Worship Arts April May June 2022

Choral

Resources & Reviews

Choral

nition of sin and repentance, and would be appropriate for both a youth choir or a church choir who needs to learn an anthem quickly. My Faith Looks Up to Thee , Jona than Kohrs, Concordia 984373, 2021, SATB and piano. One of the problems I hear most

Jay Regennitter is lead pastor of First United Methodist Church, Robinson, IL, and has degrees in choral music education and organ performance.

Abide with Me , William Cutter, MorningStar MSM

50-3165, 2021, SATB with piano.

My first read-through of this piece immediately brought back memories of a college piano professor and soloist using EVENTIDE for a worship service. They did not follow the meter in The United Methodist Hymnal , but shifted into 12/8, which is what Cutter does here. It has a flow and lilt to it that uplifts the text in a way that the stan dard setting does not. There is some divisi, but all parts are in a comfortable range and can be easily learned on short notice. It is definitely suitable for funerals, but also works well for Holy Week. Bread of Heaven , Karen Marrolli, MorningStar MSM-50-5126, 2020, SATB with piano. Marrolli has composed an (unison, two-part, and four-part.) Your congregation will likely appreciate the simplicity and beauty of the setting, which is particularly appropriate during Lent. What Does the Lord Require of You , Alfred Fedak, MorningStar MSM-50-6188, 2020, SATB with organ. With an obvious nod to Micah 6:8, this text also weaves in Psalm 116 and Proverbs 15 and 16. The Micah text serves as a refrain, interspersed with the psalm and proverbs. The piece ends with a two-part (melody and descant) setting of Adoro te devote. This setting could be useful in your library throughout the year. Bless the Lord, O My Soul , John A. Behnke, MorningStar MSM-50-8855, 2021, SAB with keyboard and optional flute. Behnke adapts the text of Psalm 103 for this setting, which is set in a call-and-response format between the treble and bass voices. The first verse serves as a refrain, and as I read through the verses, I thought this setting could work well for a Sunday when the theme is the recog original tune and text, which pairs well with the temptation of Jesus, and for those who desire to see justice enacted in the world. The melody is chant like, and there is variety in the voicing

often from my voice students and choir members has to do with moving from chest voice to head voice. If you’re needing a song to navigate the passagio, this setting will help pedagogically. The

melody has major sixths, major sevenths, and octaves. It has unison, two-part and four-part voicings, but the range for each part is manageable – a new tune to a familiar text. I Am a Child of God , Mark Shepperd, Concordia 984364, 2021, two-part with piano and optional C instru ment. My first read-through made me long to present this piece with a children’s choir. No part has to sing too high or too low, and Shepperd wrote it with flexibility for mixed or equal voices. The text has echoes of Psalm 23 and the claims of baptism, making it suitable for Good Shepherd Sunday or as a piece you could quickly pull out for use during baptisms. You Said, Pray Thus , Matthew H. Corl, Concordia 984367, 2021, SATB and organ. This piece combines a great text

with an easy-to-learn melody and haunting harmonies. The text refer ences the Lord’s Prayer, but moves beyond it to discipleship with a hint of social justice. This anthem would be great for general use, but also works

well for a call to follow Christ.

Now, Even Now, Declare a Fast , Kevin Hildebrand, Concordia 984374, 2021, two-part or SATB with organ and optional instrument. Good for a Sunday where your choral resources are underwhelming and penitence is the theme. Hildebrand’s setting brings a fresh anthem to replace Dust and Ashes in your choral libraries. The melody is simple and the part writing is adaptable (it could be done by children’s choir, men’s ensemble, women’s choir, or SATB).

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