Worship Pastor / Composer Travis L. Boyd & wife, Cynthia, sharing faith, inspiration, & discipleship resources, plus music & more for worship ministry. * We also provide info about Worship Sounds Music, found at the links to our Publishers & Distributors ~ Choral Anthems * Solos * Orchestrations * Worship Songs * Accompaniment Trax (See blog sidebar)
Click this image to go to our Worship Sounds Music website.
At Worship Sounds Music, we have an entire playlist of video demos for our anthem options that are songs of Praise and Thanksgiving!
From the easy to learn 2-part arrangement of “Since I Have Been Redeemed” (also available in SATB w/ Solo Throughout and in SATB with optional 1st verse solo, sung by The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma in TTBB) to the SSATB arrangement of “One Like Me” (sung by The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma in SSAA), every difficulty level is represented. (With a wide variety of voicings as well) Some the anthems are written in a lyrical, ballad or hymn-like style, like the lovely creation hymn medley “The Father’s Beautiful World” and the majestic anthem, “Greater” (available in SSATB and SSAA, sung and recorded by the Jubalheirs). Other anthems are more up-beat and syncopated, such as the jazzy SATB anthem, “Don’t Let the Rocks Cry Out” and the contemporary praise anthem, “For the Glory of God” (available in SATB, SSAA, and TTBB, with optional Full Orchestration or Accompaniment Track also available, also sung by The Jubalheirs). There are anthems for all of your choirs: Adult Choir “The Theme of Our Praise), Student Choir (“A Joyful Doxology”, in SAB), and Senior Adult Choir (“Thank You for the Journey”). Some of our anthems have well-loved hymn texts set to beautiful new melodies, such as the SATB “O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”.
We invite you to take a few minutes to listen to the audio of voice parts and piano accompaniment as you view the music for our anthems with our Video Demo playlist on the Travis L. Boyd / Worship Sounds Music YouTube channel.
PLEASE VIEW PLAYLIST IN FULLSCREEN MODE TO SEE LYRICS BEST. Please use “Back” and “Forward” arrows (on the YouTube toolbar at the bottom, between play/pause arrow and speaker icon) to go to the Next Video or Previous Video if desired.
* Our anthems are the work of Music and Worship Minister and Composer Travis L. Boyd, who has published anthems with Lorenz Music, Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard, Choristers Guild, Lifeway, and Broadman.
* Many of our anthems have Full Orchestrations available. Included in the bundled PDF’s are a Director’s Score, String Reduction for keyboard, and reproducible parts for Strings, Winds, and Percussion.
* Many of our anthems have Accompaniment Tracks available, sent as an Mp3 download.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Composer Travis L. Boyd.
Thank you for your time and for your consideration of our music! We consider it an honor to serve Ministers of Music and Worship and Church Choral Directors with the hope that we can provide support and resources for your Worship Ministry through this blog and through our music.
Blessings to you in your life and ministry,
Travis L. Boyd
Worship Sounds Music
Worship Sounds Music Blog Blessings of Faith. Songs of Worship, Life of Joy!
“Let the Trumpet Sound” is a choral anthem with a classical sound and a trumpet obbligato throughout.
This majestic, joyful, and celebratory anthem works well as the opening song for a worship service or concert (or for general use). It has been sung in an SSAA arrangement by The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, under the direction of Dr. Bill Green.
Click the photo above to go directly to our WorshipSounds Music website!
As always, our PDF Master Copy of the anthem is available in either full page or octavo format. With our easy and quick e-mail delivery of your download instructions and the convenience of PayPal, you could begin working on the “Let the Trumpet Sound” at your next choir rehearsal.
* The PDF Master Copy is available for $15.00.
* Permission is given with purchase to make as many copies as needed(for your choir and accompanists only).
* THERE IS NO ‘per copy’ FEE!
* $15.00 IS ALL THAT YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL THE COPIES YOU NEED!
If a copy becomes lost or damaged, print another at no extra cost, even if it has been years since your purchase!* No waiting for your anthem to arrive by mail!
* You will be sent instructions for downloading your Master Copy shortly after your order has been placed.
* You can print your copies as soon as your download is complete.
(Wait a few minutes after your order to allow for Paypal processing. Then, check for your e-mail with download instructions.)
If you have any difficulty, contact us immediately at Travis’ web mail address: Travis@worshipsounds.com (same webmail address that is on our website’s home page).
Click photo to go directly to the Video Demo for this anthem, with a link to the Adult Choir website page below in the Video info.
