This setting of Cowper’s beloved text opens with the piano accompanying the first stanza solo, and the instruments slowly merge into the sound world. The second stanza builds with momentum, and the third stanza is a optional a cappella, with the piano and instruments collectively building to a strong 3-bar key change, and powerful final stanza: “E’er since by faith I saw the stream…” Voices and instruments continue building into a glorious ending into a final declaration of, “I’ll sing Thy power to save,” and a repeat of the last 2 systems as a tag. Includes a full score, piano, and all individual idiomatically-written instrumental parts, Flute 1-2, Oboe/Flute 3, Clarinet in B-flat, Horn in F, Trumpet in B-flat, Trombone, Tuba, Violin 1-2, Viola, Cello, and Percussion.
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.
