Product Description
This upbeat, contemporary worship hymn for piano-voice-guitar was written for the United Church of Canada's General Council 45 youth service. It has syncopated rhythms, and the music is energetic, matching the prophetic words and energy of the youth and young adult delegates to GC45. Don't let the syncopated rhythms discourage you, though! This music is still highly accessible, and written in a congregational range that will suit the vast majority of congregants - the vocal range for the melody line is from middle C to the C above it; alto harmonies are also included in the chorus of this score. The format is chorus-verse 1, chorus, verse 2, chorus, verse 3, chorus, tag, so there is plenty of repetition, allowing congregants and choir members to get the tune and the rhythms into their ears and hearts.
It's written in 4/4 time, in the key of C with a Mixolydian mode to keep the melody interesting (ie use Bb, even though you are beginning and ending on C). The suggested metronome marking is 96 for a quarter note, but remember, that's just a suggestion! You can take it at a quicker pace, if you'd like to. Emphasizing the downbeat for each measure will help you keep the beat.
This hymn was so much fun to write, to teach, and to sing together at GC45, alongside more than 500 delegates, guests, and volunteers at the Telus Convention Center in downtown Calgary, Alberta on August 10, 2025. I hope that your choir and congregation will enjoy it as much as we did!
The overarching theme of this hymn is church renewal, focusing on the new mission statement of the UCC in our centennial year, which is "deep spirituality, bold discipleship, and daring justice." Each verse features one of these three key themes, and the chorus includes them all; line two of the chorus lyric is "With faith that's deep, and bold, and daring, we'll exalt your name." The work of the Holy Spirit blowing through us, working in and through the lives of believers to renew the church and to heal this beautiful, broken world that God so loves (and longs to restore). This is a hopeful hymn, calling the church to practice deeper spirituality, bolder discipleship, and more daring justice in our everyday, Monday-to-Saturday lives, (not just by how we behave or what we sing on Sunday morning at church, while surrounded by other believers).
This hymn is also Trinitarian; it would be highly suitable for the season of Pentecost, during Ordinary Time, any Sunday when "missions," our "identity in Christ," or "Church renewal" is the focus, and also for youth-themed or youth-led services. The Scriptures I used while composing this hymn were 1 Samuel 3:7-11 (the call of Samuel). Psalm 145, and Romans 8:12-21.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.