Dave's Top Eight

1. Jerry Reed...Revisited by Darrell Toney (reviewed 6/07) (5 Stars)
2. Sounds Like Sunday by Janet Paschal (reviewed 5/07) (5 Stars)
3. True To The Call by Kingdom Heirs (reviewed 3/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
4. Revival by Gold City (reviewed 10/06) (4 1/2 Stars)
5. Get Away Jordan by Ernie Haase & Signature Sound (reviewed 2/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
6. Breakin' Chains by Three Bridges (reviewed 5/07) (4 1/2 Stars)
7. Big Sky by The Isaacs (reviewed 4/07)
8. Skywriting by Mercy's Well (reviewed 7/07)

Click title to purchase at CBD.com...click artist name to read Dave's Review. A CD will automatically fall out of the Top Eight after twelve months if no CD surpasses it before then.

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January 28, 2006

Choral Review: Amazing Grace

RATING: 4 Stars

Title: Amazing Grace
Created by: Sue C. Smith and Russell Mauldin
Arranged by: Russell Mauldin
Publisher: Brentwood

Song Titles: "Grace Medley" (includes "Amazing Grace," "Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing," "Grace Greater Than Our Sin"), "Here Comes The King," "On His Knees," "Amazing Grace," "He Is Alive" with "Rejoice, The Lord Is King," "No Other Word For Grace But Amazing" with "Amazing Grace," "Crown Him! Medley" (includes "Crown Him With Many Crowns," "Grace Greater Than Our Sin," and "Amazing Grace")

As with the other titles in Brentwood's popular "Ready To Sing" series, Amazing Grace is helmed by Russell Mauldin. Sue C. Smith was also involved with putting this project together. I've noticed over the years that most easy choral arrangements have low budget orchestrations to match...as if it isn't worth spending much money producing an accompaniment CD when it's going to be played for smaller congregations. Fortunately, the "Ready To Sing" titles are not like that. Mauldin's series has caught the attention of many church music leaders due to his full sounding orchestrations. Granted, he isn't as elaborate as David Clydesdale, Bradley Knight, or Lari Goss, but Mauldin has been able to successfully avoid the "cheese" factor that I've often heard in the past on other products.

Amazing Grace features a blend of hymns and new songs. Mauldin and Smith wrote three selections. These include: "Here Comes The King," "On His Knees," and "He Is Alive." Midway through, a 2004 Geron Davis song titled "Amazing Grace" appears. These newer songs provide contrast to several familiar hymns including "Amazing Grace," which has its verses sprinkled throughout the musical. The first verse of "Amazing Grace" is used to kick off the opening "Grace Medley." The hymn returns when the verse that begins "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear" is used as an intro to a Kirk Talley song that Brian Free and Gold City popularized years ago called "No Other Word For Grace But Amazing." The final verse of "Amazing Grace" ("When we've been there ten thousand years") provides the closing climax to the musical. This implementation gives Amazing Grace a nice thematic arc.

Another thematic arc is found in the narration. Each section of narration begins with (or what appears to be) a modern slant...children playing checkers, a pastor in a Muslim area of Russia, a boy always in the wrong place at the wrong time, etc. By the end of each section of spoken dialogue, though, I was impressed by how points about God's grace and the Easter story were emphasized and tied together. The storytelling element of the narration will help draw your congregation into the music, simply but effectively...mainly because the narration itself it interesting.

Two songs feature easy solos. "On His Knees" requires a range of just over an octave beginning with the B-flat below middle C (assuming a female solist). "Amazing Grace" (the modern song by Geron Davis) includes a solo that is also just over an octave, but it is set a few notes lower than the "On His Knees" solo. The highest note is the A above middle C, so either an alto soloist or a bass singing an octave lower would be the obvious choice. Alternatively, a good first tenor could sing it at the written pitch.

Amazing Grace has a very traditional sound and is clearly aimed at the traditional church choir. The musical parts for the choir are easy and offer few surprises as you'd expect with this type of product. There's a mix of unison, two-part, and four-part arranging, but nothing that is particularly difficult. Even with a choir that doesn't read music, adequate rehearsal should allow you to present this musical. It's also a very good choice for a more accomplished choir that is just short on rehearsal time between now and Easter.

by David Bruce Murray
posted by David Bruce Murray @ 5:34:00 PM


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