the living. And what better way to portray the depths to which the Psalmist had sunk than an accompaniment of basses?

I took quite a loose approach to the lyrics on this one. As a matter of fact, my goal isn’t to be literal or complete on any of these Hallel settings. There are plenty of metrical settings out there for people who want to sing something that sticks close to the Psalm text. I’m writing these more as musical reflections, meditations or a distillations of the spirit of the text. Is it working?

PDF, MP3

Categories
Quirky

Bathtime Singalong

Now for a quick little break from all that serious Hallel Psalm writing: MP3.

By the way, it gives me an idea for a fun project: Theme songs to TV shows that don’t exist. Maybe next year’s FAWM…