Softly and Tenderly was written by Will Lamartine Thompson in 1847. It is a lovely song to sing and I also really like playing it on the harp. The verses flow easily, but I think my favorite part to sing is the chorus. I’m proud to say he grew up in my home state of … [Read more…]
May Our Hearts Sing of Peace is a choir anthem I wrote in 2023 using the words of John Birch with his permission. The song is a prayer asking God to help us feel and express His peace, His joy, His forgiveness, His Grace in the world. The final words are a reminder that we … [Read more…]
I had the pleasure of attending the Harp in Worship Conference in Colorado in July. I admit to being more than a little nervous signing up for this with only about a year of harp experience behind me. Before signing up I did contact the organizers to make sure it was appropriate and also communicated … [Read more…]
May Our Hearts Sing of Peace was written in 2023 for SATB choir with piano accompaniment. I fell in love with this text from John Birch and knew right away that I wanted to create music for it. If you have followed my compostions you know that I have used his lyrics many times. John … [Read more…]
I have been determined to learn Minuet in G on my harp. The sheet music looks so incredibly easy, but is deceptive. I also started trying to play it long before I had developed enough technique to support this endeavor. First, a little background. Minuet in G Major was written around 1725 and was found … [Read more…]
Although not original to Josh Groban, he made You Raise Me Up famous in 2003. The melody was written by Rolf Lovland and Brendan Graham wrote the lyrics. Secret Garden first sang the song in 2001. I discovered an estimate stating that over 125 different artists have covered this song, but Josh’s is the one … [Read more…]
We’ve all had broken dreams. Maybe you didn’t get the bicycle you wanted for Christmas. Did your cruise to the Bahamas get cancelled? Perhaps you were told, like I was, that you couldn’t be an astronaut when you grow up because you are a girl. Was there a broken dream of having a “till death … [Read more…]
Once again I’ve chosen lyrics by John Birch for this choral arrangement. This prayer contains such vivid imagery celebrating God’s wisdom and power in the creation of the world. I was particularly captivated by the image of God’s laughter creating a wild goose to fly across the universe. Although I’ve chosen to use repeating phrases … [Read more…]
When I first started playing the harp about a year ago Caledonia was one of the pieces that was on my wish list. This folk ballad was written by Dougie Maclean in 1977. He reported that he wrote it in about 10 minutes while on a beach in France when he was feeling homesick for … [Read more…]
I know there isn’t a “right answer” to the question of what key signature I should choose when I begin a composition. However, it is one of the questions that I find really difficult to answer. There are many articles and chapters in textbooks that suggest that different key signatures represent different emotions. Some key … [Read more…]