I’m almost finished with the handwritten version of “His Eye is on the Sparrow”

Warning:  For the advanced church pianist, LOTS of runs!  🙂

I wrote this arrangement for “Will Jesus Find Us Watching” several weeks ago after someone requested I play it for one of my recent facebook lives.

This particular hymn has a lot of life to it!  The melody and words go hand in hand.  The level of this arrangement looks to be about late intermediate to early advanced level.

I enjoyed creating this simple; straight forward arrangement requiring minimal practice for the early advanced church pianist. The arrangement begins in the key of F Major and ends in G Major. (two verses and choruses)

Time for me to update/revise our church special music schedule!

I want to better utilize my progressing piano students during the service.

Here’s a picture of the updated schedule.

Students will be playing during prelude & offertories to keep in shape!

For those who haven’t heard…I write hymns for my piano students to play for congregational singing or to use as a piano solo for offertory.

Having them play during prelude provides that extra opportunity to keep them well-versed in their hymn playing.

My piano students tell me they are not as nervous when playing for prelude. (Another benefit of using them for prelude music)

Our church family loves seeing the young ones so involved in the music ministry!

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.”

It is Well D Flat Major

Answer key for D flat major version (below)

My new sacred piano solos: “My Savior’s Love” arranged for one of my intermediate church pianist students.

“America the Beautiful” ready to use for any patriotic holidays!  Sorry for publishing this too late for July 4th but ideas wouldn’t flow until I got away for a much needed vacation!

I decided at the last minute to record myself playing comforting hymns on the piano this afternoon.

I hope these hymns bring comfort to you all during this season of life.

May God bless each one of you!

I was blessed this morning to hear Molly Madden, a wonderful harpist, playing a couple of my piano hymn arrangements.

Molly was able to adapt them for harp. (special permission given)

Thank you Molly for sharing your God-given talent.

I received the following email from one of my readers today concerning my free arrangement of “Whispering Hope”.

“I am also a church pianist and I am writing to thank you for making your beautiful arrangement of Whispering Hope available free of charge on your website. I played it for yesterday’s “Hymn of the Week” feature on our church YouTube channel. By request I’ve been featuring a different hymn every week since the pandemic lock down began, and providing some background into the writing of each hymn. “

I found the story behind this song very intriguing!

I recently received an email from one of my readers, Frederick Ikpatt.

He shared a video link of himself playing my free arrangement of “Jesus Loves Me.”

Frederick is quite the accomplished pianist!  See and hear him play Jesus Loves Me below.

Check out Frederick’s  Youtube channel.

You have to watch his “Protrait/Piano Story” of himself…very inspiring!

He practices on his keyboard even during electricity outages!

Link to download my free arrangement of “Jesus Loves Me”

Thanks Frederick for sharing your Youtube channel with us!

Jenifer Cook

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yG-z3-zGO0

Just thought I’d share my facebook live event from last night. I played about a dozen comforting hymns.