The Musical Diary of Greg ScheerI’m wrapping up the last few tracks on the Half the Man CD in preparation for Tuesday’s “Half the Manathon” listening party. In this particular case, I’m literally “rapping” up the track.
“We Know the Changes” has been around for a while. It was inspired by rap/jazz projects like the Diggable Planets’ “Rebirth of Slick,” Black Sheep’s “The Choice Is Yours,” and Buckshot LeFonque’s “Music Evolution.”
Take a listen to MC G layin’ it down: MP3.
Update 12/11/21: Sheet music for this song is now available at gregscheer.com.
I don’t know how I forgot to post this earlier, but a few weeks ago I finished a string orchestra arrangement of the hymn tune ST THOMAS, using the text “O Bless the Lord, My Soul.” These hymn tune arrangements give me the opportunity to squeeze as much counterpoint and harmonic variation as I can from an 8 measure tune. It’s both challenging and satisfying, and I was quite happy with how this turned out.
Update 10/2/20: Sheet music for this song can be downloaded here.
Here’s a little something I arranged for the October 7 BES Combo service at COS.
Everyone knows “God Is So Good” and everyone hears it in a Black Gospel style (don’t they?), but hymnals only have a boring four-part version. I took it upon myself to right this wrong. Opinions varied on the worship team whether this was just right or so wrong (it’s a fine line). I’ll probably do another draft in the near future, so contact me if you’re thinking of using it; I’ll get you the latest version.
God Is So Good: MP3, (see link above for PDF)
“So how did it sound?” You ask.
I posted a rehearsal MP3 for my choir last week, and now you’re probably dying to know how it went on Sunday. Well, maybe not dying, but at least a tad curious. Die no more, my friends. Here’s how it sounded: Bless the Lord, O My Soul! (Psalm 103)
Strange. I though I had uploaded this song to the blog over a year ago. In any case, today’s Half the Man post is a depressing little thing called “Let It Go.”
This Half the Man CD project is winding down. I have a few more songs to finish, then I’ll spend a few harried days doing a basic mastering of the whole project. THEN comes the fun part:
Tuesday, October 23 at 7pm will be a CD listening party, dubbed the Half Manathon. It will be a chance to listen through the whole project and give me feedback. Who’s in? Just email me if you’re interested in taking part.
I just got out of choir rehearsal. The singers were real troopers, learning Liszt’s “Pater Noster” and my new setting of Psalm 103 in one rehearsal. But even troopers can you use some back up sometimes, so I’m posting an MP3 of the Finale playback of the piece so they can practice between now and Sunday. Here it is folks: MP3.
By the way, you’ll hear some strange stuff at the end of the MP3. I’m pretty sure that Finale’s “human playback” is programmed with the principle that to err is human. Therefore, it inserts random errors in the file. Thanks Finale…
Today’s post swerves from the musical valley of last week’s deacon dance ditty into the higher ground of a majestic orchestral arrangement. Aesthetic whiplash? You betcha.
One Generation is one of my big hits. “Big,” “hit,” and perhaps even “one of” are relative, of course, but it has been published a few times and even sung at weddings, so I count it as my “Freebird.” In any case, there are a few events coming up where they plan to sing One Generation and have large ensembles on hand, so I thought it was time to orchestrate it. I wanted to dress it up so that it felt more majestic than the everyday praise song, so I added a fanfare and splashes of color throughout. Also, knowing that most people won’t have full orchestra, I created multiple options (choir/piano, congregation/strings/piano, etc).
Here’s a rough demo as performed by Finn Alley: MP3. If you want the score and parts, just let me know.
At some point last week, reality hit me and I cursed myself for agreeing to compose an infectious dance/pop song about the changing role of the deacon in the CRC. But nothing inspires like a deadline, and here I am today, October 1, with a sparkling new recording called “Everybody Get Diakonian!”
This song was written to publicize the “Diakonia Remixed” proposal of the Office of Deacon Task Force which will be considered at next summer’s General Synod. In a few days, we’ll release the song and the song files as part of a remix contest. For now, just listen, enjoy, and maybe even dance a bit: MP3.
1. Diakoniawhat’s that mean?
You say, “it’s all Greek to me.”
But when you hear it with new ears,
maybe you’ll catch the Spirit.
Cause it’s being Jesus’ hands and feet
in a world so full of need.
This world is groaning for release: open your ears.
Jesus is calling you to hear.
2. Diakonia used to be
a lonely band of deacons.
But the way that they see it now,
it is me, it is you, it is everybody working,
helping our neighbor, doing good deeds,
showing the love of Jesus.
You don’t think you’re needed? Open your eyes: take a look around.
Cause sometimes it seems that there’s no hope when everybody wants to break it down.
Well, it used to be, in the CRCNA,
that deacons served and elders led the way.
Are you ready for a brand new feelin?
Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
Would you be freakin out
if I told you you’re a deacon now?
Let that spin your head til the room is reelin.
Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
Serving God is everybody’s business.
So get busy, get jumpin in it.
Throw your hands up to the ceilin.
Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
West coast, East coast, city, suburb,
Young and old of every color,
Indonesian, Friesian, Navajo, Korean:
Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
Remix, rethink, redeem, reboot;
remember that our God renews
us all to a new way of bein.
Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
By the way, I’m pretty darn proud of rhyming “Korean” with “Diakonian.”
I was really pleased to find out that one of my songs has been chosen to be included in the Gospel Coalition’s Songs for the Book of Luke project. It’s a big honor.
They’ll create their own arrangement for the recording, but I didn’t want the rest of you to be left out. Here is a piano accompaniment for the song, with SATB vocal parts on the chorus: PDF, MP3.
If you want just a lead sheet, you can visit the original post.
Today’s recording is a musical riddle created by me and my boys. Sophisticated sense of humor for young lads? You betcha.
The first person to solve the riddle gets a signed copy of the Greg Scheer Songbook CD–a $10 value. So get cracking, you musical detectives! Listen to the MP3, then register your guesses in the comment section.