Look for this identifying thumbnail photo on our Adult Choir website page, where the anthems are listed in alphabetical order (with the exception of our Christmas anthems, which are found at the bottom of the page.) http://www.worshipsounds.com
The trumpet obbligato is free but must be ordered separately on our WorshipSounds Music website’s Shopping Cart page. You’ll find the obbligato adjacent to the “Let the Trumpet Sound” Anthem PDFs, with the same identifying thumbnail photo.
With WorshipSounds Music, you can purchase any NEW CHORAL ANTHEM and have all of the copies you need(for your choir and accompanists) for as little as $8.oo to $15.00 plus your printing costs, depending upon which anthem you choose(U.S. currency, Paypal converts).
Our goal at WorshipSounds Music is to make it possible for Choral Directors to purchase anthems for choir and ensembles, anthem orchestrations, and music for soloists that will allow the musicicans in your Church or Christian School to sing and play for God’s glory, sharing a message that will draw hearts to Him. We believe that Choral Music is an important part of Worship Ministry and that messages can be shared through the ministry of a choir that will not have the same impact if shared in any other way.
We are a friend to Worship Ministry in general, to Choral Music in particular, and to music budgets!
We also offer many choral anthems that are fully orchestrated, with orchestrations costing $25.00 or $30.00. All of our orchestration include all parts for strings, winds, and percussion, a full score, and a string reduction for keyboard. They are written to be practical for church musicians and to sound wonderful no matter what your group’s instrumentation may be. Great care is taken during the arranging process to make certain that the instrumental parts complement the message of the anthem without “covering up” the choir.
You will find excellent choral music that is meaningful and memorable, that has a Biblically sound message of praise and hope, and that is a joy to sing!
Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/
Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.
Click the photo above to go directly to our WorshipSounds Music website!
Travis has added a new orchestration to the WorshipSounds Music website! The Director of a large choral group which is singing Travis’ modern hymn and choral arrangement of “A Prayer for the Saints” in TTBB voicing requested a full orchestration for his group. The new orchestration for “A Prayer for the Saints” was added to our website this morning. Like all of Travis’ orchestrations, it is written to be practical for church orchestras as far as difficulty level and to work well with Church Orchestras with varying instrumentation. Travis is always very careful to make sure that the instrumental parts complement the choral arrangement well without covering up the choir. He has had more than one Director remark about the fact that his Orchestrations are very well written in that they enhance the choral parts without overwhelming them.
The Sons of Jubal in concert at First Baptist Church of Lilburn, Georgia, under the direction of Dr. Jon Duncan
“A Prayer for the Saints” is a through composed modern hymn that voices a prayer of longing to draw near to the Lord. It essentially puts into words the desires of the heart for every Christian who wants to walk more closely with the Lord and live in a way that glorifies Him. The TTBB anthem arrangement was selected by Sons of Jubal Director, Dr. Jon Duncan, as the theme song for this year’s annual Sons of Jubal retreat in January, 2012. “A Prayer for the Saints” is also in the current repertoire of The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, directed by Dr. Randy Lind. On our website, we currently have available the anthem arrangment of this hymn in SATB and TTBB Voicings, the full Orchestration, and a Worship Pak, which includes hymnal or bulletin size reproducible hymn sheets, a Vocal Solo/congregational arrangment with piano accompaniment, and lead sheets for rhythm section.
Look for this identifying thumbnail photo on the website. It will help you locate the song more quickly on the Adult Choir page. Additionally, each of the items associated with this anthem on our shopping cart page have the same identifying photo.
Worship Sounds Music Blog Blessings of Faith. Songs of Worship, Life of Joy!
“For the Glory of God” is a choral anthem written by Travis L. Boyd, which can currently be found on our website’s Adult Choir music page in SATB, SSAA, and TTBB voicings. There is also a full orchestration available for this anthem. “For the Glory of God” features gently syncopated verses which lyrically extol the character and person of our great God, along with a strong chorus that begins with a statement of who God is in our lives, leading into an “Alleluia” section that ends with a description of our praise for Him and a re-statement of the reason for our praise. This anthem is in the current repertoire of the Georgia Baptist Convention’s Jubalheirs, under the direction of Dr. Jon Duncan
First Baptist Church of Dublin, Georgia
A SONG STORY “For the Glory of God” has been a demonstration of love that began as a desire to glorify God while also encouraging the heart of a Georgia Minister of Worship. Travis was contacted by some people who were active members of the Chancel Choir at First Baptist Church of Dublin, Georgia. They wanted to commission an anthem in honor of the 25th Anniversary of service to the Lord and to their congregation by their Minister of Worship and Music, Dick Burrell. It was the desire of these good people to encourage the heart of this dear servant of God through a worship song that could be sung by the choir on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary and would also then be sung by countless churches all around the world for the glory of God. Travis normally takes as inspiration for any commission work the favorite scripture and favorite hymn title of the person or group the song is being written for. In this case, there were no specifics given along these lines. Travis was told that Dick likes rhythmic choral anthems. Of course, the ultimate purpose of the piece would be to bring glory to God while also being a personal expression of love and encouragement from the choir members to their Director and Minister of Worship, who had served faithfully for many years and had recently lost his dear wife, Vicki.
