Here are some great ideas for easy choir arrangements! Please keep in mind…these are my personal notes taken from a recent workshop entitled, “On the Spot Arranging” by Mac & Beth Lynch.
Mac and Beth are working with a small church choir of their own and shared a lot of excellent; practical ideas for using the hymnal to sing like a choir and not like the congregation 🙂
I know of more than one church pianist who fills the role of pianist and choir leader….or assists the choir leader with choosing choir specials. I hope these few arranging ideas will get your own creative juices going.
Refer to a hymnal for the following arranging suggestions:
“When I See the Blood”
Have men sing the echos in unison (melody only) during the chorus for a change! Why? Gives less of a “chuncky” or “monotone” sound. Singing the melody for the echos gives a more shapely tone. (singing the echos in parts as written is fine…but the unison just provides a nice; refreshing change for an easy-to-sing arrangement).
“Nearer Still Nearer” (A lot of hymns can be utilized as SAB by deleting the bass)
Use as SAB (men on tenor)
“I Surrender All”
Verses: SAB
Chorus: Men on melody; Ladies on alto (1st line of chorus)
SATB on 4th line (final line of song)
“Burdens Are Lifted”
Nice SAB! As written (men sing tenor line throughout)
*Extra information:
Close harmony on: line one and last phrase of line two thru four)
Open harmony on first half of lines 2 through 4
Close harmony means less than an octave between soprano and tenor
Open harmony is more than an octave between soprano and tenor
“When I See the Blood Medley”
Verses: Men on melody; Ladies on alto
Chorus: Men on melody; Ladies on alto (no echos)
*At end of chorus…go into “The Cleansing Wave”
SAB throughout (men on tenor) Could go to 4 parts on chorus.
“I Know Whom I Have Believed” Nice SB Arrangement!
1st half of line one: men on tenor, ladies on soprano (parallel 6ths)
2nd half of line one: men on alto, ladies on soprano (parallel 3rds)
1st half of line two: men on tenor, ladies on soprano (parallel 6ths)
2nd half of line two: unison (written harmony not as feasible for two-parts)
Chorus:
Men on melody, Ladies on alto throughout or go to unison on last phrase of
chorus on word “Unto” then split into 4 parts on “…Him against that day.”
My thoughts: Input these simple hymn arrangements in finale (vocal score only) to have for quickie choir arrangements…instead of having choir members mark up their hymnals and to save on choir practice time since we only practice for half an hour.
Which reminds me….I need to make copies for our choir of “Jesus Loves Me” quickie arrangement which I shared in a recent post. We’re never too old to sing this hymn.
