For those of you who like to plan ahead, here is a piano duet on “Oh Come all ye Faithful.” I wrote this with intermediate to advanced students in mind, as well as an adjunct to the organ accompaniment for congregational singing. The harmonies should work together with the version in most hymnals. If you need it in a different key, the SCORCH version on www.sibeliusmusic.com will be available soon. The version below is in PDF format.
It is difficult to speak about the things of God, because they are more easily felt than articulated. This is especially true of music that has a connection to the divine. In preparing a talk about church music for sacrament meeting, I wrote down a definition of what it is about great music that makes it so special.
"This is how I interpret what my father called “soul” when applied to certain performances of great masterpieces of music. “Soul” goes beyond the technique, musicianship, and emotion of the performers, because there is something holy, a kind of merging between heaven and earth. It is a manifestation of the indwelling presence of the Lord, through the Holy Spirit. It is something that can connect with the divine that is within each one of us. Perhaps it is akin to what the woman felt when she
touched the hem of Christ’s garment and was healed."
(The complete talk may be found on a separate page on this website.)
touched the hem of Christ’s garment and was healed.
When I decided that I wanted to have an organ arrangement of Edward Elgar’s “Nimrod,” I was surprised at how many arrangements already existed: everything from beginning band to choral. What also surprised me was how different many of these arrangements are from the original orchestral version. I love the original version, and nothing can ever compare. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful piece, and I wanted to add it to my repertoire. In this version,I worked it out so that the legato of the original could be preserved, along with of the dynamics.
“Nimrod” is from Elgar’s well-known “Enigma Variations.” It is often played for memorial services. For church, it would be a good prelude for the Sunday on Memorial Day weekend.
Below is a free PDF file. You will need Adobe Acrobat to open it.
The song "O Divine Redeemer" by Charles Gounod is one of the most beloved pieces of sacred vocal music ever written. I have played this numerous times, accompanying both soloists and choirs. I found an interesting article about it by the LDS organist James Welch. He gives some background about the composer and his music, and the history of "O Divine Redeemer." He includes a literal translation of the original French, and ends with some comments of how it is been used in the LDS church.
Martin Luther wrote, in the preface to the Wittenberg Hymnal, 1524
That it is good and God pleasing to sing hymns is, I think, known to every Christian; for everyone is aware not only of the example of the prophets and kings in the Old Testament who praised God with song and sound, with poetry and psaltery, but also of the common and ancient custom of the Christian church to sing Psalms. St. Paul himself instituted this in 1 Cor. 14[:15] and exhorted the Colossians [3:16] to sing spiritual songs and psalms heartily unto the Lord so that God’s Word and Christian teaching might be instilled and implanted in many ways.
Therefore I, too, in order to make a start and to give an incentive to those who can do better, have with the help of others compiled several hymns, so that the holy Gospel which now by the grace of God has risen anew may be noised and spread abroad.
Like Moses in his song [Ex. 15:2], we may now boast that Christ is our praise and song and say with St. Paul, 1 Cor. 2[:2], that we should know nothing to sing or say, save Jesus Christ our Savior.[1]
In the sixteenth century, it was no longer the practice of congregations to sing hymns. Martin Luther was determined to bring this ancient tradition back. He understood the importance of congregational hymn singing. His work in hymnody was his way of giving people the chance to practice their religion, just as his German translation of the Bible made it possible for them to read and study the scriptures. Luther’s German translation of the Bible is considered one of the great monuments in German literature. His hymn “A Mighty Fortress” is one of the great Christian hymns. I once heard the hymnodist Eric Routley say that Martin Luther was one of the only people who was successful in writing both the text and tune of a first-rate hymn. Most of the great hymns are written by two different people, one writing the text and the other the tune.
At the top of this website is a picture of a calla lily. Lilies are my favorite type of flowers, and they have a great deal of spiritual significance to me. One could go on forever about lilies in scriptures, music, poetry, and art. Here are a few examples.
I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
Song of Solomon 2:1-2
27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luke 12:27
Below is a youtube video of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing “Consider the Lilies” by Roger Hoffman, along with the text.
May Oliver’s poem “Lilies” touches on this scripture:
But if I were a lily
I think I would wait all day
for the green face
of the hummingbird
to touch me.