The First Baptist, Dublin, ministry team did a great job pulling off the surprise for our brother Dick Burrell. What a great testimony of love from these people, who began working on this surprise months in advance. I know that brother Dick and all of their church would join with Travis and myself in praying that this song will go on to touch and reach hearts that we will not know on this side of Heaven. Here is the thank you
e-mail that brother Dick sent to Travis on Monday, Jan. 9th, 2012, after he been surprised with the anthem the day before:
Dick Burrell leading in worship, with the FBC Dublin Chancel Choir
“Dear Travis,
Thank you so much for the anthem, For the Glory of God. The Chancel Choir (over 40 voices yesterday) sang it in our morning worship. They had rehearsed whenever I was out of town at our church and other times when I was in town at either Pine Forest Methodist or FUMC. They did a wonderful job. Our pianist was a piano performance major at Shorter in the early 70’s and did post grad work at the Mozarteum in Austria. They all got such a kick out of keeping this from me—-I had no clue. I look forward to a bit later working on it with them and doing the anthem again. You may not know that the Jubals sang God Is Faithful at my sweet Vicki’s memorial service last March, so, it was most appropriate that they commissioned you to compose the anthem for my 25th anniversary.
“For the Glory of God,” like all of Travis’ anthems, is written to be performed with or without the full orchestration. The piano part is supportive, and chord symbols are included on the music for a rhythm section. The orchestration is written to be practical for church orchestra and will work with a wide variety of instrumentation, though all of the parts are available for full instrumentation. Travis is always careful in the writing of an orchestration to allow the orchestra to meaningfully enhance the performance of the anthem but also to make sure that the choir is not “covered up” when the orchestra plays. You will be more than happy with the results of this attention to detail and to the communication of the message.
“For the Glory of God” is available on our website’s adult choir page @ http://www.worshipsounds.com You purchase the PDF master copy in your choice of full page or octavo format for $15.00, and then you are allowed to make an unlimited number of copies (for your own choir and rhythm section only). The orchestration, which includes parts for all instruments, a full score, and a string reduction for keyboard, is $30.00.
“For the Glory of God” can be found on our Worship Sounds Music website, on the Adult Choir music page. http://www.worshipsounds.com
Or, to view the VIDEO DEMO without going to the website, “For the Glory of God,” go to: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=419798804706616&saved
There is a link to the website page within the information for the video demo, so you can still get to the page for purchase if desired.
Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/
Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about a relationship to God through Jesus Christ or about life and eternity.
“Much More Than a Song” was written as a result of a time of uncertainty and re-examination of priorities and truths in Travis’ life. This time period began with the desire to sing a song and continues with the desire to bring God glory through all of life. Several years ago, Travis was working on a powerful song that he planned to share as a solo at some point in the future. The song was quite wordy and vocally demanding. As Travis was singing the song over and over, trying to memorize all of those lyrics, he began to experience some vocal problems. It was not unusual for him to have some allergy related congestion that affected his voice a couple of times every year, but this problem was obviously more serious than that. Although he was not experiencing any allergy problems at that time, his voice was greatly affected, and he had significant pain when he tried to sing. After the problem persisted and worsened, Travis did go to the doctor and to see a specialist about his voice. He learned that all of his demanding vocal rehearsing had caused some damage to the vocal mechanism and created some strain and inflammation. He was going to have to rest his voice and allow the damage to heal. This was very difficult news for a Minister of Music and Worship. He had no idea how long it would take for healing to occur or even whether the healing would be complete. In other words, he didn’t know whether his voice would ever be fully restored. Would it be as strong as before? Would he still have the same vocal range? Would there be any changes to his vocal tone or breaks in his range? All of these were unanswered questions.
