Molly Ijames
Molly Ijames has been with Soundforth Publishing (now owned by Lorenz) since 2006. She’s a relative newcomer to the world of sacred music publishing, but she has quickly made a mark on it. In this podcast, we talk about her background, the current state of church music, and some of what goes on when a composer submits a work to be published. Find the link to listen to the podcast below. (more…)
As a pianist, I had a busy Easter at the keys. I accompanied for four different songs of varying styles. It was a great service, and we had an excellent turnout. Of course, this is one of a handful of services each year that people will attend even if just to get someone off their back. That being said, the crowd at ORBC today seemed enthusiastic in their worship of the risen Savior. (more…)
Anyone familiar with the original tune to this hymn will realize how inappropriate it is. The march-like major key does not fit with lyrics like “Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave” and “Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting.” Most of the text would be more fitting paired with a minor key or a tune that lends itself to a softer, more emotional feel. A few years back, I found a modern rendition of “Rescue the Perishing.” To me, this new tune fits with the original text perfectly. Read on to learn more about this arrangement by David Schwoebel. (more…)
I Run to Christ from Soundforth (owned by Lorenz)
A few weeks ago, I accompanied our church’s choir on a performance of “I Run to Christ.” This is a ChurchWorksMedia title with words by Chris Anderson and music by Greg Habegger. These two have collaborated on many titles over the past few years, and their music has found its way into churches around the world. There’s a conversation that winds its way throughout the text where Christ repeatedly speaks to the believer that is singing the lyrics. He constantly reminds the Christian that He is there for us and has always been there with us. (more…)
[NOTE: This was originally published in December 2011]
This year I helped our music pastor organize a concert for our adult Christmas program. We usually do the traditional cantata or musical, but this year was a bit different. We chose musicians from within the church and asked them to collaborate with other musicians to create our own program. We didn’t set limits on song length, and we encouraged traditional and sacred pieces to be chosen. We ended up with a great mix of instruments and arrangements. There were selections from the Nutcracker, Handel’s Messiah, and 20th century American traditional music. (more…)
Just a sampling of some of the spectacular lighting seen at Greg’s concert on August 10.
Last Friday night I travelled with my family and two friends to Atlanta to attend Greg Howlett’s concert/recording session at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center. It’s not surprising to meet people who have never heard of Greg, but it is surprising for people not to appreciate his music after they’ve heard it. For someone to doubt his prowess after watching a concert like I saw would be inconceivable. Greg and his team of around 200 put together a live experience matched only in the highest circles of music performers. The audio-visual event was fantastic without being overkill. Of course, anything live is not without flaw, and surprising your audience can often backfire. First I’ll talk about the technical aspects of the concert: video, lighting, and audio. The second half will include opinions on the quality and originality of the music. In closing, I’ll share some personal thoughts on the experience as a whole.
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The Easter service at Oak Ridge Baptist is always very special for us. The recordings turned out fairly well and have been added to our church’s Vimeo page. The service in entirety is embedded below for you to watch. Most of the choir music is at the end if you want to skip right to it. (more…)
Yesterday, our choir performed this gem from James Koerts. It’s a relatively new Getty/Getty/Townend song that debuted on Stuart Townend’s album of the same title. The song tells the Gospel story as many of the trio’s songs do, but emphasizes God’s creating power rather than his redemptive power.
“His fingerprints in flakes of snow,
His breath upon this spinning globe,
He charts the eagle’s flight;
Commands the newborn baby’s cry.”
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This Sunday is our annual Christmas concert at my church. We are doing things a bit differently this year. Instead of the usual choir cantata with narration or drama, we have put together a number of musicians in our church to perform a variety of Christmas favorites secular and sacred. It is set to be a really fun night complete with prelude and postlude music provided by a dulcimer group. (more…)
This past Sunday, our choir performed, what is in my opinion, “the greatest choral piece ever written.” A grand statement, I know, but having spent three months rehearsing this song, I am convinced. I haven’t been an accompanying pianist for decades, but I’ve been at it for quite some time. ”God of Heaven” by Heather Sorenson is a stunningly, moving piece. Read on to see what’s so great about this song. (more…)
