Cleansing the Songwriting Palate and a new commission

Posted on June 15, 2013 by cardiphonia

lullabye

It’s always good to be on the lookout for songwriting challenges. Recently, one found me. Some of our good friends at church are expecting their first child and wanted some original songs to sing with their little one. They commissioned me to write one song that they could begin to sing over the womb and then use as a lullabye after she was born. Initially I thought this would be a fun, and relatively easy commission. After writing a whole musical last year I thought “how hard can this be!”

that was three months ago…

Now on top of being incredibly honored I was quickly struck with how difficult this would be! Writing a lullaby is the condensation of the perfect song. Easy to sing (in a very comfortable register), simple but memorable, comforting but not too sentimental or contrived, stands up to multiple repeated use at odd times of day and night, etc. But where to start? Lullabye’s are as simple as they are enigmatic. (I’ve never quite figured out the popular ‘hush a bye baby’ pictured above). Check out this book for further delving!

Writing a lullaby, I also realized, was a palate cleansing creative exercise for a songwriter. There are no complex theological ideas to wrestle with, or detailed song structures…just the essence of a true song. This kind of balancing exercise is really important. After the last year of wrestling with texts and songs like THIS and THIS…It was a challenging relief to focus on this project.

I ended up writing eight lullaby’s and enjoyed three enough to pass them on to my friends. My goal was to have a morning song, a midday song, and a bedtime song. (At one point I tried to write lullaby’s to correspond with the daily bcp prayers…#fail) Here is a demo for the one I liked the most, but my friends have been gracious enough to let me post the lead sheets for the others too. Hope you enjoy! If you have ever written/recorded a lullabye let me know. I would love to post others!

Morning Will Come (Psalm 5:2-3; 143:8)
mp3 | leadsheet

One Day (Psalm 84:10;100:5)
mp3 | leadsheet

Sleep… (Psalm 4:8)
mp3 | leadsheet

Song for the Trinity – Peters Branch Music

Posted on June 11, 2013 by cardiphonia

A new album of some very nice contemporary/liturgical music from an anglican church in Florida. Thanks to our friend Patrick Schlabs of Holy City Hymns for the 411.

Songs of the Church

by Peters Branch

—

PRAYER TO THE TRINITY
mp3 | chart

Words: Prayer of St. Ioannikios, Ninth Century
Music: Tripp Prince

Verse

My hope is the Father.

My refuge is the Son.

My shelter is the Holy Spirit.

Chorus

O Holy Trinity,

O Holy Trinity, glory to you.

Notes and News Summer 2013

Posted on May 31, 2013 by cardiphonia

We’ve been enjoying a sabbatical at Cardiphonia but here are a few bits and bobs to check out.

Listening:

Bifrost Arts | He Will Not Cry Out

Bifrost Arts has released their newest collection of hymns and originals “He Will Not Cry Out.” Very, very excited to contribute an original track that bifrost arranged for this record. Please check it out. More info on the record after they officially release it soon. Those that went to the Bifrost Arts conference in philly got a chance to purchase the album early.

Our friend Caroline Cobb has a new album of songs that sing the story of redemption. Check out a preview of “The Blood + the Breath” at NoiseTrade.com, also spend some time soaking in her excellent curated site The Scripture to Music Collective.

Patrick Schlabs, who heads up “Holy City Hymns” is one of the coolest, and most thoughtful young worship leaders I know. Make sure and check out their newest compilation “not a word” on bandcamp. “Holy City Hymns is a liturgical music collective out of Charleston, South Carolina. It is music for the Church, by the church.”

Songs for the Book of Luke - Naaman Wood and I contributed a track “The Spirit of the Lord” to this awesome compilation of songwriters and worship leaders from churches around the country — all writing songs based in the Gospel of Luke.

Reading:

Doxology and Theology: How the Gospel forms the Worship Leader. A new book just out that I contributed too. I wrote about how I came to love liturgy and why I think it (liturgy) is incredibly helpful to proclaiming the whole Gospel and the whole counsel of God from Scripture.

David Taylor – two posts + a book that are a must read. 1. Ten Theses on Christian Worship and 2. His list for summer reading. I also just finished sharing with a group of local arts lovers about what it means to be a patron of the arts. ”For the Beauty of the Church” was a guiding hand in my presentation!

John Witvliet – A lot of great articles on the future of hymnals showing up recently. Check out a recent Worship Leader article and a new article from John – “Ten Reasons Why Hymnals Have a Future.”

Mike Farley – mike is the worship pastor at central pres in St. Louis and a wealth of knowledge on all matters liturgical. Here is a recent article on his church’s decision to modernize the language of the Lord’s Prayer for use in corporate worship.

The Worship Sourcebook, second edition. Updated edition of the worship sourcebook. A must for any worship leader using liturgical forms.

‘Performance and Worship’ Articles – “Reclaiming Performance in Worship” by Monique Ingalls in conversation with Justin Taylor’s “The Difference between congregational worship and a concert.”

Singing:

Lift Up Your Hearts – shameless plug. I have two songs in a hymnal releasing this summer from the RCA/CRC denominations. Come, Holy Ghost and my adaptation of Watts Psalm 120 are included. Make sure to attend this summers Hymn Society gathering to hear and sing more about it.

Changes coming soon…

In late August I will begin doctoral studies at Duke Divinity. I will be studying the history of worship (both ancient and modern) with Dr. Lester Ruth and developing a comprehensive retuned hymn resource site. Cardiphonia also hopes to release our next compilation for xmas exploring the biblical canticles (both OT and NT).

Psalm 113 – Who is like the Lord our God?