Travis prayed and waited and rested his voice, hoping to regain the full use of his voice but realizing that there was a possibility that he might not be able to sing in the same way that he had before this problem occured. As in any season of uncertainty and waiting on the Lord, Travis had an opportunity to re-examine his priorities and his own philosophy of living a life that glorifies the Lord. He knew that leading God’s people in worship through music was not the only way that God could use his life. Even though his passion for leading worship remained strong, Travis came to the point where he was willing to do whatever the Lord would have him do. He was very aware that he could still live a life of seeking to bring glory to God, no matter what happened with his voice. God gave Travis a song to express what He had been teaching Travis through the experience of losing what had formerly been one of Travis’ most important ministry tools. That song was “Much More Than a Song”.
Through this experience, God gave the blessing of a song; but the lessons of the spirit that Travis gained were even more valuable. It’s hard to put them all into words, but I will try:
Worship is more than a song.
Worship is more than any particular form of expression.
Worship is more than giving your best to God. It’s being willing to give up your best and still give what you have left to God.
Worship is a passionate pursuit of God’s glory.
Worship may be expressed through what we do, but the act of worship never consists of any outward expression. True worship always exists in the desire of the heart to bring Glory to God.
If I have ever truly worshipped God before a loss or a change in my life, I cannot allow such a change to alter my heart.
“Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised…” Psalm 96:3 &4a
Worship is a 24/7 attitude of the heart, a recognition of God’s supremacy and majesty that results in a constant desire to bring Him glory through my life.
“Much More Than a Song” words and music by Travis L. Boyd, copyright WorshipSounds Music is available on our website as a vocal solo or as an SATB choral anthem. There is also a full orchestration available, which can be used to accompany either a choir or a soloist. You’ll find the solo version on our home page and the choral version on our Adult Choir music page, where you can click on our unique video demo link to see and hear the music simultaneously at http://www.worshipsounds.com
“Much More Than a Song” has been included in the repertoire of The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, then under the direction of Dr. Bill Green.
“Much More Than a Song” has been part of the repertoire of the Georgia Baptist Convention’s Jubalheirs, under the direction of Dr. Jon Duncan (a large choral group consisting of women who are active in music ministry from all over the state of Georgia).
The Jubalheirs also recorded “Much More Than a Song” on their CD entitled “New Every Morning.” For more information about this group and their ministry, see our post entitled, “Blessings Through Choosing to Praise God.” https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/blessings-through-choosing-to-praise/
Here’s my Sound Cloud recording of the Medium Voice Vocal Solo
(available on our website’s Home Page in the left sidebar)
* The sheet music PDF (with chord symbols) can be purchased for $5.00, with permission to make as many copies as needed for your Soloist and Accompanists or Rhythm Section.
* The Accompaniment Track is sent as an Mp3 download and includes the PDF for a full page lead sheet to assist you in learning the song. The cost for the Mp3 and lead sheet is $10.00.
The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make! The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation. Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus. http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/
One of Travis’ best loved choral anthems is “God is Faithful.” This song will always be very special to us as well. “God is Faithful” has been recorded as the title song on CDs by both The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma (then under the direction of Dr. Bill Green) and the Georgia Baptist Convention’s Sons of Jubal (Dr. Jon Duncan, Director). It has also been recorded as a solo on individual CD projects and sung all over the world by church choirs, by the choral groups already mentioned, and also by The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma. In addition, the women’s choirs who sang in Australia while their Singing Churchmen friends and spouses were there for a mission trip in 2003 sang “God is Faithful” in all the churches where they ministered in the Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane areas (see a story about “God is Faithful” in Australia near the end of this post). Dozens of individuals have taken the time to express to Travis how much the message of “God is Faithful” has meant in their lives; but before the song was heard by anyone else or was published by Lorenz Music, it was a tender message from our loving God to encourage the hearts of Travis and Cindy Boyd.
Note: Scroll down to the end of this post if you are looking for product information about the Song, Choral Anthem, Accompaniment/Performance Track, or Anthem Orchestration, which are available through the publisher, Lorenz, as well as other music distributors. (Click the distributor links in our blog’s side bar to see what Travis L. Boyd products they offer.)
