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"I might
not be a religious man myself but I know good music when I hear it, and this is very
good! . . . I dont think that I have ever given such high
ratings to so many songs before. But
the fact is that they are well deserved because the
music is amazing. Simply wonderful religious ballads and they
really get to your heart. . .everytime."
Fredrik Cole: Trax In Space
O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.
O beautiful for pilgrim feat, whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat, across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law.
O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than
life!
America! America! May God they gold refine,
Til all success be nobleness, and every gain divine.
O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.
Arrangement Copyright © 2000 Don Wigton
Vanessa sings this favorite American hymn with power and
authority while tenderly portraying the faith of a nation with gentle words that bask in
God's promises. Gracefully she joins the melodic piano accented by a resounding cello
filled with admiration of the great land that God has provided. Dramatically she concludes with the exciting
proclamation of Gods grace that has filled the heart of Americans.
For years it has been nothing
other than a great desire of my heart to put this great patriotic song to music. Patriotism has become culturally passé today in a
world that has become more-and-more global in its thinking.
Since the modern concept of nationalism in America came from the Christian base
that was established in the Reformation, it is no wonder that Christianity has also been
ostracized from our contemporary culture. But
this has not always been so, and America the Beautiful dramatizes that fact in
music.
America the
Beautiful was written in 1893 by Katharine Lee Bates a Massachusetts educator and
author. After she rode in a covered wagon to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs,
Colorado she was so inspired by the beauty of the American land that she wrote the song to
pass on her love for the country. "One
day, she wrote, some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to
14,000-foot Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. Near the top we had to leave the wagon
and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt
great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like
expanse."
The song was first published on July 4, 1895 in an American
journal and went through a couple of revisions before Bates finally received the copyright
of the song. The final form was completed in
1911 and set to the music of Samuel Wards Materna.
"America the Beautiful" became so popular that it is
considered America's unofficial second national anthem.
This is interesting in light of the fact that every line of the song is related a
Scripture from the Bible. So look below and
wonder why there are so many today who claim that America is and never was a Christian
nation.
O, Beautiful for spacious skies, (Deuteronomy 33:13).
For amber waves of grain, (Deuteronomy 33:16).
For purple mountain majesties, (Deuteronomy 33:15).
Above the fruitful plain! (Genesis 49:26).
America! America! (Genesis 48:21).
God shed His Grace on thee, (Genesis 48:16).
And crown thy good with brotherhood. (Genesis 48:20).
From sea to shining sea! (Ezekiel 47:18-20).
O Beautiful for pilgrim feet, (Deuteronomy 33:13).
Whose stern, impassioned stress, (Genesis 49:23).
Thoroughfare for freedom beat, (Psalms 72:8).
Across the wilderness! (Deuteronomy 32:8-11).
America! America! (Genesis 48:21).
God mend thine every flaw, (Genesis 49:22-26).
Confirm thy soul in self-control, (Isaiah 45:13).
Thy liberty in Law! (2 Corinthians 3:17).
O, Beautiful for heroes proved, (2 Chronicles 25:6).
In liberating strife, (James 1:25).
Who more than self their country loved, (Revelation 12:11).
And mercy more than life! (Psalm 37:21-31).
America! America! (2 Samuel 7:10).
May God thy gold refine, (Isaiah 2:7).
'Til all success be nobleness, (Genesis 48:15-16).
And every gain divine. (Deuteronomy 33:13-17).
O, Beautiful for patriot dream, (Hebrews 11:9).
That sees beyond the years, (Isaiah 60:21).
Thine alabaster cities gleam, (Revelation 21:18-20).
Undimmed by human tears! (Revelation 7:17).
America! America! (1 Chronicles 17:9).
God shed His Grace on thee, (Acts 4:33).
And crown thy good with brotherhood, (Deuteronomy 32:13).
From sea to shining sea! (Micah 7:12).
It was with these awesome truths in mind that I set out to make
an arrangement to this spectacular praise hymn. In
trying to decide between making an instrumental or vocal arrangement of it, the choice
became easy. I had in mind something with
some real guts to is, and after hearing Vanessa sing Amazing Grace I was
certain that she could make this tune rock.
So, I set out to create a typical rock rhythm section with a
hammering piano, full B3 organ and powerful drums and bass.
I wasnt sure, though that Vanessas enthusiasm was as great as mine. However, my suspicions were soon put to rest after
she laid the trac in one cut. The results
were so inspiring that we both decided not to even add harmonies. We sincerely pray that as you listen to this
amazing song that you are lead to appreciate (whether you are an American or not) the
wondrous provision that God has for a nation that will serve and obey Him.
O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming.
Whose broad stripes & bright stars thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming.
And the Rockets' red glare, the Bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our Flag was still there.
O! say does that star spangled Banner yet wave,
O'er the Land of the free, and the home of the brave.
On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes.
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses;
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam.
In full glory reflected new shines in the stream.
'Tis the star spangled banner. O. long may it wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion.
A home and a country, shall leave us no more
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave,
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.
And the star spangled banner in triumph doth wave.
O'er the Land &c.
O! thus be it ever when free men shall stand
Between their lov'd home, and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just.
And this be our motto--"In God is our Trust";
And the star spangled banner, in triumph shall wave,
O'er the Land of the free and the home of the brave.
Arrangement Copyright © 2000 Don Wigton
A gentle flute declares the anthem of a nation
underscored by the resonance of austere horns. . .a subtle piano chimes out that it is it
in God that we trust. . .a powerful cello affirms a just cause is worth fighting for. .
