I wrote this song for an upcoming wedding and set it to the traditional Irish tune, “Down by the Sally Gardens.” I would really like to have the last four lines in each verse sung in four part harmony but I can’t write music myself so I’m at a bit of an impass and wondered if there is anyone among the ranks of composers who would…

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Thoughts?

Vincit Omnia Veritas

1: Some day the clouds will parted be

The King in state ride through.

The heavens then shall pass away

All things be made anew.

Before He came a little babe:

See star and angels rise.

When He returns as King of King

Behold the rifted skies!

2: Some day we’ll hear the trumpet’s sound

…

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Thanks so much for your thoughts! Much appreciated!

What do you think of this version?

The Highlands of Affliction

1: Out of the highlands of affliction

Comes many a soul ablaze

With visions of things as yet unseen,

Beyond earth’s hastening days.

2: So too from the bitt’rest of trials

May come the sweetest of songs,

As gold in the blazing furnace tried

By struggles…

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Any thoughts on this version?

I switched the verses per your suggestion, and fiddled around with the wording a bit here and there as well.

They Speak From the Grave

1: We hear the voice of those long passed

Beyond the realm of sight.

They labored up the mountain steeps

And faced the falling night.

2: The sword of truth they girded on.

Took up…

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In my opinion anyway the last verse goes quite nicely with the others!

A couple thoughts on the poetry angle; (Feel free to ignore them if they clash with your poetic preferences 🙂

-In verse 1 two lines end with the same word: believers.

– “the Comforter from Christ rained down” this line sounds a little odd to my ear. As does “who had been…

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1: Rejoice, rejoice the Lord our God

Reigns over earth and sea.

His hand upholds the worlds that are

And all that are to be.

2:In Him are life, and being found,

In Him our all in all.

In Him our glory and reward.

From Him life’s bounties fall.

3:Beyond the bourn of time and space,

Beyond earth’s fleeting days,

The just shall find a sure reward

Where…

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They Speak From the Grave

We hear the voice of those long passed

Beyond the realm of sight.

They trod the path which all must tread

And faced the falling night.

The sword of truth they girded on.

Took up the shield of faith.

Ahead the hosts of darkness grim;

At hand no resting place.

Today beyond the deathless grave

We hear their battle cry:

“Fight…

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Deep River

I see the angels beckon me

Deep river intervenes.

I over here, they over there,

The rolling tide between.

Some day I’ll cross the borderline

That sunders death and life

The measure of mortality.

The final stand of strife.

I’ll dwell amid that angel throng

When time shall run her course,

And darkness never shall…

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Glory

1: On that night so long ago

Angel choirs were singing.

Hear the message of God’s love

Hear the music ringing:

“Glory be to God on high! “

Christ, the promised Savior

Left his throne and came to earth.

See him in a manger.

2:Those who long in darkness walked

See the dawn is breaking.

…

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Opinion? Advice?

1: Don’t sit in the window and drowse

When the trumpet is sounding – away!

Don’t sleep in the time of the harvest.

Don’t slumber while yet it is day.

2:The hours are fleeting and passing,

And the years as a vapor are gone.

The pages of history are turning!

Awaken! Arise! And be strong!

3:Though nations should…

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Any thoughts or advice?

The Lord gets many of his strongest workers out of the highlands of affliction.

~Spurgeon

The Highlands of Sorrow

1: Forth from the highlands of Sorrow

Comes many a soul ablaze

With visions of things as yet unseen,

Beyond earth’s hastening days.

2: From out the bitterest of…

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Thanks! Yes, you have a point there.

One more question. I got musescore and it seems to work very well on the whole but I can’t figure out how to add the lyrics. Any advice?

How does this look?

1: On that night so long ago

Angel choirs were singing.

Hear the message of God’s love

Hear the music ringing:

“Glory be to God on high! “

Christ, the promised Savior

Left his throne to came to earth

Seek him in a manger.

2:Those who long in darkness walked

See the dawn is breaking.

Lift…

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Thanks!

I have several songs which I wrote specifically to fit certain traditional tunes and I am wondering how to go about creating sheet music for them. Any advice?

How does this look for the first problem spot? I’m still working on the second.

On that night so long ago

Angel choirs were singing.

Hear the message of God’s love

Hear the music ringing:

That is very nice!

This song was written originally to fit the tune of Good King Wenceslas.

Any thoughts?

Glory

1:On that night so long ago

Angel choirs were singing.

Hear the message of God’s love

That they then were bringing:

“Glory be to God on high.”

“Peace, goodwill to all men!”

Heav’nly…

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Thanks for the input, both of you!

How would this sound?

“In Him are life, and being found,

In Him our all in all.

