 NEW!!
"Behold, the Lamb of God" (Unison voices, piano, C Instrument, and cello) GIA, #G-7715. The text was inspired by one of John Bell's meditations in his book, HE WAS IN THE WORLD (GIA, #G-4393). Bell pointed out that John the Baptist acclaimed Jesus as the "Lamb of God" at his baptism, not his death, and the affirmation is appropriate for all of his life, not just its end. The twelve stanzas of the anthem describe different events in Jesus' life, and are followed by the refrain, "Agnus Dei! Gloria! Behold the Lamb of God! Worship planners can select one or a combination of stanzas supporting the readings and theme for the day, and use them either as a regular hymn or a congregational or choral response to the readings. The lovely melody is easy for unison voices of any age to learn and sing.
Choristers Guild will publish “Wait for the Lord,” an anthem from one of our musical dramas, in 2012.
Our hymn, “God, Your Voice Called Forth Creation,” based on Genesis 1-2:4, was premiered at the Presbyterian Church of LaPorte, Indiana, on Sunday, May 1, 2011. The hymn was commissioned by the church’s Fine Arts Board in celebration of its 25th Anniversary. The text was used as a congregational responsive Affirmation of Faith, and an anthem setting was sung by the choir.
Mary and John are currently working on a hymn commissioned by First Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown Washington, D.C. in celebration of the church’s move into a new building constructed on the site of its previous church.
John was the children’s choir clinician at two summer events in 2011. The first was a Music Conference camp sponsored the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts (FUMMWA) at Camp Sunatonga, Alabama, July 3-8. The second was the Summer Church Music Conference held by the Fellowship of American Baptist Musicians at Green Lake, Wisconsin, July 16-23. The children’s choirs at both events sang our anthem, “Zacchaeus,” as one of their numbers.
Mary attended the annual conference of the Hymn Society in the US and Canada at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado July 16-21. Our hymn, “Creator God, How Grand the Earth,” was sung in a sectional, “Mining for Gems,” given by editors of two hymnals in process (Presbyterian and Reformed Church in America/Christian Reformed Church.) In a sectional introducing the new United Methodist supplement, “Worship and Song,” John Thornburg used our hymn, “Spirit-Child Jesus,” as an example of one of the hymns in the book.
Mary is completing another course for FAITH PRACTICES, an online church school curriculum published by the United Church of Christ. She is writing for multiage (ages 5-13) and intergenerational groups this time.
John will be the children’s choir clinician at the 2012 Worship Arts Workshop in Houston, Texas, January 27-18. The event is sponsored by the Houston Chapater of Choristers Guild. |