Praise and Worship Music to Bless God. . .
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Tis So Sweet To Trust in JesusO Worship the KingI Know that My Redeemer Lives
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Check out this powerful Southern Cross song! 
Music to touch your
spirit. . .
"I might
not be a religious man myself but I know good music when I hear it, and this is very
good! . . . I don’t 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
Tis So Sweet To Trust in
Jesus
”Tis so
sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take
Him at His word,
Just to rest
upon His promise,
Just to know,
“Thus saith the Lord.”
Jesus, Jesus,
how I trust Him!
How I’ve
proved Him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus,
precious Jesus!
O for grace to
trust Him more!
O how sweet to
trust in Jesus,
Just to trust
His cleansing blood,
Just in simple
faith to plunge me
“Neath the
healing, cleansing flood!
Yes, ‘tis
sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just sin and
self to cease,
Just from Jesus
simply taking
Life and rest
and joy and peace.
I’m so
glad I learned to trust Him,
Precious Jesus,
Savior, Friend,
And I know that
He is with me,
Will be with
me to the end.
Arrangement Copyright © 2000 Don Wigton
Peacefully a
deep cello accompanies a chorus of dark, resonate strings comforting us with the peace
that can be found in trusting Him. Gently a
flute shares the melody with a light piano intertwining and assuring us of the truth of
God’s Word. . .He is our Friend and Provider.
Song Story
The words to
this moving praise hymn was written by Louisa Stead.
Even as a teenager, she felt called to become a missionary. She went to America
around age 21, and lived for a while in Cincinnati, Ohio. Attending a camp meeting in
Urbana, Ohio, she felt the missionary calling even more strongly, but was unable to go to
China as she wanted due to her frail health. In 1875 she married her beloved husband, Mr.
Stead.
Louisa Stead
and her husband were enjoying a relaxing day with their four-year-old daughter on a Long
Island beach when they heard the cry of a desperate child.
A boy was drowning. Louisa’s
husband attempted to rescue the child, but was pulled under the water in the attempt. Both boy and Mr. Stead died as Louisa and her
daughter watched.
Other than the
Lord Himself, Louisa had no means of support. She
along with her daughter fell into dire poverty as a result.
One morning, when she had neither funds nor food for he day, she opened the front
door and found that someone had left food and money on her doorsteps. It was that day that she wrote this hymn.
God
rewarded Louisa’s faithful trust in Him. Around
1880, she went to South Africa, and served as a missionary there some 15 years. She
remarried, to Robert Wodehouse of that country. She returned to America in 1895 to recover
her health, but once again went into missions in Rhodesia in 1901. Her daughter Lily
married D. A. Carson and became a missionary like her mother.
The
music was written by William Kirkpatrick. Son
of a school teacher and musician, Kirkpatrick grew up in a musical atmosphere. In 1854, he
went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to study music and learn a trade. He spent over three years as a carpenter but
was more interested in music than mechanics.
So, he devoted all his leisure time to its study, hoping to become a violinist.
In
1855, William joined the Wharton Street Methodist Episcopal Church in
Philadelphia. From then on he
devoted himself mostly to sacred music, giving his services to the choir
and Sunday school. There were few church organs in that day so his violin and
cello were in constant demand for choir rehearsals, singing societies,
and church programs. During this period of his life William wrote a number of
unpublished hymn tunes and anthems.
He
studied vocal music under Professor T. Bishop, then a leading oratorio and ballad
singer, and became a member of the Harmonia and Handel and Haydn Sacred Music Societies,
where he heard the greatest singers of the day and became familiar with the principal
choral works of the great composers. This
lead to his first published composition, “When the Spark of Life Is Waning,”
which appeared around 1858 in the Musical Pioneer in New York. He went on to
publish about 50 hymn collections, many in collaboration with John Robson Sweney.
This beautiful
hymn that he collaborated with Louisa Stead, “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,”
remains a timeless reminder and comfort to all believers who have experienced the
wonderful truth: “Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more.”
Those who trust
in Jesus rest in perfect peace. It was this
restful mood that I desired to communicate when I resolved on an instrumental arrangement
to this song. Somberly a deep cello
accompanies a chorus of resonate strings introducing the soft melody played on a sweet
flute. Soon, as the piano intertwines the
melody, a flute and cello duet ensues creating nuances of peace for the soul that trusts
in Him. As you listen to this song, think of
the dire circumstances that lead to its unveiling and know that you too can trust in the
Lord who will take care of your every need.
O
Worship the King
O worship the King, all glorious
above,
O gratefully sing His power and His
love;
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient
of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded
with praise.
