Archive for the ‘Funerals’ Category

Advanced Piano Solo: God Leads Us Along

Monday, March 23rd, 2020

This arrangement began  as a spontaneous creation during one of Jenifer’s recent “Comforting Hymns” sessions…via live on facebook.

Due to numerous requests, Jenifer has written out the arrangement and now it’s available in print.

God Leads Us Along
Advanced sacred piano solo, 4 pgs. Two Verses and Choruses Key of E Flat Major to C Major Jenifer's most requested song during the Corona Virus.
Price: $4.25

 

Late Intermediate Sacred Piano Solo: “He Hideth My Soul”

Monday, June 3rd, 2019

I’m making another one of my sacred piano arrangements, “He Hideth My Soul” from the “Funeral Collection” available as a single arrangement.

At least several of my sacred piano solos from my “Funeral Collection” are sold separately.

Recently while on vacation, I recorded four more songs from my Funeral Collection: He Hideth My Soul, Sweet by and by Medley, Trusting Jesus Medley and Wonderful Peace.

He Hideth My Soul
Late intermediate sacred piano solo, 4 pgs. Approx. length: 1:38 *Available here as a single arrangement and also in the Funeral Collection. Please note: the last line of the last page is applicable ONLY when playing from the Funeral Collection because it includes the key change to the next song in the Funeral Collection.
Price: $3.95

Here’e the recording of “He Hideth My Soul”

 

Thank You Video From Church Pianist Readers…

Tuesday, August 7th, 2018

I truly appreciate all the kind words of encouragement that I’ve received over the years from my readers.

Just thought I would share a recent note and video from a couple of my  readers.  Loren & Louise are a husband and wife team who volunteer of their time to  minister through music to various churches in their area as needed for Sunday services, weddings and funerals.

I would love to meet Loren & Louise in person just as I would those of you I’ve corresponded with through the years. (We can meet for sure in Heaven)  🙂

Thanks again for all of you encouragers!  That’s what keeps me writing 🙂

Loren and Louise are playing my arrangement of “Draw Me Nearer & Close to Thee” …available HERE

*Loren and Louise apologized for the organ and piano being somewhat out of tune but I could easily overlook that as I heard them play from their hearts 🙂

Sacred Violin Solo: Nearer My God to Thee

Monday, February 26th, 2018

My daughter-in-law, Jackie Cook and I finally got together to create this video of my sacred violin arrangement of “Nearer My God to Thee.”

Thank you Jackie for suggesting that I create a violin arrangement for “Nearer My God to Thee”.  It was also a blessing to hear you play this piece!

I am not a violinist by nature 😉 so….Jackie gave me several great pointers in order to maintain the intermediate level of this arrangement.

I hope this arrangement of “Nearer My God to Thee” is a blessing to you as well.  Sheet music available HERE

Side note:  Jackie’s next violin solo request “This is My Father’s World”.

Youtube Video: Amazing Grace

Saturday, November 18th, 2017

Just sharing a video I just found on youtube this evening… of a boy playing one of my arrangements of Amazing Grace.

He did a beautiful job!

 

“Nearer My God to Thee” (with added bow & slur marks for violin)

Thursday, August 24th, 2017

I met a nice young lady at the Composer Symposium this past summer who attends the church where my husband and I were married!

She is a great violinist and offered to add the violin bow & slur marks to my arrangement of “Nearer My God to Thee”.  It has taken me a while to finalize the arrangement but now complete and available in our music store.

A big thanks to Abby Phillips for adding the violin markings! See video of Abby below playing her own arrangement of “I’d Rather Have Jesus” in her home church.

Nearer My God to Thee
Sacred violin solo w/ piano accompaniment; 4 pgs. *Price covers two copies. A nice solo piece for any occasion. The beautiful melody of this hymn flows gently back and forth between the piano and violin. *Bowing & slur marks included for violin.
Price: $4.50

Abide With Me (Critiqued Version)

Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017

The critiqued version of Abide With Me is a result of my critique at the Composer’s Symposium this past summer in Atlanta.

