Our Great God (11-12-23)
Words and music by Fernando Ortega and Mac Powell. Arranged and orchestrated by Robert Sterling.
This is the second time this year my choir has sung this wonderful anthem. It’s not only the sound, but the words, some of which are particularly appropriate in this time in which we find ourselves. “Our cold and Ruthless enemy, His pleasure is our harm / Rise up, O Lord, and he will flee Before our sovereign God.“ Here is the choral music for that portion: (left brackets are vocals, braces are piano)
Music is multidimensional, and choral music has its own special ways of achieving that. Notice the harmonic build. First the women (🎼) sing in unison, then the men (lower staff) sing in 2-part harmony, and then the choir breaks into four-part harmony for the “cold and ruthless enemy”. “Rise up…” follows that in unison. That entire section is mezzo-forte at steady tempo, leading into the chorus. The musical dynamics are in the voicing. Then the chorus (not shown here) expands to forte and as much as five-part harmony, with men echoing women in the alleluias, and all twice settling back to unison.
At the same time, the lyrics are having their effect. Multidimensional.
You don’t hear these things so much as you feel them, and it is all intentional. Listen again, and notice how it works. You are being influenced!
The earlier rendition was with bells and orchestra accompaniment, and the tempo was quicker. This presentation was with with piano accompaniment, more strongly emphasizing the choral sounds.
The publisher page is here.
I did not sing with the choir either time. I was running screens the first time, in February. The timing of the lyrics at the bottom was my contribution — and I see that I was still working out some of the nuances of that. This time I was at home “getting over something”, my voice not working very well. I had my sheet music with me, however, and I sang along with the livestream!
It’s great to be able to listen and take everything in, but there is something about being in the middle of it that has no equal.
Performed at Christ Community Church, Carmichael, California, November 12, 2023
Excerpted from youtu.be/yIh56T3bfPo
Absolutely lovely!
🙏💝very beautiful 💝🙏