The Musical Diary of Greg ScheerLast week I posted a recording of my flute arrangement of “Good Christian Friends (Men), Rejoice.” Unfortunately, the flutist from that recording wasn’t available for the Christmas Eve service. But in a bad news/good news turn of events, recorder player par excellence, Cal Stapert, was willing to take over. Take a listen.
Added bonus: super sweet segue between the Good Christian prelude and the processional hymn “Once in Royal David’s City.”
I know you’re all dying to know how my new arrangement of “We Three Kings” went. Well, die no more! Here’s the MP3 from COS’s Christmas Eve service.
Here’s a recording I made last year of my wife Amy reading her story, “And God Said, I’ll Go There Myself.” It sat in a lonely folder on my computer called “ideas_to_be_developed” until earlier this evening when she announced that she wanted to finish it for a Christmas day blogpost. I added an intro and outro from COS’s Lessons & Carols service, and voila! A Christmas story to listen to in the remaining hours of Christmas day: And God Said, I’ll Go There Myself, MP3
Update 3/16/22: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com.
Speaking of Kristen Zoeteway (I was in yesterday’s post), here’s another arrangement I wrote on a day that I knew Kristen was playing at COS. I know she’s always up for a challenge and that she’ll always have a full complement of flutes on hand: flute, piccolo, and alto flute.
In this case we employed the piccolo in the South African song “Sanna, Sannanina.” I tried to imitate an African flute style I’ve heard in which the flute/picc improvises rhythmic lines on top of singing or a band. We used it as a prelude on Palm Sunday with just djembe and piccolo, and it was pretty cool: MP3
Here’s another Colin/Greg collaboration, interpreted by my new favorite country crooner, Chuck Longmayne.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhOwK8Q45a0]
I try to do a little something special each Christmas season here at Church of the Servant, and that often includes writing something new to fit the exact instrumentation we have available for specific services. So, hot of the press is this new arrangement of We Three Kings.
I wrote the original arrangement for choir and piano back in 1994 (I was 6*) and just added string orchestra for my fine players at COS. The great thing about this anthem is that it sounds full and festive, but it’s easy enough to learn in one rehearsal. (I verified that fact last night at choir practice.)
Listen to the quick and dirty demo (MP3) while perusing the score (PDF). If you like it (and I know you will) and use it in your church before the end of this Epiphany, I’ll cut you a special deal on the choral octavo and string parts. I haven’t decided what the deal will be, but I know it will be good.
*I lie.
When Faith Alive rejected my kids’ song, “It Was Very Good!“, they claimed that it was too difficult for the target age group. Oh yeah? Well take THIS, Faith Alive. Here’s a recording of John De Young singing the song with aplomb at the dinner table: John De Young, rocking it.
Even though I spend lots of energy trying to get my own music to discerning ears, I’m humble enough to know that I can’t write all the good songs. One great song that I didn’t write is Bruce Benedict and Ray Mill’s “Come, Holy Ghost/Be Not Afraid.” It has traveled pretty widely in some circles and will be included in the forthcoming Lift Up Your Hearts hymnal. Built on an 8th century Pentecost hymn, I fully expect that this new version will be around for many years to come. Below are all the different arrangements that I and others have written of the song. Feel free to link to other arrangements and recordings in the comment section.
Greg Scheer: SATB choir and piano – I wrote this for the Sunday on which I introduced the song at Church of the Servant. There are aspects of this arrangement that I really like, but it’s probably a bit too much for everyday use.
Greg Scheer: simple(r) piano – Given the fact that COS’s pianists had to patch together a part from the above arrangement, I decided to write a new one that was sturdier and simpler. This is the version that will be used in Lift Up Your Hearts.
Sarah Majorins: strings – Sarah has written a super-tasty string arrangement that I’m itching to try the next time I lead worship with strings. How about a recording, Sarah?
Naaman Wood: piano accompaniment with a strong 2 against 3 feel (and a hint of “Mad World”).
E minor leadsheet – It’s entirely singable in the higher key, and this version also notates the song in 6/8, which makes a lot of sense.
COS Guitarchestra: MP3 – Nothing definitive. I just thought you might want to hear the song.
A year and a half ago, Colin Gordon-Farleigh and I wrote a batch of country songs, and they’re now beginning to make their way in the world. Chuck Longmayne recently recorded “Let Go and Let God,” and you can hear it on YouTube.