Savior, Redeemer practice files

For those who have not been able to come to choir every week, or feel the need for a little additional practice, I am posting practice files.  As I get them done, I will post them, so stay tuned!

Soprano
Soprano 1 descant
Soprano 2 descant

Tenor 2 measure 41
Tenor 2 measure 57
Tenor 2 measure 73

Bass measure 41
Bass measure 49
Bass measure 57
Bass measure 73
Bass measure 89

I Need Thee Practice Files

The first line of harmony starts on measure 12.

Alto
Tenor
Bass

After that, the men sing a solo part in unison, and we all sing the exact same line as we did at measure 12.

Altos, you get a cool minor solo at measure 42.  Very cool!

We harmonize again starting at measure 50.

Alto
Tenor
Bass

Measure 58 things get interesting.  We have our last measure of 3/4 time and starting with measure 59, we are in 4/4 time.  That means that we have an extra measure to play with.  Sopranos, be aware, this is not the same old melody.  You will hold "need" for one extra count.  I've included a practice file just for you.

Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Bass

Remember, this music is free to print off if you need a copy.  You can get it here.  If you have trouble with any of the files or links, let me know!  Happy practicing.

If the Savior Stood Beside Me

Sorry I am getting these files out eleventh hour.  Computer problems made it impossible for me to make the files the way I usually do, so I had to use some different apps . . . anyway, let me know if you have trouble playing the files.

First spot where we have harmony is measure 12.  The children sing melody, the men sing harmony.  (Follow the links to play the part)

Then we have the men begin the second verse alone singing melody.

At measure 32 all the adults sing the harmony while the Children sing the melody.

At measure 42 we get really crazy with children singing the melody line until measure 54 with adults singing a counter melody, harmony line.  The adults split at measure 54 and sing alone during a bridge part.  Men, here is your part including the bridge.  Women, here is yours.

After the bridge, Audry sings her solo part.  Then at 69, children sing melody, and adults sing harmony to the end of the song.

If you want to hear how the parts sound together, you can listen to these:

Measure 12

Measure 32

Measure 42

Adult Duet

Measure 69

More Holiness Give Me

Sorry it has taken so long to get these files on the blog.  For some reason, I had a lot of trouble getting SoundCloud to work.  I couldn't get the embed file information on these tracks, so you will have to click on the link.  Sorry!

SATB

Alto

Tenor

Bass

Just to remind you all, we will be singing the first verse SATB.  The second verse women sing in unison for the first two lines.  The next two lines are sung by the men in unison.  The final verse is sung SATB a cappella.

Also, if you don't have access to a hymnbook, the hymn is on the church website here.

New and Old

Thanks to those who made it out to choir practice yesterday.   We were able to make some good headway on "If the Savior Stood Beside Me."  This song has a special spirit about it.  It is a gorgeous arrangement and I know as you learn it, you will have an extra measure of the spirit in your life.

Thank you for making "I Feel My Savior's Love" such a beautiful and touching piece!  I had several comments yesterday, but one stood out to me.  Sister Brooks said it is so beautiful that we have the children sing with the choir and she was astounded at how talented they are.  I agree!  It is a remarkable and beautiful thing we have going and people are taking notice.

I spoke to you yesterday about plans for next month and going forward, but for those who were not there, I will recap.  The Bishopric has asked us to prepare something for February 19th for Maddie's Mission farewell  (I said the 12th before, but I was wrong).  I really wanted to do something special, but I don't think we will have "I Feel My Savior's Love" ready by then.  It will be a stretch for us.  In sacrament meeting yesterday, I had the impression that it would be a good idea to bring some previous songs back to sing again.

"A Place in His Arms" is such a gorgeous song, and the children remember it and love it.  As the missionaries seem to get younger and younger to me, I see them as children.  In a way, I feel that the Lord calls children as missionaries because they have a unique ability to come when they are called and do as they are asked.  So, again, as he did with the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord calls the children to come unto him.

Anyway, this post is getting long winded, but I wanted to update you all on my plans to have us sing "A Place in His Arms" on February 12th.  I am reposting the practice files for us to brush up on this piece.  Love you all!

Sheet Music and old audio practice files.  (Warning, they are bad!)

New Music for a New Year

Happy New Year everyone!  I can't begin to tell you how pleased I was with the Christmas Program.  It came off so beautifully.  I had people tell me that it was the best Christmas program they had ever seen.  Many were brought to tears!  That is the reason we do this.  We really do make a huge impact on the spirit of the meetings and the ward.  Pat yourselves on the back!!

I have some ideas for this year and I really hope that everyone will make the effort to be there bright and early tomorrow morning.  I understand the sacrifice you are making, and I promise to make it worth your time.

We will be starting "If the Savior Stood Beside Me," a duet piece from Sally DeFord.  It sounds really beautiful.  We will be singing with the children's choir, and they know this song as a simple version is in the Children's Songbook.

To get a look at this piece, check out this link.

To listen to the song, click here.

Here is an accompaniment track.

See you tomorrow morning!

Piano Recordings

Linda was willing to let me record her playing the accompaniment to our three songs for next week.  Please use these files to practice.

Jesus, Lord Audio Files

I don't have all the files for this song made yet.  Here are the ones I have and I will include the rest as I get them completed.




