Oct 30 2011

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Brian

Click below to listen to this new piano duet that I recently arranged.  After a couple practice sessions, Shelly Hamilton and I played it for the offertory at my church’s afternoon service. (Being a “live” recording, it’s a little rough and has a few mistakes.) This arrangement, in addition to being professionally recorded, will appear in a piano duet collection put out by Majesty Music sometime in the first half of next year.

A Mighty Fortress

In honor of Reformation day (10.31), this hymn by Martin Luther is one of the Christian church’s most cherished and is certainly one of deep doctrinal truth. The tune Ein Feste Burg has undergone several stages of evolution over the centuries and this instrumental arrangement gives it a fresh, modal twist with an Irish jig in the mix. The text, like a psalm of Moses or of David, celebrates the triumph of God over Satan. We can rest and not fear because of the triumph God will secure through us.

Luther’s original melody was not as most sing it today, in a strict 4/4 quarter note time but rather was one of rhythmic energy that just dances. I wanted to bring a little of that back with this arrangement as well. Read the text as you listen to the attached audio.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.


Dec 13 2010

Merry Little Christmas

Brian

This exciting new Christmas CD, recorded by my friend Kenon D. Renfrow, is pure magic. (Isn’t the album cover amazing?) It was literally Christmas in July for me as I prepared the orchestral scores for this recording and I enjoyed every second of it. The end product is a wonderful musical experience that has a vintage type of Christmas-y sound to it. Hope the sales go through the roof.

Watch the promotional video here or here.

Download the album here or order the CD here or here.


Feb 20 2010

update

Brian

It’s been a busy start to the new year. Here are some of the things that I’ve been doing musically over the past month and a half of blog silence:

  • Composed musical score for a short animated video
  • Wrote out a half dozen choral pieces, more on this to come
  • Orchestrating some choral music for a recording project, more on this also to come!
  • Working on ideas for two commissions

Dec 2 2009

Happy Faces

Brian

I recently had the privilege to compose incidental music for an upcoming Graduate speech recital. Sounds really academic, huh? Well don’t take it too seriously. This program is not for the long of face. In short, the extremely talented Allisha Sperr will be performing a series of short, absolutely hysterical comedy routines. I cannot begin to describe how funny this recital is going to be. You just have to see it for yourself to believe it.

This program takes place in Stratton Hall on the campus of BJU this Saturday, December the 5th at 7 o’ clock pm. Here are some audio samples:

Pre-show2: waltz

Pre-show1

Break their hearts, All is ha!


Oct 25 2009

New Herbster piano collection: Star of Wonder

Brian

Star of Wonder cover

As an engraving editor at SoundForth, one of my responsibilities is to get piano books ready for publishing. Just in time for the Christmas season, this new advanced Christmas piano collection, arranged by Amy Herbster from Herbster Evangelistic Ministries, was one of my first projects. It is exiting to see it come to print. It is a companion to the previously existing recording.