Worship Arts April May June 2022

Choral

Christmas

Lent

Christ Was Born for You , arr. Mary McDonald, Hope Publishing Company C6339, 2020, SATB and piano. Performance/accompaniment CD (C6339C) available. This Christmas anthem uses the text of the tradi tional Polish carol Infant Lowly, Infant Holy found in No. 229 in The United Methodist Hymnal and the tune Greensleeves found in No. 219 of The UMH . It starts with SA voices in unison, moves to SATB, and then changes keys for the last part. If you have a four-part choir available, this anthem is easily learned and is easy listening even for the non-musical members of the congregation. We Sing with Choirs of Angels , Tom Trenney, Birnamwood Publications (a division of MorningStar Music Publishers) MSM-50-9851, 2020, SATB divisi and piano with optional congregation. Optional brass quintet parts (MSM-50-9851B) and organ/brass score (MSM-50-9851A) available. Full orchestra score and parts (MSM-50-9851C) available for purchase or rental. The beginning part of this anthem has an original text and tune by Trenney. The last part of this anthem uses the first verse of the familiar Wesley text for Hark, the Herald Angels Sing with the Mendelssohn tune Mendelssohn found in No. 240 of The United Method ist Hymnal . Of the anthems reviewed previously, this anthem requires the greatest number of voices singing different parts and a choir that can easily switch from measures of 3/4 time to 4/4 time. However, if you have those resources available, consider adding this anthem to your choral library. Silent Night , David Cherwien, Birnamwood Pub lications (a division of MorningStar Music Publishers) MSM-60-1100, 2020, SATB with descant and optional congregation/organ. Harp/piano part (MSM-60-1100A) available. This has the first three verses of No. 239 in The United Methodist Hymnal and is a lovely choral setting of a hymn frequently used by congregations as part of their candlelight celebration on Christmas Eve. The first two verses have an SATB choir singing with unison congregation on the melody while the third verse has a unison choir and congregation with a descant sung by a few sopranos or soprano and tenor voices. The descant adds musical excitement to the verse but can be eliminated if you do not have those choral resources available.

Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days , Zebu lon M. Highben, Birnamwood Publications (a division of MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc.) MSM 50-5121, 2020, SATB a cappella. This uses the text of Claudia F. Hernaman, found in No. 269 of The United Methodist Hymnal and the tune Detroit found in No. 390 of The UMH set to a different rhythm pattern. While it is indicated to be sung a cappella, if you have a choir that has difficulty maintaining pitch when unaccompanied, the piano or organ could duplicate the choral parts. It starts with the men singing the first verse in unison, the second verse has SATB voices, with the third verse sung as a canon between women’s voices and men’s voices. The fourth and fifth verses are again in SATB form. This is an ap propriate anthem to be sung either at an Ash Wednes day worship or worship on the first Sunday of Lent.

Wondrous Love , Eric Nelson, Atlanta Master Chorale Choral Series, Birnamwood Publications (a division of MorningStar Music Pub lishers, Inc.) MSM-50-3902, 2020, SATB divisi and piano. This is an elegant setting of the four-verse text and tune found in No. 292 of The United Methodist

Hymnal . Although the composer indicates that it is for SATB divisi, if you have limited choral members who are able to sing SATB music, this anthem can be sung with only SATB parts because when the divisi parts oc cur, the voices are either duplicated in one of the other parts or the piano. It starts with TB having the melody in unison, then having TB sing in harmony. The alto then joins with the melody on verse two before the soprano joins with the melody. Verse three starts with solo or men in unison with the melody followed by solo or women in unison, ending with four-part harmony. The final verse starts with all voices on the melody be fore moving into four-part harmony. It is also available for TTBB, (MSM-50-3912). Lenten Meditation , Jay Althouse, Hope Publish ing C6255, 2020, 2-part mixed voices and piano. The text of this anthem is appropriate for any worship experience during Lent when you have choral resources available. In addition to the version listed above, it is published in an SATB arrangement (C5119), SSA arrangement (C6252), and a TTBB arrangement (C6257). There is also a performance/accompaniment

___________________________________________________________________________________________________ 24 April-May-June 2022 • WorshipArts • umfellowship.org