Just this afternoon I had one of my intermediate students ask me, “What could I play during the echo section in the chorus of “It is Well?”
She enjoyed learning the left hand patterns I entered as a suggested route. I told her if she would learn to recognize her chords in the hymnal…it would open up a whole realm of improvising choices!
Click on the title below to download your copy of the chorus ideas for “It is Well.”
My heart is full…had to share an experience that just happened today…
Just returned from playing for a funeral. It was the funeral of a former piano student’s grandmother.
The Lord’s presence was unmistakable! I played about a half hour prelude and it was as though God was moving my hands…you could have heard a pin drop….everyone else must have sensed God’s presence too. Nothing to do with me.
God’s presence was felt upon meeting Nathan’s warm and caring grandfather sitting by his wife’s casket prior to the service. You could tell he walked with God and God’s peace surrounded him and his sweet family. I would love to have known his wife. How he will miss her…married for 67 years. What a testimony!
I taught Nathan years ago when he was first learning piano. He took so well to the old hymns… which he enjoyed playing for his now deceased grandmother. He’s now in his second year of college. At the beginning of the service, Nathan came up and played one of my arrangements I taught him many years ago….”It is Well”. What I didn’t know until the end of the service..was that he played this very arrangement for his grandmother as she entered heaven’s gates.
Sorry…getting a little emotional as tears run down my face while typing.
All I can say is, “God…thank you for allowing me to have a small part in your training of young people for your service and for using my music as a balm for dying saints.” God is good!
I discreetly videoed Nathan while he played “It is Well”. You can tell he was giving all he could for his grandmother. But now…she was hearing Nathan from heaven above 🙂
Just thought I’d share a very informal video shooting of my latest choir/congregational arrangement of “It is Well”.
It was a last minute decision to video the choir and didn’t have a tripod….so excuse the shaky quality.
At least you can get a rough idea of how the arrangement sounds.
The end is kind of funny because our Pastor thought we were done BEFORE we were done. He had us sing it again because he liked it so much AND because he wanted to hear the end without interruption:)
It just so happened that the first recording was our best.
I appreciate all of our choir members taking the time to attend choir practice each week. They are a blessing!
I am VERY excited about this arrangement! This particular arrangement has been in the making since December but took plenty of time to refine it before sharing the finished product.
It is Well takes on a whole new meaning to those who have heard the story behind the writing of this hymn.
Click on the following link to read about the heart-rending events that led to the writing of “It is Well”. Only by God’s grace…this song was born.
Easy SATB choir with congregation arrangement. 8 pgs.
*Price covers multiple copies
You need to have the Audio Player Plugin installed to use this shortcode
