Archives for: January 2008

It has been wonderful to interact with ward choir directors all over the world. I’m impressed with your dedication and efforts to fulfill your callings. And humbled that we can reach across hundreds of miles to help each other do so.

Thank you to all those who have helped get arreglosgratisdehimnos.com up and running. We are still making corrections and additions so we appreciate your patience.

One wonders if President Monson can feel 13 million pairs of eyes turning to him.

Even many who are not members of the LDS Church will mourn the passing of Gordon B. Hinkley. Le us honor his memory by carrying on tirelessly as he did in serving the Lord.

It has finally happened. I’ve graduated to taking a wheelbarrow to church. First I carried a book. (My scriptures.) Then I carried a stack of books. (Scriptures and lesson manual.) Then I carried a bag of books. (Scriptures, lesson manual and notebook.) Then I carried a briefcase of books. (Scriptures, lesson manual, notebook, and church handbook of instructions.) Now I wheel in a tote with books in it to church. (Choir music!)

From Australia:

Thank you for your time. I am a student looking for piano solos to compete for regional conventions. May God bless you as you continue to use your talents for Him and bless others through His abounding love and mercy.

The Spanish website is up and running. We have worked hard so our Spanish brothers and sisters no longer have to download in English and then translate into Spanish for their wards and branches. At the present time, we have posted nine complete hymn arrangements and half of the Sweet Hour of Prayer arrangement. We will post the complete Sweet Hour of Prayer plus more hymn arrangements as we translate them from the Spanish Himnos. The new Spanish website name is arreglosgratisdehimnos.com

From Wisconsin:

I’m so appreciative of all of you that share your music. I’ve used a lot for ward choir and prelude music for Relief Society. Thank you so very much.

A close friend of the family passed away this week and I will be playing a piano solo at the funeral. I’m going to play my arrangement of “Abide With Me” with “I Need Thee Every Hour” woven in. Perhaps I’ll write down the “I Need Thee Every Hour” part and put it up on the site.
Right now I’m finishing a soprano, alto duet of the children’s song, “Faith,” that a couple of women asked me to write for them to sing in Sacrament meeting next month.
Then I hope to get started on a medley of “I Believe in Christ” and “Press Forward Saints.” These two hymns have a similar style and both emphasize faith in Christ, so I think they would work well together.

From Idaho:

I found this site through Google search. I LOVE “Come, Ye Disconsolate” and have been looking for a nice arrangement for awhile. Thank you for setting this beautiful hymn!

I played the clarinet all through high school and college, and then a few years ago decided to learn to play the flute. At first I followed my children around playing “Hot Cross Buns” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb” while they ran for cover. Now I play mostly right notes with the local city band and occasionally in church. I guess that’s why I like to write a nice obbligato with my hymn arrangements once in a while. But the cat still runs out of the room when I play.

10 ways you know you need www.freewardchoirmusic.com

1. Your choir consists of seven members, two of which can’t read music.
2. You ask your Bishop for money to buy choir music he reaches into his pocket and hands you two quarters and a dime.
3. Your ward music library consists of three books copyrighted in 1904.
4. None of the books has a front cover.
5. Your Stake music library consists of two copies of “Let the mountains Shout for Joy”
6. There is one page missing in each copy.
7. Your only soprano is a 16-year-old boy.
8. Your pianist is a convert from Czechoslovakia who doesn’t speak English.
9. You hear snoring during the introduction of the special musical number.
10. You realize the one snoring is you.

For those of you looking for a nice piano solo, we have two currently posted and will soon post “Our Savior’s Love” in our piano solo section. Also, I have played the Tenor solo arrangement of “Come Thou Font of every blessing” as a piano solo for a special music number in Sacrament meeting. I just skip the part where the tenor sings accapella.

The Spanish free ward choir music site is nearing completion. We sincerely hope this new site will be of use to our Hispanic brothers and sisters around the world.

From California:
I’ve been the ward choir director for 3+ years now and am constantly looking for new music (we perform 14-15 times a year, in addition to the big Easter/Christmas programs). Thank You!

When we say free ward choir music, that is exactly what we mean – all free downloads for your ward choir - all the time. No surprises.

From Arizona:
I just found your website a few days ago. I am a struggling choir director always looking for easy, quick, and fun arrangements. My daughter, whom we have adopted, is going to sing a solo for church using your “Teach Me to Walk” arrangement. She is only 4 years old and I am so proud of her. Thank you so much for your very beautiful arrangements. I am looking forward to seeing your new arrangements in the future. Keep up the GOOD WORK!!

Recently one of the basses in our ward choir mentioned that there were some challenging sections in the hymn arrangement I wrote. I just said, “Well, you should have been nicer to me.”

From Maryland:
Just a note to thank you for the musical gems! You have a beautiful talent and a very nice website (I love the way you choose your colors for the cover pages of your songs). Keep up this great work and I am sure our choir will truly enjoy singing your arrangements!

The truth is out. I’m no good at crafts. When I’m with a group of women and they talk excitedly about scrapbooking or card making, all I keep thinking is that I would rather be home working on my music.

From Minnesota:

Thank you! I found this on another website listing free LDS choral music.

From Utah:
I googled LDS hymns; thank you for sharing

From Kansas:

“Thank you for all your work – we have the smallest ward in the stake (and a tiny choir budget) but the best choir (according to the stake presidency) – we’re trying to put together an Easter cantata for the community to help our missionary work.”

Our Primary Presidency asked me to write a new Mother’s Day song for this year; something more interesting than Mom being like flowers or having twinkling eyes. We will post it soon. Let me know what you think.

I have raised the key on the last verse of “Teach Me to Walk in the Light,” We’ll post the new version in a couple of weeks, so those of you who have downloaded it may want to try the new version to see if you like it better.

From Utah:

I searched the web for free ward choir music. (We have a $50 budget for the year.) I’m excited to see and use this music. Thanks so much for making it available for us.

Every time I introduce a new arrangement to our ward choir, I always say, “Alright, let’s run through this and see how many mistakes I made.”
Though I try hard to catch them all, I still miss a few. I forget to put in a rest. I forget to dot a half note. I put the glissando on the wrong side of the notes.
So, if you find mistakes, please, PLEASE tell me so I can fix them!

From Utah

“I have been a ward choir director for 4 1/2 years! I need new music!”

Last year I was called as ward choir director in February. We began working on a special number for Easter when the 1st counselor in the Bishopric came to me and asked if we would do the entire Easter program. I swallowed hard and said that of course we would. We had six weeks to put together a program with six musical numbers and scripture readings. This was in addition to the special number we were practicing for February and something for ward conference in March.

With Easter on March 23rd this year, we won’t have much more time to prepare. I am more convinced than ever that ward choirs need arrangements that are easy to learn but are still satisfying to hear and sing.

We will soon post a piano solo arrangement of “Our Savior’s Love” that has been written by my son, Stephen. It’s interesting rhythms and harmonies make it too beautiful not to include in the solo section. It’s written in the key of B Major (five sharps), so it’s not for the faint hearted, but will be nice for those who like more of a challenge.