God’s promise
A lot of things were going on in our family and in our lives at the time that “God is Faithful” was written. God had called us to a new place of service. Our daughter was in high school, and our son was still in pre-school; and yet we left behind all 4 grandparents to move to the Church in Eastern Oklahoma which had just called Travis as their Minister of Worship. We had moved from one side of the state of Oklahoma to the other and three and a half hours away from our parents. It had been difficult to leave the only full-time church Travis had ever served where we were geographically very near our extended family, but that’s not the only reason the move was challenging. We were concerned about how our daughter would adjust to the move, we were leaving behind many very close friends whom we still love and miss, and we were leaving a community that had always been very special to us. It was the town where I grew up from third grade on, the town where I graduated from high school, the community where Travis and I had both gone to college, where we had met and married; and we’d both graduated from the University there. Our roots were deep in the community, and we knew and loved so many people there. We also loved our Church and our church family, and it was the church that Travis had longed to serve for many years before being called as their Minister of Music and Worship. The Pastor of the Church we were leaving had not been there very long, and Travis had enjoyed serving with him and with all of the other staff members and support staff at the Church.
Of course, every time that God has called Travis to a new place of service, we have always felt a mixture of emotions. Facing the task of leaving a Church and people that we loved, moving to a new place, and dealing with the unknown was always challenging, heart-breaking, exciting, both joyful for the new opportunity and sad to be moving on, and even a little scary. Intellectually and spiritually, we’ve always known that God would be with us wherever we were. Hovever, sometimes through the years, we’ve had to remind ourselves of this comforting truth. Following the heart-felt welcomes and the initial settling in process in the new home, community and Church, real life adjustments still need to be made after any move. As I’ve voiced to Travis in such times, it sometimes feels as though “we are so far away from everyone who really loves us”. Again, we do know that God’s presence is with us; but as human beings we still long for the joy of familiarity and the comfort of being known. Newness certainly doesn’t mean that we are loved any less, even by the ‘new’ church family. It sometimes just feels that way because we are human. [May God continually remind us what it feels like to long for home, to deal with uncertainty, and to step out on faith even when it’s heart-breaking or difficult to move on. He longs for us to have compassion for the people all around us, people who struggle with change and difficulty and loneliness. We can express His love and grace through a smile, a kind word, an act of compassion, and a warm welcome.]
In addition to the monumental changes that a major move brings, Travis and I were dealing with other issues that were of great concern around this time period. The house we were leaving behind and trying to sell in western Oklahoma was the third house that Travis and I had owned in our 21 years of marriage. Up to that point, it seemed that the timing had always been wrong for us to come out well on the sale of a home. The first home that we bought was in Texas. At the time when God called us to a new place of service a few years later, our Texas builder was adding an entirely new section of homes to our neighborhood. The new streets had sidewalks. There was a community playground in the new part of the neighborhood. Furthermore, the new homes were selling for about the same price we had hoped to get for our home. Of course, we had to come way down on our price in order to sell, and still the home languished on the market for months as the new homes were marketed and sold by developers. By God’s grace, we did manage to hang on, but we did not come out well on the sale of the home. When Travis was called to a new place of service the next time, we had to sell our second purchased home in central Oklahoma. We hoped to come out better because we had added more livable square footage to the home by completing an unfinished bonus room over the garage. However, just as we were preparing to make the move, the United States Government released their list of military bases that were in danger of being closed. The nearby military base was on the list. Eventually, the government revealed that the local base would not be closed. It was removed from the base closings list and is still a functioning Air Force base today, but its future was in doubt during the entire time that our home was on the market. As a result of the uncertainty and the possibility of losing the base, real estate values plummeted in our community and other nearby suburbs. Again, we were forced to take less that we should have been able to get for our home. A few months later, when the local base was removed from the list of potential closures, real estate values recovered; but the rebound was too late for us.
Now, during the time period surrounding the writing of “God is Faithful”, we needed to sell our third house, in western Oklahoma; and, once again, the circumstances were not great. When we had moved into the community, we had rented a 3 bedroom duplex, where we planned to stay until we sold our central Oklahoma home and found a home we wanted to purchase. A few months later, our landlady contacted us and told us that one of her family members had a life crisis and needed the duplex. She was giving us a month’s notice and wanted us to move out. We began looking at everything that was available. Our central Oklahoma home had sold by then, but the lower price due to the uncertainty of the base closing list had drastically limited our options. In addition, the Western Oklahoma community to which we’d just moved was experiencing a major housing shortage at that time. It was a big enough deal to be featured in articles in the Daily Oklahoman (state newpaper) and even in video on Oklahoma City’s statewide broadcast of the evening news. The Mayor of the community was featured in one report. He had sold his home and could not find another to buy, so he was living in a local hotel. The options were so limited that our family of four was very close to having to move into a hotel as well, with a 13 year old daughter and a 4 month old son. We looked at everything that was available, which wasn’t much.