Most of the editing was the result of a private lesson with Marty Parks.  Very thankful for his input! He shared a great pointer on how to better communicate rhythmic interpretation in written music.

(Thanks to Robert Sterling and Brad Nix for pointing out the 9 over the tuplets for clarity). I just honestly had shied away from learning how to input tuplets with Finale and FINALLY learned how! 🙂 Thanks to Joseph Martin for his overall encouragement and teaching spirit 🙂 Also, thanks to John Parker for his written comments on the arrangement!

For example, instead of a breath mark (large looking comma)…just insert a rest…makes a clearer statement. Also, NOT to show key change too early which is what I ALWAYS do! 😉 *See key change illustrations below the video.

Due to requests for the critiqued version…there are now two different arrangements of Abide With Me in our music store…the advanced original version & Critiqued version. Those who like a challenge will enjoy playing the critiqued version….which contains minor editing changes…ending with a run up the keyboard.  Listen to the critiqued version below…

 Now to show you the original and new key change correction 🙂

Original key change:

Abide-With-Me-resized-2

The new key change:

Abide-With-Me-new-pg-2

Abide-With-Me-new-pg-3

 

Free PDF Hymn! Just When I Need Him Most

Monday, August 14th, 2017

large baby-grand-piano

I never really noticed the time signature change in “Just When I Need Him Most” until today.

We sang this at our church last night for a congregational and the people REALLY enjoyed singing it.  The words are so comforting!

It’s just one of those seasons at our church where there’s a lot of physical needs and such a song reminds us of Jesus’ ever-present help 🙂

We sang this song in a prayerful mood with  a slow walking speed so I had time to add left hand flowing patterns similar to the following free pdf of “Just When I Need Him Most”.

Most importantly, notice the key change at the chorus….but the flow will still be pretty much the same 🙂  I actually changed to 6/8 timing one measure earlier than the hymnal shows… because it felt more natural to not hold as long before entering the chorus.

Maybe this will help a beginning church pianist to see what fill-ins could be used for a slow to medium hymn in 6/8 or 9/8 timing… such as my arrangement of “I Must Tell Jesus”.

Warning: This arrangement is NOT intended for piano solo use… due to missing melody notes at the beginning of the chorus…unless of course you know how to add them in 😉

Click on song title for free download: Just When I Need Him Most

 

 

 

New Early Intermediate Piano Solo in the Works! I Must Tell Jesus

Tuesday, July 18th, 2017

So much music is racing through my little brain…can’t get it on paper fast enough!

Just had this one race through my mind this morning of “I Must Tell Jesus”.  I’m writing this for one of my former students who I’m conditioning for church pianist.

I Must Tell Jesus

 

Free Piano Hymn Arrangement: The Sands of Time are Sinking

Saturday, July 8th, 2017

The-Sands-of-Time-image

“The Sands of Time are Sinking” dates back to the 19th century.  Anne Cousin, the daughter of a doctor and later the wife of a Pastor, wrote this hymn based on letters and deathbed sayings of another Pastor name Samuel Rutherford. The original hymn had nineteen verses! Anne was careful to not copy Samuel’s words verbatim.  She  used poetic images of her own to replace some of Samuel’s sayings.

Anne’s purpose of this hymn was to show the “beautiful Christian reflection on death and what comes after, and on the beauty of the Savior.” Kevin White

What a beautiful hymn to use for a funeral service.  Someone in the recent past asked if I knew of a piano arrangement for this song.  My online search yielded no results. The individual needed the song pronto…so in a few spare minutes….I jotted this arrangement down and provided the person with the following hymn.

Maybe other church pianists can make use of this free hymn for a funeral service or general worship.

Click song title to download free arrangement: The Sands of Time are Sinking