The next big event on the Christian holiday calendar is Easter. Alfred Music published some new arrangements from James Koerts at the end of 2012 specifically written for Easter services in a variety of worship settings. I received the book for Christmas and decided to share some of my thoughts on the songs here. Read on to see what’s in this collection of Easter songs. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘james koerts’
Review: “Wondrous Easter” by James Koerts
Posted: January 25, 2013 in Piano Collections, ReviewsTags: collections, easter, james koerts, music, new, piano, reviews
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2011 Oak Ridge Baptist Church Christmas Concert
Posted: October 26, 2012 in Performance, VideoTags: bells, choral, christmas, duet, ensemble, flute, guitar, james koerts, Keith Getty, ORBC, percussion, piano, saxophone, solo performance, trumpet, video, viola, violin
[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…)
Choral review: “Promised One” by James Koerts
Posted: October 12, 2012 in Performance, ReviewsTags: cantata, christmas, james koerts, piano, reviews, video
[NOTE: This post was originally published in January of 2011]
Yes, I’m aware that Christmas was over a month ago, but it’s never too early to start planning for Christmas 2011, is it? Of course not! That being said, I have a Christmas cantata for you to consider. Last year, The Wilds Music published set of choral pieces with accompanying script called “The Promised One.” James Koerts wrote the music while Jonathan Cook provided several original texts. I have been involved in church Christmas programs for over 15 years, and “The Promised One” is one of the most memorable and exciting compilations that I’ve heard. Our church performed the music this past Christmas along with an original script written by one of our members. Here are some observations and opinions on several pieces as well as video of our church’s performance.
ORBC Easter Service 2012
Posted: May 20, 2012 in Choral, PerformanceTags: choral, james koerts, Keith Getty, larry shackley, ORBC, performance, stuart townend, tom fettke, video
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…)
Podcast: Interview with James Koerts
Posted: February 27, 2012 in PodcastTags: interview, james koerts, music, podcast, teaching
This month, I spoke with music pastor, arranger, composer James Koerts. He offered numerous anecdotes from his music training as well as some insight into his creative process. Enjoy February’s Piano Animato podcast embedded from Sound Cloud below. Let me know what you think, and I look forward to hearing suggestions on who you’d like to hear featured.
I’ve got March’s interview scheduled, so there’s more to come! (more…)
“Creation Sings” by James Koerts
Posted: February 6, 2012 in ChoralTags: choral, james koerts, Keith Getty, stuart townend
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.”
(more…)
Review: “Getty and Townend Praise Classics” by James Koerts
Posted: January 27, 2012 in Piano Collections, ReviewsTags: collections, james koerts, Keith Getty, piano, reviews, stuart townend
Just before 2012 came upon us, Alfred Music published a collection of 12 arrangements from James Koerts. James took a few of the most recognizable tunes from the Euro duo and arranged them for solo performance. The contemporary style and timeless texts of these songs lent themselves well to Koerts’s signature style of syncopation and modern harmonies. Read on to find out what I think about these unique arrangements. (more…)
Album Review: “Wondrous Love” by James Koerts
Posted: April 5, 2011 in ReviewsTags: james koerts, piano, reviews
I realize that this review of Wondrous Love, which was released in 2009, is way late to the game. It dawned on me recently that I hadn’t given even a mention to a great contemporary piano recording from a great contemporary piano composer on this great sacred piano website. Please allow me to correct that oversight now.
James Koerts recorded his first album in 2009 and formally presented his piano performance skills to the world for the first time. Although James will tell you that he doesn’t really consider himself a performer, you couldn’t tell that from listening to this album. Since all the songs are well-known hymns, it’s hard to distinguish a lot of elements to comment on for each song. Instead, I’ve opted to highlight the best tracks and what I like most about each. Even so, the CD is fantastic, and I recommend it often to fans of James’ style or people just looking for new perspectives on classic hymns. (more…)
