Behold, I Do a New Thing

Duration: 2’45″
Instrumentation: TBarB, piano
Description: A setting of Isaiah 43:18-21 for men’s choir. The men in my church choir are enthusiastic but, like many church choirs, of uneven ability. They do sound good together, so this piece has lots of unison, breaking into two-and three-voice harmonies that are primarily homophonic with a few suspensions. One imitative section has two voices, but the material is designed to be easy to learn and fun to sing. The piece has a definite contemporary, jazz/pop flavor. Easy to medium difficulty.

Blessed is the One

Duration: 2 minutes
Instrumentation: TBarB, piano, optional congregation or SA
Description: A setting of two verses of psalm 32 for men’s voices (the derivation is somewhat loose, but psalm 32 provided the inspiration for the piece). This work, one of an in-progress set of six introits, has a definite gospel flavor, expecially in the piano part. For most of the piece, the piano explores and varies a two-measure fragment. Over these continuing variations, the men exuberantly set forth the text:

Blessed is the one who rejoices in the Lord:
Be glad, all you righteous, in the Lord.
Sing, all you who are upright in heart.
Sing for joy!

This piece is in the easy to moderate range of difficulty. It has a section for congregation (which can be taught the music in the course of the piece) or, if one prefers, sopranos and altos.

Called by God

Duration: 2’15″
Instrumentation: Two versions:

• SATB, congregation, piano, organ
• TTBB, piano

Description: A setting of the LOPC mission statement:

Called by God, nurtured in the Spirit,
we are dedicated to making a difference in the world
by extending the love of Jesus Christ.

A portion of the piece is intended for congregational singing.

Christ has no body now but yours

Duration: 50 seconds
Instrumentation: SATB choir a capella
Description: This choral benediction sets a text by St. Teresa of Avila. The texture is homophonic with some polyphonic relief. The work is a miniature continuous variation of the music of the opening phrase, modified on each repetition to fit the needs of the text:

Theme Christ has no body now on earth but yours;
Var 1 no feet but yours, no hands but yours;
Var 2 Yours are the eyes through which is to look out Var 3 Christ’s compassion to the world;
Var 4 Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good;
Var 5 Yours are the hands with which he is to bless now.

Come, Let Us Gather

Duration: 1-2 minutes
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: This piece was written for a Global Mission Conference held in Worcester MA in November, 1993. The choir was composed of participants, who had a little over an hour’s rehearsal to learn this piece and other music for the service.

This piece works well as an introit, stopping halfway through, as well as a full-length anthem. It is in 6/8, with a simple two-measure harmonic pattern over a tonic pedal for much of the work. It can even be turned into a two-voice piece with little difficulty. Choirs like it because, even though it is basically easy to learn, there is some interesting complexity as the various parts are fit together. A unison alleluia section acts as a climax point for each section of the piece:

Alleluia, allelu!
Heart, hand and voice, God, lifted to you!

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Duration: 6 minutes
Instrumentation: SATB, Wind Ensemble
Description: Variations on this Thanksgiving Hymn. Originally written for solo organ, here arranged for choir and band.

Eli, Eli

Duration: 4 minutes
Instrumentation: TTBB, string quartet
Description: This work, written for Good Friday, combines Psalm 22:1-3 and Eli, Eli, a poem by Hannah Senesh. As a composer, I found both texts quite powerful. The string quartet provides a relatively static, stark background against which the two texts, the psalm in English and the poem in Hebrew, intertwine.

Find Your Rest, Oh My Soul

Duration: 1’30″
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: As I was planning my spring 2006 anthem list for church, I had six introit slots unfilled in my first pass through the choral library. So I’m thinking that I’ll write a set of six–and what better day to begin than the first day of the year. The piano has a 3-measure ostinato, against which the choir sings. The sopranos have the lead, in the spirit of the cantor, answered by ATB chords. The text is based on portions of Psalm 63:5-12, which is one of the lectionary choices for the day I’m planning to present this introit. The writing is lyrical, and the piece is easy to moderate in difficulty. For a little more background on this piece, visit my January 1, 2006 post on my blog.

Gilead for Choir

Duration:
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: This is a choral realization of a textless movement for mezzo-soprano, cello and piano, which itself is based on an earlier variation for flute and piano.

I Was Hungry

Duration: 2’30″
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: Based on Matthew 25:31-46, this work starts by having the sopranos and altos tell the story (I was hungry and you fed me…) while the tenors and basses emphasize the ending (So the King said to them: Come, enter in). After a brief interlude midway through the piece, all singers ask “when did we?” and finish with a flowing, mostly unison response to the question.

Jesus Prayer

Duration: 1 minute
Instrumentation: S solo, SATB, keyboard
Description: Through-composed vocal solo over choral ostinato written by Jaques Berthier (Jesus, Remember Me)

Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing

Duration: 1’30″
Instrumentation: SATB, optional T solo or soli, piano
Description: A choral benediction response . A choir favorite.

Mary’s Child

Duration: 2 minutes
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: An arrangement of the hymn version of Geoffrey Ainger’s Christmas song.

May the Words of my Mouth

Duration: 1’40″
Instrumentation: T solo, SATB a capella
Description: Inspired by African choral music, this short anthem requires a strong tenor soloist. Works well in blended worship. Medium difficulty.

Standing in the Need of Prayer

Duration: 2’45″
Instrumentation: SATB a capella
Description: Upbeat arrangement of spiritual.

Still, Still, Still

Duration: 3’10″
Instrumentation: TTBB, organ
Description: Straightforward setting of this delightful carol. The accompaniment of the last verse pays homage to one of Johann Pachelbel’s settings of Vom Himmel hoch.

The Lord Your God is in Your Midst

Duration: 2 minutes
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: Based on Zephaniah 3:17 and 3:20. In ABA form, with the A section in a spirited 6/8 (lots of unison and simple chordal writing). The B section is in 4/4, with a richer texture. The closing A section brings us back to the opening material. The piece learns easily and works well in choirs where sections aren’t of equal strength.

Though I May Speak

Duration: 2 minutes
Instrumentation: S solo, SATB a capella
Description: A choral arrangement of the English folk tune O Waly Waly, setting the 1972 text by Hal Hopson paraphrasing 1 Corinthians 13 Medium difficulty; primarily homophonic; mixture of jazz and classical styling.

You Satisfy the Hungry Heart

Duration: 3 minutes
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: Arrangement of hymn by Robert E. Kreutz.

Water

Duration: 2’30″
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: This piece draws on Gospel, African and Western European traditions in setting the text by LOPC Associate Pastor Gail Doering

Water falls down like rain
and pours upon my soul
to soak the drought of faith…