In my repertoire, I have been playing, “In Christ Alone,” by Keith Getty and “How Deep The Father’s Love For Us,” by Stuart Townend. Now, having had Keith & Kristyn Getty’s “In Christ Alone Songbook” to enjoy, I’ve added three more of their hymns to my repertoire, namely, “See, What A Morning!” “Speak, O Lord,” and The Power Of The Cross.” My notes will enable a person to select them for the occasion upon which each may be played.
“See, What A Morning!” is a song to be played at Easter or a morning worship service, because it is exciting and triumphant, proclaiming the truth of Christ having risen from the grave. It is a marvelous hymn for a piper to lead a congregation in praise of our Saviour.
“Speak, O Lord,” is a prayer asking God to continue speaking to us through Scripture and by His Holy Spirit. His Word is powerful, and by it, God spoke the world into creation and inspired writers to record His instructions for all generations. It has transforming power to improve life’s quality when people listen humbly and respond.
“The Power Of The Cross,” was written for Easter and Communion and is an ideal choice for the piper. It reflects upon Christ’s suffering and challenges people to renew their lives as they wonder about the significance and power of the cross. One observes and acknowledges the awful price Christ paid to redeem us from our sins. As terrible as His crucifixion was, it was nevertheless God’s plan, designed long before Christ sacrificed his life and suffered for us.
“In Christ Alone,” was the first hymn that Keith and Stuart wrote together; simple yet powerful. We will sing, “No guilt in life, no fear in death, this is the power of Christ in me.” Christ was God sacrificed on the cross. Only Jesus could have such power to be returned to life because He was God in human flesh. Even death could not have power over our Lord. He is God and we believe in Him. He affects us all and we know He desires to have a personal relationship with each one of us.
A church piper will do well to build his or her repertoire upon Keith Getty’s and Stuart Townend’s compositions, and be ready to respond to requests for leading a congregation in worship.
Keith MacDonald
Also great on the pipes: "Above All" (Michael W. Smith), "Shout to the Lord" (Darlene Zschech), "God Will Make A Way: (Don Moen). Possibilities (working on it): "Unto the Lamb in the Midst of the Throne" (Julie Meyer).
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim, for those suggestions. I will find those hymns, and arrange them myself. I love the challenge, and I hope there are other pipers who are as similarly inclined as we are.
ReplyDeleteThere are two other hymns I've been practicing lately, though they are not so recent as the ones I mentioned. One is Ancient Words by Lynn deShazzo and the other is I Hear Thy Welcome Voice by Lewis Hartsough. Let me know how you make out with Unto the Lamb.
I liked your blog title - Piping with a purpose :)
ReplyDeleteEven though i was searching in google for Piping design blog and ended up here.. but nice to see different blogs even on the topics of Piping too.
Thank you Ankit. It is encouraging to have you say you like my blog title. It came about from my enthusiasm for practicing for each engagement for which I expected to play and my desire to add something special to the program that only the pipes can achieve. My hope has been that my enthusiasm will rub off onto other pipers and they'll endeavour to learn the music that will suit the occasion, and that they will put their whole heart and soul into their playing just as I do. Whether it is for a memorial, a wedding, a church service or a banquet I would love to see others give it their very best. By saying this, I haven't included all the other various occasions for which the right music is to be played. There's Christmas and Easter, Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving to be considered also. The right music of course, and the right spirit within, drives the piper to do his best. His best is achieved by reliance upon his or her personal Saviour, Jesus, remembering the words from Scripture, "I can do all things through Christ which strenghteneth me." Philippians 4:13
ReplyDeleteDr. MacDonald,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Ellen Hoffman and I cannot believe I have stumbled upon your blog!! I know you as the Church Piper and greatly respect what you have contributed to the piping world via your Church Piper music book series!
I have been a piper here in "the South", the Carolinas, USA since the age of 14 (I am now 28).
I am writing actually to make a simple yet quite significant request of you. I am getting married next month and want my piper to play for me the hymn "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken" as I process down the aisle. This tune is dear to me. Unfortunately, I am finding it difficult to acquire Volume 6 of your Church Piper books that contains the sheet music for this tune for bagpipes.
I am wondering if you would not mind too much sending me this tune - or directly to my wedding piper - preferably electronically if you can. I am more than happy to pay you for the copy if indeed you can provide it ASAP. Alternatively, if available, I could purchase Volume 6 Wedding Music from you directly. I would need overnight or next day shipping though as my piper only has two weeks to prepare this tune for me though he is very familiar with it and a Grade 2.
Dr. MacDonald, thank you kindly for reading this post. I will be honored to hear back from you regarding my tune request.
Warm regards,
Ellen Hoffman
from North Carolina
Ellen, thank you so much for your kind words of ecouragement. A few days elapsed before I could answer your letter because my wife and I were visiting for a week with our son and his family in CT. However, as soon as we returned, I immediately sent a pdf of the music for "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken." I too, love this hymn. It is majestic and beautifully suitable as a wedding march for your entry into the ceremony. It is known as AUSTRIAN HYMN and is Austria's national anthem. I would surely love to know that your piper received the music in plenty of time to prepare it. The selection will add immeasureably to the pageantry of your wedding. May I take the opportunity, Ellen, to wish you and your husband to be, God's blessings for a long and loving relationship in marriage. Thanks again for your good words and for asking me to assist with the music. It was a pleasure.
ReplyDeleteDearest Keith,
ReplyDeleteSuch a thrill for me to read this post!
I stumbled, the other day, on an email I sent you in August 2009, in which I wrote:
Hello Keith,
Rather early in the morning for me, but as usual thinking about worship music...