.dynamic percussion joins in to boldly triumph in the revered flag that waves over the
Land of the free and the home of the brave!
Francis Scott Key wrote this glorious praise hymn
that has become the national anthem for the USA. He
was an American lawyer and poet. Key
witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore harbor in 1814. The
victorious sight of the American flag still flying over the fort at daybreak inspired him
to write the poem "The Star-Spangled Banner," which he set to the tune of an
English drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven by the Englishman John Stafford
Smith.
First printed in a handbill and then in a
Baltimore newspaper, it became a popular song. Then
in 1931, following a twenty-year effort during
which more than forty bills and joint resolutions were introduced in Congress, a was law
finally signed proclaiming "The Star Spangled Banner" to be the national anthem
of the United States.
Look at the last stanza of this song and see what a marvelous
testimony to God that it is! And to know that
such powerful words were adopted as our national anthem in the twentieth century is a
powerful testimony of how recently the residents of this great land acknowledged God as
being its sovereign Lord. Every time this
magnificent testimony of Gods lordship over the nations is sung before a ball game,
the arguments of those who deny the Christian roots of America torn asunder.
Also notice the powerful statements regarding the roll of war in
Gods plan. Can it be that God uses war
to institute His will? Consider the words of
Americas national anthem which boldly proclaim: Then conquer we must, when our
cause it is just. And this be our mottoIn God is our Trust.
The very power of this song makes it so that hardly anyone,
though can sing it! Therefore, I didnt
even imagine that I could ask Vanessa to sing it. So,
I came up with an instrumental. I wanted
something different, but I desired to keep the patriotic flair. So, I began the song with horns with a flute
carrying the melody, as if it was leading the army into battle. Soon the melodic Steinway piano enters in only to
give way to a dynamic cello and electric piano declaring and the rockets red
glare. Eventually a full string section
is joined by powerful drums that drive the dramatic conclusion home.
We pray that you are blessed by this piece and reminded of the
prominent role that our God has played in the history of the United States of America.
Mine Eyes have seen the glory of the
coming of the Lord,
He is trampling out the vintage where
the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightening
of this terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on.
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have seen him in the watch fires of a
hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him and altar in the
evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by
the dim and flaring lamps,
His day is marching on.
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that
shall never sound retreat,
He is sifting out the hearts of men
before his judgment seat;
O be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be
jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have read a fiery gospel,
Writ in Burnished rows of steel.
As ye deal with my condemners.
So with you my grace will deal.
Let the hero born of women,
Crush the Serpent with his heal.
Since God is marching on.
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was
born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that
transfigures you and me;
And He died to make men holy, let us
live to make men free,
While God is marching on.
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
Glory!, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
Arrangement Copyright © 1999 Don
Wigton
This dramatic hymn became the rally cry
of the Union soldiers who, believing God was behind their efforts, gave their lives to
free the slaves. During the heart of the
Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln first heard the song, he immediately wanted to hear it
again. It is no wonder as it contains some of
the most powerful words of praise in the history of Christianity. This resolute contemporary instrumental
arrangement will move you to vibrant praise the God of truth who guides the nations.
Since I was a child this has been one
of my favorite songs. In 1999 the celebration
the Americas Independence Day was on Sunday, July 4.
Than morning in the worship service that we attended the Battle Hymn of the
Republic was played. Upon hearing the
glorious words, while thinking of the moral condition of our nation today, Vanessa and I
were moved to tears. After the service
we both agreed that an arrangement of the hymn must be put on the Internet as soon as
possible. I immediately began to arrange it.
I decided to give it a powerful
contemporary beat with a strong piano lead. The
B3 underneath does what only B3s can do. As
the song progresses strings and synthesized horns take over the melody to create an
thrilling crescendo that is fitting for this powerful hymn that was written during a time
of great national turmoil.
Julia Ward Howe wrote it during the
heart of the Civil War. When Abraham Lincoln
first heard it he was so impressed that he immediately wanted to hear it again. The Battle Hymn eventually became the rallying cry
of the thousand of Union soldiers who bravely gave their lives for the sake of helpless
slaves who were held in bondage. Abraham
Lincoln firmly believed that God was ultimately the instigator of the War and that His
truth would be determined in the outcome. The
song fit that theme perfectly.
Today the belief that Gods truth
is the basis of sound politics has become a very dangerous position to take. Those who cry out
the truth of God are being persecuted for proclaiming the same principles for which
hundreds of thousands of union soldiers died for just over a hundred years ago. But as this great hymn proclaims, His truth
is marching on. Countless Union
troops died to uphold that fact. Today we can
live for it!
is a subsidiary of Wigtune Company, formed as a service to the body of Christ. Our vision is to encourage scriptural worship in the Church by offering free praise music and hymns performed in a contemporary manner along with a free on-line worship study book for personal devotions, Bible study groups, Sunday schools, pastors, music ministers and ministry training. The worship study book lends theological and historical support to the use of traditional Christian hymn-singing in conjunction with praise chorus singing. Click on one of the links below to enter into the Wigtune resource that interests you !
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Patriotic Hymns 1
| Patriotic Hymns 2
Christmas Hymns
1 | Christmas Hymns 2 | Christmas
Hymns 3 | Christmas Hymns 4
Hymns 1 | Hymns 2 | Hymns 3 | Hymns
4 | Hymns 5 | Hymns 6 | Hymns 7 | Hymns 8 | Hymns
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