Introit on Be Thou My Vision
Duration: 1'10"
Instrumentation: SATB. keyboard (organ preferred)
Description: This short introit is based on a paraphrase
of the hymn tune Slane. There is an alternation of a capella
and accompanied segments, as the first verse of the hymn is presented.
A second verse, relying mainly on text from verse 3, follows. It features
canonic repetition between women and men over an E pedal point with
descending chords in the manuals. The short closing phrase returns to
the hymn tune. Easy to medium difficulty.
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Behold, I Do a New Thing
Score | mp3
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.
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Blessed is the One
Score | mp3
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.
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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.
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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.
To score excerpts
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Find Your Rest, Oh My Soul
Score | mp3
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.
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Gilead for Choir
Choral
Score | mp3
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.
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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.
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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)
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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.
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Mary's Child
Duration: 2 minutes
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: An arrangement of the hymn version of
Geoffrey Ainger's Christmas song.
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May the Words of my Mouth
Score
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.
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Standing in the Need of Prayer
Duration: 2'45"
Instrumentation: SATB a capella
Description: Upbeat arrangement of spiritual.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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You Satisfy the Hungry Heart
Duration: 3 minutes
Instrumentation: SATB, piano
Description: Arrangement of hymn by Robert E. Kreutz.
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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...
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