With Wings As Eagles
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Concert Band Grade 4 8 minutes Commissioned by the 2019 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) National Band Festival This work incorporates two beloved hymn tunes: Praise to the Lord Almighty and Be Still My Soul. With much gratitude to Quinten Petersen who was the mastermind behind not only the consortium but the idea to incorporate hymn tunes. |
PERUSAL SCORE
| withwingsaseaglesscorev1perusal.pdf |
Steve Smith, conductor
Program Note - The story behind the music
This is the first commission in which I was asked to prominently feature a hymn tune. I’m honored and grateful to be able to share my faith in Jesus Christ through my music in such an overt manner. However, I found it impossible to choose between two of my favorite hymns, “Praise to the Lord The Almighty” and “Be Still My Soul.” So I used both! The imagery found in one verse of “Praise to the Lord The Almighty” especially caught my attention. It speaks of us being carried by the Lord as if on eagle’s wings. This phrase comes from the following passage in Isaiah:
Hast though not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, nighter is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength… But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)
This scripture has great personal meaning for me as I have felt the Lord’s sustenance many times during my life. The music is designed to reflect the emotions of frustration, depression, and grief when faced with life’s difficulties and trials, contrasted with the feelings of jubilant praise and wonder when reflecting on God’s power to provide deliverance. It is my prayer that each of us can remember the times we have felt carried by the Lord - soaring above life’s storms “with wings as eagles.”
This is the first commission in which I was asked to prominently feature a hymn tune. I’m honored and grateful to be able to share my faith in Jesus Christ through my music in such an overt manner. However, I found it impossible to choose between two of my favorite hymns, “Praise to the Lord The Almighty” and “Be Still My Soul.” So I used both! The imagery found in one verse of “Praise to the Lord The Almighty” especially caught my attention. It speaks of us being carried by the Lord as if on eagle’s wings. This phrase comes from the following passage in Isaiah:
Hast though not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, nighter is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength… But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)
This scripture has great personal meaning for me as I have felt the Lord’s sustenance many times during my life. The music is designed to reflect the emotions of frustration, depression, and grief when faced with life’s difficulties and trials, contrasted with the feelings of jubilant praise and wonder when reflecting on God’s power to provide deliverance. It is my prayer that each of us can remember the times we have felt carried by the Lord - soaring above life’s storms “with wings as eagles.”
PURCHASE
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