New Church Anthems for Spring Tuesday, January 19, 2010
It may still be cold and snowy outside, but it's certainly not too early to be planning your choral anthems for this spring! Our Sacred Choral Music staff has carefully chosen these pieces to be appropriate for a variety of worship styles and services throughout the coming months:
As we enter the Lenten season, Lloyd Larson's setting of the spiritual He Never Said a Mumbalin' Word makes for a moving anthem, especially with the addition of the optional cello. Good Friday services will be enhanced by One Lonely Night by Joseph Martin, which reminds us that Jesus' road to the cross begins at the manger. An a cappella mezzo-soprano solo helps set the mood for this accessible anthem.
Hosanna to Our King! is a great choice for Palm Sunday celebrations. Opening with a Hebrew folk melody, the middle section utilizes the hymn tune LEONI with a different text. Add the optional tambourine and finger cymbals for extra excitement!
Involve your congregation on Easter Sunday with Mary McDonald's Raise Your Joys and Triumphs High, a definitive Easter hymn arrangement. An exciting opening instrumental prelude and brief choral fanfare lead into four verses of “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today,†each of which features a carefully nuanced accompaniment. Also appropriate for Easter Sunday is Resurrection Victory, full of driving rhythms, syncopation and accessible choral parts.
The popular hymn tune FESTAL SONG receives a new text in A Rushing, Mighty Wind. The splendid writing and the addition of brass accompaniment make this an outstanding choice for celebrating the festival of Pentecost.
For other Sundays this spring, try John Ness Beck's lovely arrangement of The King of Love My Shepherd Is, which reminds us of what s
ets Beck apart from other sacred choral composers and arrangers of his time: smooth part-writing, rich harmonies, creative, supportive accompaniments, and an economy in his writing that always translates into quiet sincerity. Other wonderful choices include Lily of the Valley (incorporating the Irish melody Salley Gardens), Lonesome Valley (also appropriate for Lent), and Over in the Glory Land (a gospel-style arrangement of the hymn Angel Band).
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 (featuring 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 2010.