Posted on May 6, 2013 by cardiphonia

While Naaman and I were working on our own version of Psalm 113 Wendell Kimbrough (Advent – DC) asked if I might contribute some music to a text he was working on from the same psalm. Wendell is one of my favorite new text writers so I didn’t dare say no. You can read his lyrics (Psalm 113 through the lens of Phil.2) and listen to some music I contributed from the links below.

Psalm 113 – Who is like the Lord our God?
mp3 | chords

lyrics

Our Father, He lifts from the ashes
He raises the poor and the lost;
He seats them to dine at his table,
To feast without money or cost.

The lonely he settles in families
The barren, a mother he makes;
O happy the heart of the stranger
Who’s welcomed by this King of Grace.

Chorus:
Who is like the LORD our God,
Whose glory fills the skies,
But humbles himself with the broken to dwell
Who is like our God?

Though equal to God in His glory,
Christ Jesus became like a slave;
He humbled himself in obedience
To Death, and the Cross, and the Grave.

Victorious, he rose to the highest;
In glory, the Savior was raised.
His name above all names exalted;
The heavens and earth sing His praise

Chorus:

O Saints, fix your eyes on the Savior
And count all your righteousness lost
Be found in his love and his favor
And share in his death on the cross

That all of his power in victory,
Imparted to you, may abound
And sharing the suff’rings of Jesus,
You share in his glory and crown

—credits—

Words: © 2013 Wendell Kimbrough; from Psalm 113, Phil 2, 3;
Music: Bruce Benedict & Wendell Kimbrough.
www.wendellk.com
Recorded by Wendell Kimbrough and Ben Hofer
www.adventdc.org/about/our-staff/
churchmusicblog.wordpress.com

Psalm 113 O Who is Like the Lord Our God

Posted on May 1, 2013 by cardiphonia

New composition for Psalm 113 that my friend Naaman Wood and I worked on for the latest Cardiphonia compilation on the Hallel Psalms. One of many psalms that’s fitting to use for Ascension Sunday coming up.

O Who is like the Lord Our God?(Psalm 113)
mp3 | chart | leadsheet

VERSE 1:
O who is like the Lord our God,
Who sits enthroned on high,
Who turns his gaze on all below,
On all the earth and heav’ns?

He lifts the wretched from the dirt,
The poor from heaps of ash,
To make them sit in princely thrones,
In royal company.

CHORUS
Are You the Christ who is to come?
Or should we still tarry on?

VERSE 3:
O who is He whose lowly birth,
In ill repute and shame,
Assumed the Virgin’s empty womb,
As Joseph’s common son?

VERSE 4:
O who is He whose wretched life,
In poverty and want,
Received the shepherd’s filth and praise,
Within the feeding trough?

CHORUS

VERSE 5:
O who is He whose words refused,
The reach of Satan’s power;
Who healed the blind and raised the lame,
And banished hellish throngs?

VERSE 6:
O who is He who stopped the feast,
With prayers and broken bread?
“This fractured bread—
my ruptured flesh,
“This wine—my bleeding wounds.”

CHORUS
Are You the Christ who is to come?
Or should we still tarry on?

—
(c) Naaman Wood and Bruce Benedict, 2013
Cardiphonia Music, 2013 (Ascap)

Doxology and Theology Book – Matt Boswell

Posted on April 19, 2013 by cardiphonia

Excited to share a new book out this month that I contributed too. “Doxology and Theology – how the gospel forms the worship leader.”

I contributed a chapter on my journey into understanding how liturgy helps to communicate the gospel and form the worship leader in sharing the whole counsel of God from scripture.

Here is a list of the other chapters and authors:

1. Doxology, Theology, and the Mission of God (Matt Boswell)
2. Qualifications of a Worship (Matt Boswell)
3. The Worship Leader and Scripture (Michael Bleeker)
4. The Worship Leader and the Trinity (Zac Hicks)
5. The Worship Leader and Mission (Matt Papa)
6. The Worship Leader and His Heart (Stephen Miller)
7. The Worship Leader and Justice (Aaron Ivey)
8. The Worship Leader and Liturgy (Bruce Benedict)
9. The Worship Leader and Creativity (Mike Cosper)
10. The Worship Leader and Disciple-Making (Aaron Keys)
11. The Worship Leader and His Pastor (Andi Rozier)
12. The Worship Leader and Family Worship (Matt Boswell)
13. The Worship Leader and Singing (Matt Mason)
14. The Worship Leader and the Gospel (Ken Boer)

Make sure and check out Matt Boswell’s blog of the same title “Doxology and Theology” for an ongoing exploration of these themes.

New Albums to Check Out – Spring 2013 edition

Posted on April 12, 2013 by cardiphonia

Here are a few new albums to check out…

Songs for the Book of Luke

I contributed a song to this new collection of worship music produced by The Gospel Coalition. Here can read more about the project HERE and purchase the album on bandcamp HERE.

—

New album of “retuned hymns” produced by Brian T. Murphy (New York Hymns, Red Mountain Music) for Community Presbyterian Church down in Moody, Alabama.
Purchase | Charts

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Redemption Hill Church ( Richmond, Va)

New EP “Lord of Glory” to check out from our friends in Richmond who have graciously contributed to a number of our compilations.

—

purchase – http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/highlandworship

Here is a blurb from their cdbaby page:
Scot-Irish, Celtic roots music, with the pipes, the fiddles, the whistles, and the soul to boot, to lift your spirits into the rafters. Getting to the root of the music in East Tennessee; this band leads worship at Apostles Anglican Church in Knoxville.

Cardiphonia

The Word transformed: Prayer, Song, and Art for the Beauty of the Church