In Him our glory and reward.

From Him life’s bounties fall.”

Or this?

“In Him are life, and being found,

In Him our all in all.

In Him our glory and reward.

Ours but to heed His call. ”

Any thoughts on this?

Rejoice, rejoice the Lord our God

Reigns over earth and sea.

His hand upholds the worlds that are

And all that are to be.

In Him we live and being have

In Him, our all in all.

In Him, our glory and reward.

From Him, life’s bounties fall.

Beyond the bourn of time and space,

Beyond earths…

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One thing which I think would improve the lyric would be to avoid switching back and forth between you and Thee. It sounds a bit disconcerting, at least to my ear!

Very nice!

Nice. I think I’ll have to put that one on my list of songs I want sung at my funeral. 😉

Does this look any better as song material? I rearranged the meter to 8/6, cut out the verse which contained most of the repetative bits, and did a bit of rewording.

1: If Truth has fallen from it’s place

Within the human soul,

How dark the night that falls as well.

How then shall man be whole?

As storm and tumult, vertigo,…

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Any thoughts on this one?

1:Who built the expanse of heaven?

Who set the stars in place?

Who measured out the length of night?

Who wove the fabric; space?

/

Cho:

O eternal source of life and light,

Thy hand all worlds framed!

The Great I Am, the Living Word,

Th’ Almighty is Thy name!

/

2:Who hung the earth on nothingness?…

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Thanks for the advice.

I am rather a word enthusiast and tend to prefer songs that have pretty long phrases and plenty of big words in them (as long as they are actually saying something of substance) so thanks for pointing out the fact that not everyone feels quite the same way. I will bear it in mind!

I really like the words other than the one phrase which says “as the hold of death was lost.” Seems a bit odd somehow…

A couple thoughts… It might be worth fiddling around with the poem in its entirety and seeing if you could even out the meter. Everyone’s technic is different but when I write I generally ad lib it the first time through. Then I go through, count the syllables, see what meter predominates, and play around with it to see if I can adjust the…

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“Let me live this day, for Thee only, Lord.

Let me count earth’s gain only vanity.”

A couple thoughts… One is that using the same word repeatedly is a very effective poetic technic but in this case the repeat use of only does’nt seem to quite be working.

“Let me lose myself for Thine own accord.

Let me give my life, as You have for…

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A couple thoughts…

“Be swallowed in the glory of His cross,”

To my ear the word “swallowed” sounds less than beautifully poetic when coupled with the concept of glory and I wonder if changing that one word might be worth considering.

“May those I love the most still stand apart. “

On that one I think it might be worth thinking about rewording…

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Thanks for the input!

I guess my thought on the matter of Satan’s ambitions was that it is the immortal souls of men which are his main target, not the material world which will eventually be destroyed anyway.

This piece was written for the tune to “Believe Me if All These Endearing Young Charms…” Any thoughts?

If Truth has fallen from it’s place within the human soul,

How dark the night that falls anon. How then shall man be whole?

As storm and tumult, vertigo, as day bereft of sun,

So is man’s life without his God. Hopeless, alas, undone.

/

With…

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Thanks for the pointers!

Any thoughts or advice on this one?

Lo, the floodgates of hell have been opened,

The Deceiver now walketh abroad.

The prize that he seeketh; the souls of men.

Not that which is of earth and the clod.

He layeth a trap for the unwary,

And a snare for the footsteps that roam.

He waiteth in ambush for to take them,

As they stray…

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Ok. Thanks for the pointers!

I agree that it is overly long for a song as it stands. Reading long poems is one thing, singing them quite another.

This was written to fit the tune Good King Wencelas. Any thoughts?

Glory

1:On that night so long ago

Angel choirs were singing.

Hear the message of God’s love

That they then were bringing.

“Glory be to God on high.”

“Peace, goodwill to all men!”

Heav’nly…

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8Blessed are those whose paths are peace;

7Whose desire is righteousness.

8Those who show mercy, as their Lord;

7Those when harmed; who only bless.

8Blessed are those whose hearts are pure;

7They shall see Him they confess.

/

8Blessed those who’s hope is the Lord;

7In whose hearts are Zion’s ways.

8Those who are strong in God’s own strength

7Walk in…

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A critique would be appreciated as well as input as to whether this is a style of poem which works for a church music setting or not.

If the sailor should have no star for his guide,

Nor compass; did nothing abide.

He’d drift on the ocean’s far billows.

Alone, on the measureless tide.

If the traveler should have no map for his…

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Have you considered changing the meter to 8s and 7s or 8s and 6s instead of 8/8? It might flow better.

For example:

Blessed are those whose way is peace;

Whose desire is righteousness.