New Church Anthems for Spring 2014 Monday, February 03, 2014
It may still be cold and snowy outside, but it’s certainly not too early to be planning your choral anthems for this spring! Stanton’s Sacred Choral Music staff has carefully chosen these pieces to be appropriate for a variety of worship styles and services throughout the coming months.
For the Lenten season and Holy Week, Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross is an excellent choice. Mary McDonald takes this classic lyric and creates a memorable original melody, in which she incorporates a cameo appearance of the familiar hymn tune. Rich sonorities and great choral moments blend with a signature piano accompaniment to produce the perfect devotional anthem. In another option, worshippers will be thrilled by Craig Courtney’s stunning arrangement of the classic hymn Sing My Tongue the Glorious Battle. Its intensity builds persistently to the final declaration: “Tell how Christ, the world’s Redeemer as a victim won the day.”
Howard Helvey’s exquisitely crafted arrangement of Ride On, King Jesus provides a wonderful teaching tool for your choir and crowning jewel for any Palm Sunday service. Dynamic contrast, distribution of the melody throughout all sections of the choir, richly layered part writing and creative use of syncopation are just a few of the features that make this a cappella arrangement so special.
The Day of Resurrection features 
a brilliant instrumental fanfare and opening chorus to announce our Savior’s triumph over the grave. After a wonderful passage for choir and congregation, the fanfare returns for a victorious finish! The versatility of this arrangement allows the accompaniment to be tailored for use with small or large choirs. Another choice is Mack Wilberg’s Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise, a grand and exultant arrangement of the hymn tune LLANFAIR. The melody is treated in several ways, including a four-part unaccompanied verse and a jubilant descant; the accompaniment adds further triumphant color and scalic flourishes.
For other Sundays this spring, try Lloyd Larson’s The Bible Tells Me So. Opening with a simple child’s solo (that may also be sung by female voices), this charming anthem moves into a light jazz style with clean vocal lines and a whimsical piano accompaniment, creating a sure favorite for singers and congregation alike! Other excellent options include How Marvelous, How Wonderful (a soaring new melody for the standard “I stand amazed in the presence…” text), Write Your Blessed Name (a classic choral by K. Lee Scott) and Spirit Come Down (a lively retelling of the Pentecost story by Mark Hayes).
Did you miss out on our Sacred Choral Music Reading Session? Never fear! If you’re interested in receiving a packet from this year’s clinic (including these and many more selections for spring worship), please contact us! You can also click here to view our entire Sacred Choral promotion for Spring 2014, or visit our Virtual Workshop. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!