Congregational Songs

Showing 13–24 of 261 results

  • As With Gladness / For the Beauty of the Earth (DIX)

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/dix-as_with_gladness-for_the_beauty.mp3"][/audio]

     

    This Just Add People arrangement of the hymn tune DIX includes a stately piano accompaniment as well as an alternate, more active accompaniment for select verses. It can be used with any text sung to DIX, including “As with Gladness Men of Old” and “For the Beauty of the Earth.”

    Piano accompaniment for congregational singing.

  • Be Still and Know

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/be_still_and_know.mp3"][/audio]

     

    This Just Add People arrangement of the simple refrain “Be Still and Know” is perfect for congregational singing.

     

    Piano accompaniment for congregational singing.

  • Be Still, God Will Fight Your Battle

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    This is a relatively little known spiritual that fits beautifully with the crossing of the Red Sea where Moses says, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today… The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14) 

    This arrangement isn’t “authentic” or true to a particular stream of African American performance practice, just something that makes it accessible to a group that can read a leadsheet. Below is a video from the service for which I arranged it. Notice that this song segues like butter into “Go Down, Moses.”


    Sunday Worship on May 3, 2020 – Wilderness – Discovering God in the Desert from Fuller Avenue Church on Vimeo.

  • Before the Cross / When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (O WALY WALY)

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    [audio m4a="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/o_waly_waly.m4a"][/audio]

     

    One of my favorite hymn tunes is O WALY WALY, and one of my favorite hymn texts is “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” This Just Add People arrangement combines them and adds an original refrain. This arrangement could also be used with other texts sung to O WALY WALY, either with or without the refrain.

    Piano accompaniment for congregational singing, including original refrain.

  • Behold the Love

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/behold_the_love.mp3

    Barton W. Stone (of Stone-Cambell movement fame) wrote only one hymn: “Behold the Love, the Grace of God.” What struck me about Stone’s text is how effusive it is: “My soul’s on fire, it pants to prove the fullness of redeeming love.” Though I decided to write new lyrics, I tried to retain the original text’s first-person awe and gratefulness for Jesus’ sacrifice. This would be a great song for communion or Good Friday. Think of it as a gospel sibling of “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

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    Behold, a Table Is Spread

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    http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/behold_a_table_is_spread.mp3

    This song draws its inspiration from John S.B. Monsell’s 1866 hymn “I Hunger and I Thirst.” I added a chorus and rewrote the original text. Drawing from the “I AM” titles for Jesus, the three verses of this uptempo communion hymn focus on bread, blood, and water.

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

  • Benediction (The Last Word)

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    http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/benediction-the_last_word.mp3

    The song’s genesis began with some phrases scratched on the back of a church bulletin. The phrase that stuck was “from the postlude to the prelude.” (That’s also the title of a book about church music administration by Randall Bradley.) From there I started to flesh out the kinds of things that could, indeed should, be understood as part of a worshipful life. Some of these seem clear: a playground feels like part of God’s world. But what about a prison?

  • BIG OLD TREE

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    https://archive.gregscheer.com/sounds/big_old_tree.mp3

    Hymn tunes shouldn’t only be for the older folks, right? Here’s a common meter tune that would work perfectly for a children’s song. The last phrase is repeated, so you can think of it as 8.6.8.6.8.6.

    This is an orphan tune, waiting to be adopted by a text to call its own. If you write your own lyrics for this melody or pair it with an existing text, please let me know how you’ve used it.

  • BLEST BE THOU

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/blest_are_the_innocents.mp3

    This tune was originally written for “Blest Are the Innocents” by Sylvia Dunstan, a text about the Slaughter of the Innocents, when Herod killed every male under two in the hopes of killing Jesus, the prophesied King. Dunstan wrote the text with the 10.10.10.10 tune  SLANE (“Be Thou My Vision”) in mind. However, a well-loved tune like SLANE may cause some cognitive dissonance with the grim subject matter of the text, so consider this alternative.

    This is an orphan tune, waiting to be adopted by a text to call its own. If you write lyrics for this melody or pair it with an existing text, please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense and let me know how you’ve used it.

  • Brightest and Best (STAR IN THE EAST)

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/brightest_and_best.mp3"][/audio]

     

    Brightest and Best of the Stars of the Morning,” written by Reginald “Holy, Holy, Holy” Heber in 1811, wonderfully ties together the visit of the Magi with our own offerings to Christ. This Just Add People arrangement uses verses 3 and 4 of Heber’s text and makes a great offertory hymn.

    Piano accompaniment for congregational singing.

  • Broken and Wasted

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/broken_and_wasted.mp3"][/audio]

    This song is based on a prayer of confession written by John Polhill from the Iona Community. It recognizes how we harm God’s creation, both through personal actions and global systems. The verses, which ask God to bless our lament and grief over how we have cared for his world, are punctuated by the prayer “Kyrie eleison”— “Lord, have mercy.”

  • Build a Longer Table

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/bjorlin-build_a_longer_table.mp3

    GIA recently published a collection of Dave Bjorlin’s texts, Protest of Praise. It’s full of fresh hymns that address modern injustices. In “Build a Longer Table,” Dave shows that God’s incredible welcome to us through Christ requires us to show hospitality to others. This song’s exuberant Gospel groove declares the text with strength and joy.

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

Showing 13–24 of 261 results