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Some of the music available at this site is actually original music, but most is arranged music. I don't do much in the way of orchestration, though I have tried my hand at it ("Free My Soul" and "Have I Done My Best for Jesus" are two examples). I don't restrict usage of my music, but if you would like to use it, just let me know you need it and how you plan to use it. This gives me ideas on how I might use it myself some day, what kind of "clients" I'm developing, and what people are going after. This way I get a good idea of what people want and what different ways music is being used in worship in the real world.
A Psalm
I had hoped to actually perform this song as a men's trio, but could never get the voices together to do it. Also, the title is not exactly my favorite (if someone else had written a song title "A Psalm" I would probably be critical of their "presumption"). The final verse is, however, a paraphrase of Psalm 23, and the previous two verses lead to it.At Calvary
A new tune for an old song. "At Calvary" was written in 1999 after years of running around in my head. The arrangement is for voice and piano only, but a good band arrangement shouldn't be too hard to extrapolate. Sorry, no guitar chords are included (I play guitar, but not with this piece--if it ever gets arranged, it will be for full orchestra).Because I Have You
Set way back in the early days of 1997, this song was written for our wedding. We had used the theme to Thaïs in the prelude (a friend of mine, Rita Dottor, came all the way down from Canada to play it on her violin for us!), and I thought it would add a nice touch of continuity to include it as a "counter melody" for the original tune.Be Thou My Vision
Terry Shannon, minister of music at First Baptist Church, Hixson, Tennessee, commissioned me to write this solo/choir arrangement. He also asked me to sing it, so the piece is tailored a bit to my vocal styles and preferences. The piece can be accompanied, but it's best done a capella.Does Jesus Care?
I wrote up this arrangement for a former voice student who was looking for (and not having lots of luck) finding a good arrangement of this song. Of course, since then I've heard just scads of good versions, and I didn't even know this song existed before I worked on it... Anyway, it uses a little bit of material from "No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus," so this one may not be for sale for a while...Free My Soul
The musical idea for this one came from a piece Cynthia Clawson recorded on her Broken album, though I don't own the album (I heard the tune on Prime Time America w/Jim Warren on Moody Radio) and can't remember the name of the song. At any rate, the song had been written for a while, but it had been stuck with a melody I wasn't really thrilled with. The piece premiered at Dallas Bay Baptist Church (Soddy-Daisy, TN) in 2000.Great Is Thy Faithfulness
This song went through a few adaptations (originally it was scored so that no one could sing it, but it sure looked like an impressive vocal showstopper). Anyway, after singing it once or twice I fixed a few things and made it MUCH more singable.Have I Done My Best for Jesus?
I have been in love with this song since Mike Loftis and his brothers recorded it on one of their albums (Mike is now president of ABWE, I think). The song is so direct and appropriate for times of introspection, and is not that hard to sing (though this setting is probably a bit high for most voices; I may work up a quick "medium-voice" version if I don't forget about it).He'll See Us Through
"For in Him we live and move and have our being." This verse seemed to musically set itself, and the verses came out naturally. They are drawn from my study of Jerry Bridges' book Trusting God Even When Life Hurts. The song eventually became my "testimony" piece and is my default solo for any new audience.Praise to the Lord/I Sing the Mighty Power of God
A fun and showy arrangement for the piano as well as for the singer. It will take a bit of practice on the part of both performers, but if done well would be tremendously rewarding (at least it always has been for me). A good repertoire piece (if a composer can say that about his own stuff).What Wondrous Love Is This/
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
What Wondrous Love Is This/
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross-Orchestrated
Zion's Walls/We're Marching to Zion
I would love to make this piece REALLY available, but I'm shamelessly lifting the Tender Land theme that Aaron Copland (my favorite composer) also used in his setting of "Zion's Walls" for the cycle Old American Songs. This was my first effort in an all-out piano/vocal arrangement, and its harmonic complexity and interest are due in large part to my inability to play the piano. I would try to play what I wanted to hear, miss a key here or there (which would cause a new harmony), think, "Wow, that sounds pretty cool," and implement the ones that really worked. Also a good piano piece.