O tell of His might, o sing of His
grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy
space;
His chariots of wrath the deep
thunderclouds form,
And dark is his path on the wings of
the storm.
The earth with its store of wonders
untold,
Almighty, Thy power hath founded of
old,
Hath
stablished its fast by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast, like a
mantle, the sea.
Thy bountiful care, what tongue can
recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in
the light;
It streams from the hills, it
descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills in the dew and
the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as
frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to
fail;
Thy mercies
how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.
Arrangement Copyright © 2000 Don Wigton
A commanding, but delicate piano subtly declares the majesty of
our King, Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend. . . .Robust strings fill air with praises
leading the worshippers of God to declare His glories
Song Story
This is an appropriate song title
composed by Sir Robert Grant who was very familiar with kings. His father was a member of the British parliament
and later became chairman of the East India Company.
Grant followed in his father’s footsteps.
When he was young he was elected to parliament and also became director of the East
India Company. He was appointed governor of
Bombay in1834 and was greatly loved during his service there. In face, a medical college in India was named in
his honor.
Grant based this hymn on psalm 104
which is a psalm of praise. Notice the
progression of the titles for God: Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend. We know god first as our Maker, our Creator. Then, even before our conversion, He is our
Defender, our Keeper from harm. After we are
saved we know Him as our Redeemer, our personal Savior from sin and its penalty. Finally, as we walk day, by day with our Lord, we
commune with Him and enjoy His Fellowship, It
is then that we know Him as our Friend.
In composing an arrangement for this song, it was my intention
to accentuate the piano. This is because, as
I was working our the chords to it, Vanessa was exceedingly moved by the piano playing. It has always been her advice that I focus on the
piano in my arrangements, so I wanted to make certain that was the direction that I went
in this case. I only added some light strings
to fill out the piece. The piano is the main
instrument, but God, our king, is the focal point. I
pray that as you listend to this piece that you are impressed with His majesty.
I
know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living Head.
He
lives to bless me with His love,
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed,
He lives to help in time of need.
He
lives triumphant from the grave,
He lives eternally to save,
He lives all glorious in the sky,
He lives exalted there on high.
He
lives to grant me rich supply,
He lives to guide me with His eye,
He lives to comfort me when faint,
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
He
lives to silence all my fears,
He lives to wipe away my tears
He lives to calm my troubled heart,
He lives all blessings to impart.
He
lives, my kind, wise, heavenly Friend,
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
He
lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death:
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.
He
lives, all glory to His Name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same.
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives,
I know that my Redeemer lives!
Arrangement Copyright © 1999 Don
Wigton
Savory lutes. .
.a tantalizing harpsichord. . .accompany a melodious flute as intertwining strings declare
the hope of Christianity. . .”He lives, He lives who once was dead. . .He lives my
ever living Head.”
Song
Story
The words to
this inspiring praise hymn were written by Samuel Medley.
After a starting out as an apprentice, Medley joined the British Royal Navy,
becoming a midshipman in 1755. He was wounded in battle off Port Lagos in 1759. It was during his recuperation that he heard a
sermon by Isaac Watts. In his distress, he
was converted to Christianity. Leaving the Royal Navy Medley studied for the ministry
under Dr. Gifford in London. In 1767, he became pastor at the Baptist church in Watford,
Herefordshire. Later in 1772, he began his ministry at Byron Street in Liverpool.
Medley wrote
several hymn. He based the words to this one
from the Book of Job, who lost his family, fortune and much of his health. In the midst of these terrible setbacks Job
expresses his one and only hope: “I know that my redeemer lives, and in the end He
will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25) These
words found their fulfillment in Jesus Christ and stand as and eternal testimony of the
work of our loving, living Lord and Savior.
Medley often
repeated words and phrases in his songs. In
this instance the dynamic statement “He lives. . .He lives. . .He lives” is
heard over-and-over again. Indeed, our God
lives and every Easter morning we all can proclaim “I know that my Redeemer
lives.”
This great hymn
of the resurrection of Christ has always stood as an inspiration to me. The words shake me to my very soul. So, I was filled with a strong desire to write an
instrumental arrangement that would do justice to this wonderful song of praise. I decided to go with a more Baroque style, using a
delicate lute-type sound with a harpsichord. Over
that various flutes and with a small string ensemble that were so common in the days of
Bach praise God with their intertwining melodies. I
pray that as you listen to the simplicity of this piece that you too will be inspired by
the simple fact that Jesus lives.
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encourage scriptural worship in the Church by offering free praise music and hymns
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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
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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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