Starting at measure 45, we have a section of SATB.

Shepherds Kept Their Lonely Vigil Audio Files

Starting on measure 32, all voices sing in unison until measure 42 where we split into parts.  We repeat this section a second time at the end of the piece.
 
At measure 56, we split into a duet. Sopranos and Tenors sing a descant part while altos and basses sing the melody.
 

Peace, Peace, Peace Audio Files

Hi Everyone, I apologize for the delay in getting these out. My computer's audio port broke and it took a while to figure out how to get Ben's laptop to work and get the files created. I hope they are helpful to you as you prepare for our upcoming Christmas program.

 Peace, Peace, Peace

 Measure 28 starts the duet with men and women.
 
Measure 47 starts the third verse that has four part harmony. The audio files go until measure 64. After that, the last line is repeated again with a slightly different rhythm at on the last three notes.

Missionary Homecomings

It was so amazing to be a part of Justin Bresee's homecoming last week!  Nice job to everyone who sang.  This week Brother Bassett will be reporting his mission, and the children's choir will be singing "We'll Bring the World His Truth," from the primary songbook.  We had a practice at my house today.  We will have another on Friday.  If you can't make it, we will practice before sacrament meeting at the usual time.  Linda and I made this recording today as well, so you can have your kids practice with it.
Also, here is a link to the music on the church website.

Lead Kindly Light Audio Resources

I have been learning the Lead Kindly Light arrangement that we will be singing.  It is difficult, but beautiful and well worth the effort it will take to learn and perform.  I found a U-Tube recording of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing it.  This video is a great resource for us to know the overall sound of the song.  It is in a 3/2 time signature, so it is a little different than your typical hymn.




I also made a couple of practice files for the second verse. I'm not sure who I will oo the descant and who I will have sing the melody, but sopranos, you are most likely going to have the oos, so take a minute to learn the gorgeous countermelody that Mack Wilberg wrote for this song. Happy practicing!

Exciting Time

The last two choir numbers we have performed have been amazing!  Hats off to all of you for your hard work.  Everyone I talked to on Sunday was so impressed with the children and so was I.  The children's chorus adds a unique beauty to our choir and I am always amazed at how dedicated and musical they are.

Exciting times ahead!  I have raided the stake choir closet and found some gorgeous pieces.  The first is a Mack Wilberg arrangement of Lead Kindly Light.  We will sing that in early October.  I also found several selections that could be sung as solos, duets, trios, or quartets in December for Christmas.  If you are interested in singing with a small group, please let me know.  My goal is to fill December with Christmas music.  Every week, I would like to have a musical number.

For our Christmas program, I have selected a Christmas Cantata.  Just reading through it, I could feel how powerful it will be and I hope you feel the same way.  If you want to get a flavor for it, here is a link to the sheet music.  Below are some audio files you can listen to and become familiar with these beautiful songs!

I was asked about when exactly our Christmas program will be.  Christmas Day is on Sunday this year, so I don't know if that is when we will have it, or another day.  As soon as I find out, I will pass on the info to you.  Happy listening!

Child of God Audio Practice Files

Hi Choir!

I finally got around to posting the sound files for you to practice with.  Maybe you can sing through them a couple of times before rehearsal, or at least we'll have them to practice with this next week.

Child of God Sheet Music

Congratulations on a wonderful performance choir!  I got so many compliments and I hope you did too.  Now that we have things set up, this next number should be a piece of cake.  We should be able to sing this one some time in August.  When I get a set date, I will let you know.

The song is "I am a Child of God."  It is a gorgeous arrangement that is simple, yet has some beautiful harmonies.  I want to continue utilizing our children's choir.  The first verse from measure 3 to measure 19 will be the children's choir.  Then the adults will duet from measure 19 to 35.  Finally, the children will sing the melody on the third verse and the adults will sing the harmony part from measure 38 to the end of the song.

I am working on some audio practice files and will post those as soon as I can.  For now, here is the music.

Sheet music for I am a Child of God

A Place in His Arms Audio Links Again

Here are some audio practice links.  Sorry for any mistakes and, of course, the children in the background.

Soprano Oos

Alto Oos


Acapella Adult Verse parts


Sopranos, you got this ladies!

Altos

Tenors

Basses


Finale verse


Sopranos, melody!

Altos

Tenors

Basses

Links for A Place in His Arms

Here are a few links.

For Sheet Music. . . .

For Audio Accompaniment File. . . .

For Audio File with Vocals . . .

Happy practicing!!

New/old Choir Blog

Hi Everyone,

When I was assistant choir director (yes, it's a thing) I made this choir blog as a hub for information.  So, I renamed it and will use it for our choir!  I will continue to post reminders every Sunday morning on the Arlington fifth ward Facebook page, but I will post a link to the blog, so you can access study files and music links more easily.

I welcome feedback and comments.  I'm sinfully proud of how well you are singing A Place in His Arms!  Next week is going to be amazing.  I can't wait.

I Pray for a Home Sheet Music

Soprano and Bass with Congregational Descant

These files have the entire bass and soprano parts in isolation until the descant comes in. We will be singing the "Peace, Peace" melody while the congregation sings Silent Night.