The popularity of this new hymn by CityAlight has quickly taken off as many congregations are enriched by the simple sweetness of the melody and precious promises in the text. This accompaniment sets the stage in the first stanza (omitting the first refrain), and develops in stanza 1-2 and refrains. Instruments join in on each stanza (with repeats indicated in score and parts), and builds with a beautiful key change and final stanza and refrain. A repeated refrain is built into the music, and decrescendo is also marked after the final refrain. Much rubato should be taken throughout, and instrumentalists should be sensitive to allow the music to “breathe” in between phrases for the sake of the congregation, shaping each line. Instrumentation includes: piano, flute 1-2, clarinet in B-flat, trumpet in B-flat, horn in F, trombone 1-2, tuba, violin 1, violin 2, viola, and cello 1-2.
Real Responses from Congregations
Molly plays for the church my mother-in-law attends. The congregation becomes like a big choir with her arrangements. I’ve enjoyed the music when we’ve visited!
The beautiful accompaniment and the unison congregation could be used both congregationally and chorally (as we did)… For small to medium-sized choirs on low attendance Sundays these could be effective choral pieces or as a way to develop choir and orchestra when (as is our case) some choir members are also instrumentalists. We used three pieces as part of our Easter celebration. All were very well received. We were able to include our developing orchestra with all of it. So, thank you!
We love using these arrangements at Valley Community Baptist Church in our worship setting, regardless if we are using just piano and organ on a particular Sunday, or our full orchestra with choir and congregation. As the organist, the conductors score offers a great organ score option as an asset for churches using organ with these settings without revamping the piano score, making it quite easy… Thank you, Molly!
Molly’s congregational accompaniments add a freshness to treasured hymns of the past that enables a cross-generational congregation to join together in passionate worship of a great God.