There have been few exceptional recent song writers, but if I were to pick one out, it would be Stuart Townend. I was surprised that 'How Deep the Father's Love for Us' was so recent when first I heard it; I assumed it was just one of those hymns that had escaped me. I had the same feeling about one of Stuart's other, perhaps even more well known pieces, 'In Christ Alone'. It has beautiful, legitimate lyrics and is most enjoyable to sing to God's glory. Have you arranged it for pipes? It's not for me to make suggestions, but I am far from musician enough to do it myself, and the next generation of Church will, I hope, embrace it. So many of your other choices are favourites of mine also.
God bless,
Hugh
In response to that email, you sent me (by email) a hand-written (beautifully hand-written I may add) copy of "In Christ Alone" arranged for 'pipes. And along with it, "How Deep the Father's Love" and "The Solid Rock".
They are still my favourite modern hymns, and amongst my all time most loved worship music - thank you so much for the arrangements of them.
I really must write to you more personally soon, as I have been very lax in doing so, and I think of you often and value our friendship,
In Christ Alone,
Hugh
Hi! I've just come across your blog and am thrilled to see other pipers using their talents for the Lord! I've been asked to play my pipes at church but have been having trouble finding music. I just ordered your hymn book, but would also love to purchase music for some of the more modern hymns that you talk about in this blog entry. Do you have any of this music available for purchase?
ReplyDeleteHi Lorraine, it's good to hear from you and to know that you are able to add the magnificent sound of pipes to the worship service when called upon. Through the International Fellowship of Christian Pipers and Drummers, I've come to know about 100 pipers who who occasionally or often contribute to worship services in either their own or in other churches. It has been a pleasure to be able to share appropriate music by means of The Church Piper series of music books. I've been pleased to add some thoughts in these books about having the right relationship with God so our music will be worshipful and God will listen to our praises.
ReplyDeleteIn all, there must be 1500 songs of worship and praise in the 15 books published by The Church Piper. There are sufficient hymns not already published in those books to furnish another half dozen books. I may never accomplish this, however, as it is an enormous undertaking. I would be willing to help you out from time to time, if you may be needing some special hymn. Let me know. I wish you lots of success in your own church piping as you lead congregations in their services of worship.
Kindest regards,
Keith MacDonald,
The Church Piper
Hello Dr. MacDonald,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog yesterday while looking up some Christian tunes for the pipes. I am really impressed by your work! It's encouraging to see all that you have done. One tune I am specifically looking for sheet music for is How Deep the Father's Love For Us (it's my favorite hymn), and I see you have mentioned playing it on this post. Is there a way that I could get the sheet music for it? It would be truly exciting for me to learn how to play it. I'm not really sure how to make it so you can contact me so I guess I will check back here later!
Thank you and God Bless,
Caleb Logan
Caleb,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing. I'm sure I can help you out. I too, love that hymn. Send me an email at krmacdon@shaw.ca Although "How Deep the Father's Love for us" is also one of my favorites, there are others I enjoy very much too. There's "One Day," and one I just arranged a short while ago. (I don't know why I did't do it sooner.) It is, "Saved by Grace." A fellow could just keep on naming then according to specific occasions. Send me a note and tell me a bit about yourself.
Kind regards,
Keith MacDonald
Hello again Dr. MacDonald,
ReplyDeleteI emailed you a while back but haven't received a reply, so I wanted to make sure it got to you okay. I can try emailing again if you would like.
Thank you for your time!
Caleb Logan
Caleb, I do want to receive your correspondence and I'll add my Email address here, so you can write to me directly. if I can help you, I surely will. Please send me a note. Keith MacDonald
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add my Email address.
ReplyDeleteIt is, Keith MacDonald
Caleb, It is apparent that I didn't add my address as I intended. It is,
ReplyDeletekrmacdon@shaw.ca I want to hear from you and see that you get the music you want so dearly. Please write and let me know too, if you occasionally or often, play your pipes for call to worship or any church related occasion. Soon, you will be wanting to open the service with a Christmas Carol or two also. Kind regards, Keith MacDonald
I am so glad to have found this, how do I go about purchasing a copy of In Christ Alone and other hymns from you. Glen
ReplyDeleteThank you, Glen, for writing. I will be pleased to share that hymn with you. Please ask Caleb in his comment above yours, how he was able to contact me.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say thank you.
ReplyDeleteI started learning the pipes almost ten months ago now, and it is just so amazing how many Christian pipers I have found online. (Not as many as I would like, but definitely more than I had expected)
The band I am in is certainly not a Christian one, so I'm mostly just learning the more traditional Scottish tunes with them.
The more Christian tunes I am learning to play with my little brother (he started learning six months ago, but he's very musical and was playing Amazing Grace in parade with the rest of us just within three months of starting)
For a while after I started I had been searching for'How Great Thou Art' I asked our pipe major, and he couldn't find it either. I still really wanted to learn it, so I prayed about it, and left it in GOD's hands.
A few months later (a little under a month ago now) I wasn't even looking, but not only did I find How great thou art arranged for the pipes, but also a few others I had wanted to learn.
Wow, when GOD answers a prayer, he doesn't just give you what you asked for, but so much more. I am just so amazed and grateful that he cares enough for me, with all my shortcomings, to do that.
GOD Bless you, and thanks for sharing the light.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing. I photocopied How Great Thous Art from my music arrangement which I published in Volume 6, Wedding Music for The Church Piper, and I want to semd it to you because I know it is accurate. Tell me how I can do this, please.
Dear Unknown, Here is the arrangement of How Great Thou Art which I photocopied from Wedding Music, Volume 6, of The Church Piper. In this arrangement, I assured that the High A could be reached. It has worked well for the years since I published Volume 6. I've now published 17 volumes of The Church Piper. I plan to make a second arrangement, which will be lower. It will be interesting to see wich one is preferred.
ReplyDelete