A Hymn of Beginnings

$7.99
Fantasia on BUNESSAN

For Solo Bassoon and Piano

Looking for a sacred bassoon solo? Well, you’ve found it! Utilizing the melody from Morning Has Broken(the traditional Gaelic tune BUNESSAN) A Hymn of Beginnings presents a familiar yet fresh treatment of the tune in this setting for solo bassoon and piano. Suitable as a prelude, postlude, offertory, meditative, or other functions in a sacred service it is also at home in a recital or concert program.

Duration: ~3’00”

 

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Come, Holy Spirit, Dove Divine

$1.99

For Congregation, SATB Chorus and Piano

It was one of those accidents where you find something useful when you’re looking for something else. While reading on the nature of worship, a particular blog article ended with Adoniram Judson’s early 19th Century baptismal poem, “Come Holy Spirit, Dove Divine.” The flowing text called out (at least to me!) for a musical setting. Accordingly, some melodic and harmonic ideas began to percolate in my thoughts. However, before getting very far along in writing a tune, there were two surprises in store. First many others had already set the text to music before (with a multitude of tunes) going back to at least 1833. Second, despite being a Baptist for over forty years, I discovered that this hymn has been in the Baptist Hymnal since 1956 yet I have no recollection of every singing it! Well, chagrined at my ignorance, I carried on writing a new melody and harmony for this deserving text. I sought to make it friendly to congregational singers while still containing rich and sing-able harmonies and so aimed for a four-part hymn-style form. However, as I suspect my ignorance of the hymn is a common condition, a fresh and modern tune which would be at home in varied musical styles and have popular appeal was also pursued. The result is a delightful and uplifting tune, easy to sing, with an optimistic and forward momentum, commensurate with the meaning of believers’ baptism, “Buried with Him in baptism; raised to walk in new life.” The music is flexible in application to many church music styles: praise team and band, choir and organ, congregation and piano, or mix and match to fit your needs. May you find Come, Holy Spirit, Dove Divine, singing a much needed text, a means for your congregation to joyfully join with new believers in celebration of their baptism!

 

Duration: [duration here … format: ~4’55”]

 

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Crown Him

$75.00

 

DIAMDEM, CORONATION, and DIADEMATA

For Orchestra

“Crown Him” reinterprets the classic hymn tunes DIAMDEM and CORONATION (All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name) plus DIADEMATA (Crown Him with Many Crowns) as a unified grand anthem for orchestra. The music is celebratory and majestic offset with moments of intimacy appropriate for the coronation of our Eternal King. Sure to be thrilling for all listeners, it is suitable for use at Easter, Ascension Sunday, services in anticipation of Christ’s return or ultimate victory and, well, really any Sunday as we celebrate Christ’s resurrection every week. It is crafted for the variable instrumentation and skills of the typical church orchestra with frequent tuttis, exposed parts only where competent players are common, friendly keys and meters, liberal cues, no more than three musical lines at a time (usually just two), and musical figures well within the grasp of high school players. The one possible exception would be the timpani line where a fairly accomplished player is needed.

 

Robert Myers
S.D.G.

 

Duration: ~4’55”

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FOUNDATION

$14.99

For Low Brass or Trombone Quartet

Foundation is part of my Americana Miniature series of early American hymns and folk songs. These are short and fairly simple settings of well-known American music intended for church or community venues and are playable by intermediate level musicians. Foundation is set for trombone or low brass quartet with rich harmonies, varied meters, and melodic interest in all parts.

 

Duration: ~1’50”

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Jesus Loves the Little Children

$2.25

 

Jesus Loves the Little Children

For SATB Chorus and Piano

Jesus Loves the Little Children is a fresh interpretation of the beloved children’s song set as a choral anthem. New text, based on several gospel stories of Christ’s interaction with children, complements and extends C.H. Woolston’s poetry to charge the church with caring for these little ones. Amid heightened emphases on our differences in recent days, Woolston’s text came to mind as a pithy and poignant means to remind ourselves to look at each other through Christ’s eyes. And, if we do so, we will regard, not one another’s immutable external characteristics but, the imago Dei (image of God) common in us all. This music is meant to bring us toward this perspective through contemplation on how precious all the little ones, red and yellow, black and white, are in His eyes.

 

Duration: ~3’15”

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