SATB choir with piano
What Wondrous Love is This is a shimmering, modern arrangement of the gorgeous modal hymn tune. The reflective piano accompaniment features sweeping interludes between well-supported choral verses. Each verse is distinct, but they share many common elements to shorten rehearsal time. This piece was commissioned for a wonderful church choir. If you are interested in commissioning a new composition or arrangement, feel free to make contact.
This arrangement is available exclusively from HolySheetMusic.com.
This is a treasure! When I first looked at the score, I was concerned my small church choir couldn’t handle it. But, upon further study, it was much more accessible than I imagined. My choir of 20 or so, with many children, were able to confidently sing it (although, we didn’t do it nearly the justice the beautiful song deserved!)
One of Nathan’s great strengths as a choral composer is his unbelievable talent in writing complex and lush harmonies in very singable and beautiful ways. There are really no awkward intervals or difficult jumps.
As we rehearsed and studied the score further as a choir, the incredible text painting was apparent in each verse, allowing for great discussion and a deeper connection with the music and the beautiful and somewhat unfamiliar (to my choir) text. It was incredibly powerful for all of us involved!
The piano part is spectacular, especially when played musically and thoughtfully. My family still requests me to play through this piece from time to time, months after we performed it. My Yong children can still be caught humming the melody from time to time. It made an impression!
Working with Nathan as we went through the commissioning process was a joy. As I was familiar with his composing style, I had a basic idea that his harmonies would be lush and full, which was exactly why I wanted to work with him in the first place. We discussed the needs of my choir, the ability of my pianist, the text selection… What Wondrous Love has always been one of my favorites, and when I suggested it, it was as if it was meant to be, as Nathan mentioned he had been wanting to arrange it for a long time but needed that extra push. When he delivered the final product, it was far beyond what I ever could have imagined. He also provided rehearsal parts for the choir, which was really helpful!
Thanks so much, Amaree. You were wonderful to work with, and I’m very pleased with the way the arrangement came out. Please send my love to your choir and thank them for their participation in the process and their willingness to try something new. And thank you for approaching me with the idea and making it happen.