Wanted to share a list of patriotic music resources with my church pianist readers before visiting with my parents starting tomorrow through Sunday. I consider this list of songs a treasure find!

1. I Love America by Frank & Flora Jean Garlock

Published by Majesty Music. Available in “Sing Praises Two” book

*Taken from Sing Praises Two (still in print) If you want multiple copies…Majesty Music ask that you own at least four copies of the book Sing Praises Two, then pay $1.00 per copy made of the song. There is a limit of making multiple copies for up to 3 songs per book.

2. We Pledge Allegiance by Shelly Hamilton

Published by Majesty Music. Available in “Sing Praises Two” book

*Same copying instructions from above apply to this song.

3. If My People by Frank & Flora Jean Garlock

Published by Majesty Music. Out of print. Instructions below.

*Majesty Music provides a way to obtain this song through their office. Call customer service department at (1-800-334-1071) to order copies of this song for $.50 per copy (This song is from the book “Choral Arrangements Everybody Can Sing-Volume 1)  *I love the words to this song…very well-written!

4. It’s Time to Pray by John W. Peterson

“It’s Time to Pray”
vocal solo arrangement

I will be providing the cost details on this asap since I have updated this song to a different arrangement.

*Special note: The words to this song call Christians to the important matter of prayer for our country.

5.  We Stand by Niki Lott  *GREAT! for Men’s group or SATB choir

I just purchased a downloadable SATB arrangement of this song  off Niki’s website called Christian Compositions  This is a very moving piece!

You can view a page of the music HERE

Niki also sells a choral arrangement with piano accopmaniment version HERE

You can also view a youtube video of Niki’s husband and friends singing it for special in church HERE

6.  We Pledge Allegiance by Derric Johnson

Published by Derric Johnson. Instructions below.

Just got off the phone with Derric Johnson. How exciting to have talked with the composer of this well-known tune!  He was very helpful. He said this choral arrangement was available by “print on demand” which means it’s also out of print but you can order a copy of this 14 page arrangement for $5 per copy. I think this arrangement would make a nice mini-patriotic cantata! Here’s my best description of this arrangement:

Chorus (sung twice)

Narration section explains meaning of the flag colors with piano background

Verse of “We Pledge Allegiance” sung slow & reverently by choir

Transitions back into chorus of “We Pledge Allegiance”

Short narration section about heroes/patriots, another song beginning with lyrics “The lawyer came from Georgetown to visit Baltimore….”

Short narration section with choir Ooo’s to transition to next song

Choir begins slow and soft version of The Star-Spangled Banner verse and soars triumphantly into the chorus followed by a majestic ending!

7. In God We Trust by Reece Yandle (my Dad)

*In the works. I will do my best to publish this vocal solo arrangement  by the end of next week.

Lorenz contacted me recently and asked if I would do several sacred piano book reviews for them.  What perfect timing!  I had already spent several hours on their site in the past month…researching their intermediate and advanced sacred piano arrangements. As a church pianist, I’m always looking for fresh arrangements for me or my piano students.

Here’s the first book review of one of my favorite finds!

Get ready to experience a nice variety of arrangements from the following book.  This is a must have for the church pianist!

 “I Know Whom I Have Believed”

Compiled by David Sarandon

Published by Lorenz Publishing Company

  I absolutely LOVE this collection of arrangements by various authors, providing a nice array of styles!  Special note: The arrangements seem more at an early advanced level rather than intermediate. (my opinion)

If you’re like me, you want to utilize the majority of a piano book before investing in it.  I would actually use most of these arrangements!  To me that’s exciting because I don’t come across many books like this.

So, I’m providing audio samples of the arrangements I would use.  “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” is one of my favorite ones…simple… yet elegant! (would make an excellent guitar arrangement!)

Contents:

I Know Whom I Have Believed (arr. Lloyd Larson)

*Like this author just not this particular arrangement…it uses a little more syncopation than I’m comfortable with.

I Need Thee Every Hour (arr. Mary McDonald)  INeed

Grace Greater Than Our Sin (arr. Larry Shackley)  Grace Greater

Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus (arr. Hugh Livingston, Jr.)  Stand Up

I Surrender All (arr. Lenny Seidel)  I Surrender

To God be the Glory (arr. Martha Kelsey)  To God

Open My Eyes, That I May See (arr. Michael Wilson) Open My Eyes

Sweet Hour of Prayer with Just As I Am (arr. Janet Vogt)    Just As I Am

What a Friend We Have in Jesus (arr. Martha Kelsey)  What a Friend

His Eye is on the Sparrow (arr. Edward Broughton)  His Eye

  (view sample pages here)

Just letting my readers know I’m in the process of posting the individual hymns from the Congregational Booklet One for sale on the Congregational Piano Hymn page of our online music store. (navigation buttons at top of this page)  So far I’ve posted: All Hail the Power, Are You Washed and Blessed Assurance.

Several have requested the Blessed Assurance congregational arrangement after seeing the first sample page of it in an older article.  It’s now sold separately or in the Congregational Booklet One.

