Over the years we have produced a lot of music for Good Friday, from anthems to shorter scripture responses which can be woven into a reading of the Passion story. If you are looking for inspiration or for music to share with your community this year, browse our list.
A dance anthem for Easter Sunday
Are you still looking for an anthem for Easter Sunday? Our own choir is working on an SAB anthem with bass and drum dance groove accompaniment, in our case creating a composite choral video of everyone near and far singing their parts, and those of us present in person on Easter Sunday will sing along with the video for an even bigger choral experience.
And did we mention dancing?
Here’s a choral score for you to share with your singers, and there are individual part recordings, a full recording and an accompaniment-only version available on SoundCloud, plus a singalong lyric video on YouTube to aid in learning parts.
Please share and enjoy, our gift to you.
A communion set for the Earth
A few years back, I started working on a communion set which would reflect a more Creation-centred theology, a set still rooted in the historic Trinitarian formulas of our tradition, but re-interpreted through an environmental lens. The first composition was a simple, layered setting of a text reflecting the character and language of the historic Sanctus or “Holy, holy, holy”. I followed this with a reframing of the Memorial Acclamation and, recently, a Great Amen to complete the set, all with similar musical material to make it cohesive overall.
Please download the pdfs and share these songs with your community – I always appreciate feedback! The mp3 recordings are for rehearsal purposes, with all parts sung by Bruce.
Earth Sanctus PDF
Earth Sanctus MP3
Earth Memorial Acclamation PDF
Earth Memorial Acclamation MP3
Earth Amen PDF
Earth Amen MP3
A song for returning to worship in our buildings
The bizarreness of pandemic life is something many of us continue to struggle with, particularly when we have devoted our working life to lifting up congregational song, and for the past year that collective voice has been silenced. As we prepare to return to our buildings, when public health guidelines allow us to do so safely, here’s a song from our catalogue which may find new meaning for you. Originally written for Epiphany worship, “Returning Home a Different Way” captures some of the hope we feel as we will, in time, find our song to sing together again. Here’s a revised piano/vocal score and our original recording for you to share with your community. Note the language change at the end of the chorus in the score – “we are sister, brother” misses the many expressions of gender identity we experience today, so we have changed the language to “Through loving one another” to address the issue. Blessings, everyone!
A song for July 5
I wrote “Come to Me” for Cheryl and her mother when Dad died in 1994. As I see the Matthew text come around in the lectionary again I am reminded of what a comfort this song has been to us over the years. And the recording is 25 years old now! Enjoy, and share with your community.
Click to access come_to_me.pdf