What I mean is,
could I forget myself
The calla lily is a symbol of funerals, because of its relationship to the Winter solstice, and weddings, because it is a symbol of purity. The lily of the valley is a symbol ofhumility in religious painting. Here it is in a triptych at The Cloisters, a museum of Christian art.
Pioneer Day has come and gone. We sang the hymn “Come, Come Ye Saints” in sacrament meeting Sunday. This hymn has always had special meaning to me, as I am the descendant of Mormon pioneers. I have sung this hymn all my life, but last Sunday it had a special resonance. Within the past two months I had three eye surgeries: two not such a big deal, and one that was a big deal. My visual trials could fill volumes, but the good news is it is all fixable. While I was waiting for my surgery last Wednesday, I noticed that some of the other patients were quite agitated. Although I had been scared out of my mind in the weeks before, when it came to the big day I was completely calm. I believe this was because I was held up by all the people who were praying for me. When we sang “Come, Come, Ye Saints” Sunday I was particularly struck by the second verse: “Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard? ‘Tis not so; all is right. Why should we think to earn a great reward If we now shun the fight? Gird up your loins; fresh courage take. Our God will never us forsake; And soon we’ll have this tale to tell—All us well! All is well!
For the first time I began to realize that this hymn is also about all of our trials. It is true, our Lord will never forsake us, and, in the large scheme of things, All is Well!
Play and/or sing a hymn every morning before starting your day. You can sing the same hymn every day, start at the beginning of the hymn book and sing a different one every day, or anything in between.
If you have primary age children, sing a primary song with them every day before sending them to school.
Open your hymnal to one of the hymns that was sung at a recent church meeting, and look up the scriptures listed next to the hymn. This is a great way to study the scriptures.
Choose a hymn and ponder the meaning of the words. Write down your thoughts. I occasionally post hymn meditations on this blog when a hymn we sang in sacrament meeting had a special resonance for me.
Join your ward choir! If you are a choir director, have your choir sing a hymn at the beginning of each rehearsal.
Have a hymn testimony meeting(Relief Society, fireside, etc.) where members can request their favorite hymns and then everybody sings them.
If you are a music teacher, have your students learn to play hymns as part of their studies.
Put together a small group (or volunteer to sing in one) to sing one of the hymns as a special number for sacrament meeting.
Memorize the words of one of the hymns.
Sing before you pray.
Quote
We get nearer to the Lord through music than perhaps through any other thing except prayer." -- President J. Reuben Clark Jr., in Conference Report, Oct. 1936, 111
I walked out this morning and found one early bloom on my Rose of Sharon bush. To celebrate this, and the whole summer season, here is a video of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa singing "Summertime" from the opera “Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin.
One of the definitions of the word “soul” in the Webster dictionary is “a strong positive feeling (as of intense sensitivity and emotional fervor) conveyed especially by black American performers.”
My father liked to use the word “soul” in music to describe a quality that is difficult to define. It is a performance, of any type of music (his preference was classical) that conveys something beyond bare emotional fervor. To him it was much more subtle, something that goes more deeply into the heart of the music. All I can say is that I know it when I hear it. It seems to me that there can be a quality that goes beyond the technique, musicianship, and emotion of the performer into something holy, something that seems impossible without a connection to a higher power. Perhaps it is akin to what the woman felt when she touched the hem of Christ’s robe.
My church music compositions draw on my 30 year career as a teacher and performer in organ, piano, and choral music. Much of my choral music has been performed by various choirs that I have conducted over the years.
You can listen to or view my compositions at www.sibeliusmusic.com "Mayhew" or "Zufall" and you will be able to listen to and/or print my compositions.
On this website you can also read my story "Symphony of Psalms," a humorous, fictional story about about the tortures of a college choral conducting class.
--- I am LDS, and live in Michigan with my wonderful husband and our two kids, Janet and James, who live with us while attending college. Our home is often full of young people in their 20's who like to hang out with us. The photo above is of me at the party last July 4 that we hosted for the Young Single Adult Ward in our stake.
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FOR FREE MUSIC click above on "Piano Page," "Organ Page," or "Choral/ Vocal music."
Free
Easy Choir Hymn Anthems
I believe that church music does not have to be difficult to be effective. Many of my compositions are written for churches that have limited resources. Below are two free choir anthems based on hymn tunes by famous composers.
"How Wondrous and Great" SATB with piano or organ. Based on the hymn tyne LYONS attributed to Joseph Michael Haydn.
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will be available soon. The version below is in PDF format. 