Special note: Multiple uses for the church pianist!  The piano accompaniment arrangements from the Congregational Booklet One can also be used to accompany the following:  vocal soloist, flute or violin.

Our ladies’ ensemble LOVES to sing “The Reason I Sing” written by Niki Lott of christiancompositions.com

This arrangement can be purchased at christiancompositions.com as sheet music or in a book collection entitled “The Reason I Sing” two to three part arrangements for ladies.

We chose to sing the verses in unison due to our short practice time and we sang only a portion of the arrangement due to our limited vocal range which we’re working on.

This song is SUCH a blessing to sing and look forward to singing more songs from the book entitled “The Reason I Sing”.  One of the ladies in our church has already sang several of the songs as a solo too.

*Special note: I didn’t strictly follow the written piano accompaniment but the written accompaniment is pretty 🙂

Now for sale: “Id Rather Have Jesus”  Early advanced sacred piano solo

I'd Rather Have Jesus

Early advanced sacred piano solo, 3&1/2 pgs. Approx. 2:06

Price: $3.95

or go to store at this link to see other advanced piano arrangements: MUSIC STORE

I just looked at the latest information on MusiCarolina and the workshops are definitely worth the church pianist’s time!

I’m having a hard time deciding which workshops I want to attend.  I think I’ve narrowed it down to:

On the Spot Arranging by Mac & Beth Lynch

Congregational Leading & Accompanying by Ron & Shelly Hamilton

Accompanying Made Simple by Shelly Hamilton

There are plenty of workshops to choose from for the song leader, church pianist or singer!

Click here to see the rest of the workshops

Early registration (adult/teen)  $59 by June 30th (Register three by June 30th and get one FREE!)

Registration $69  July 1st through July 24th

Registration at the door $79

Advanced piano solo

Just got off phone with Word Music…..will be publishing “I’d Rather Have Jesus” this week

Free Arrangement

Click on song title at bottom of article… to download FREE copy.

Whispering Hope….definitely an old hymn! My husband has been wanting me to arrange this hymn for a long time. He finally got his wish 🙂  I’ve written an early advanced piano arrangement of “Whispering Hope” which I’m offering for FREE to my church pianist readers.

I decided to read up on the composer of this song and was surprised at what I found. (in the numbered list below)

Septimus Winner, an American songwriter of the 19th century, was born in May 1827 and died of a heart attack in 1902.  He used the following stage names (pseudonymns) for his written poems and music: Alice Hawthorne, Percy Guyer, Mark Mason, Marion Florence, Leon Dore, Apsley Street, and Paul Stenton.

Septimus’ wife, Mary Ann, was a relative of Nathaniel Hawthorne which explains the generous use of the stage name, Alice Hawthorne.

See if you recognize the following songs written by Septimus Winner. (this will date some of you including myself)    🙂

1. Listen to the Mockingbird (Alice Hawthorne)

2. Oh Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone (lyrics only) *German folk tune

3. Carry Me Back to Tennessee (better known as Ellie Rhee)

4. Whispering Hope (1868)

I could not locate the story behind the writing of “Whispering Hope” so without further ado…click on the following song title to download your free early advanced arrangement of…

Whispering Hope

Click arrow below to hear complete audio of this free piano arrangement.

You need to have the Audio Player Plugin installed to use this shortcode

My grandson, Nathan

Church Pianist Update

Every now and then I go through a dry spell and it’s been one of those times.

I have three arrangements I’ve been trying to complete but no ideas would flow when I sat at the piano.  Very frustrating!  I guess you could say I took a break and now I’m back on track 🙂

I think the latest congregational collection project burnt me out for a while. Don’t get me wrong….I LOVE to write music but sometimes I need to back up and just “not think” music for a spell to rejuvenate myself.

Before I sat at the piano today, I prayed “Lord, please guide my fingers and help me think clearly.”  The Lord answered my prayer 🙂

I just finished the final editing and layout for “I’d Rather Have Jesus” and conversing with Warner Chappell today to see what needs to be done to procede with publication. Yay!

Also working on an advanced piano arrangement of “Whispering Hope” which will be FREE 🙂  and…..trying to finish an advanced arrangement of “Holy, Holy, Holy”.

Hope to publish something soon!

Gotta go!  More music to write!

Next article:

As church pianist, I find it a challenge to locate nice patriotic vocal specials.

Need any song ideas for July 5th Sunday?  I’ll share a few with you soon!

A recent paint job (last week)… forced me to empty all of my music from our living room closet. What a mess!

After much weeding out of music…my living room closet looks SO much better!  Due to lack of storage space or music I just can’t make use of in a small church…you will be seeing more music for sale on our “Used Music” page.

This project is still in the works but decided to share the process. (Want to replace the blue crate with a black one).

I wish I had a “before” picture to show you but all I can do is share the “after” pictures.

Melody Bober is one of my favorites!

Closer view of labels in sacred music bin