In the end, the only option we had (other than living in a hotel) was a 3 bedroom home where the single car garage had been turned into a small room (a very poorly done renovation). The only things we liked about the house were that it was a roof over our heads and that our daughter and son each had their own bedroom. Everything else was dismal. We moved in just after Thanksgiving. It was our first Christmas at the new, western Oklahoma Church, we had an event to go to every night from December 1st to December 22nd, and our lives were in total turmoil. We had worked on cleaning the house for a week as we prepared to move in, while my parents took care of our children. The whole house reeked of cat urine. Walls and doors, and even cabinets (inside and out) were splattered with what looked like dried plum jam, but we never did figure out what the splatter really was. We scrubbed and scrubbed. I had to give up nursing our 4 month old son because we were cleaning on the house from morning until bedtime that whole week, and it was too filthy to bring the children into. I scraped the bathroom floors with a razor blade to get all of the crud off, and every surface in the house was just that filthy. We rented a machine and cleaned the carpets…twice. They still reeked. Travis was fixing things that were broken as well as cleaning. It was a mess. After we’d moved in, about 3 days went by before the sinks began to back up and toilets began to overflow. We had plumbers out to the house 6 times the first month and a half that we lived there (all during the Christmas season!). They even brought in “the big machine” to unclog our pipes, but the plumbing problems weren’t completely solved until we finally replaced the toilets in both the full bath and the half bath. In all the 3 years that we lived in that house, we were constantly having to fix and replace things (exterior siding, the furnace and air conditioning units, storm doors, dishwasher, water heater, disposal, etc.). The list went on and on. We had to take a second mortgage to pay for all the needed fix ups; and later on, we had to take out a third loan for the new heat and air units. So, by the time we made this move to Eastern Oklahoma, we had been through the wringer financially. We’d even had to come up with an I.O.U. idea for Christmas for our daughter, which we called a “Santa coupon”, and that’s what she got 3 Christmases out of the 4 that we spent in that home (1993 – ’96). We were now going to have to try to get enough out of that house to pay all 3 loans off; and after several months without a sale, even though the house was described by our realtor as “immaculate”, it was becoming apparent that we were going to take a big hit on this house as well. Travis was really concerned. God had worked a miracle to get us into a brand new home in Eastern Oklahoma, so we did have a wonderful break from the constant home fix ups for a while, but we didn’t know if we could keep handling the payments on the new home if we had to keep paying on loans from our western Oklahoma house even after it sold. The months dragged on, and the house didn’t sell until October after we’d moved in January. At one point, church members from our new Church helped by making part of the payment on the Western Oklahoma house for about 4 months; so we were very thankful that basic needs were met (but still barely surviving). It was during this time period of adjustment, uncertainty, and financial hardship that God gave Travis the message of “God is Faithful”.
“God is Faithful” was one of those songs that just seemed to be born in a moment of inspiration. Travis says that the whole song seemed to come to him at once and calls it “very much a God thing,” meaning that God gave the song. It was a message that we needed desperately at the time that God gave the song through Travis; and it was a message that we would need even more over the next few years, as we dealt with many events such as the loss of both of our fathers and of our own unborn child, some of our daughter’s struggles, and other things. Some of the words would come to life even more vividly as we experienced different circumstances in our lives through the years. In some ways, it has seemed to us that the message of “God is Faithful” has been to us both a message for a particular time and a message for all the times to come. There were things ahead of us that we didn’t know about, but God knew. He was re-assuring us with the message of His faithfulness, even before we knew how much greater our need for that encouragement would become at times. But, even though the song has been very personal for us, it has touched many other lives. Travis feels that he was just the vehicle that God used to share the message of His faithfulness with those who have been blessed by “God is Faithful.”
Dr. Bill Green, who was then the Director of both The Singing Churchmen and The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, was one of the first people to hear “God is Faithful.” Travis played it for him during a summer time meeting in Oklahoma City. Brother Bill wanted to use the anthem with both choral groups, so Travis was asked to create an SSAA arrangement and a TTBB arrangement. He also did an orchestration for the Churchmen’s instrumental ensemble. “God is Faithful” was in the repertoire of both groups for several years. During that time period, Brother Bill also sent the anthem to Mary McDonald at Lorenz Music. Mary loved it, and it became Travis’ 4th choral anthem published by Lorenz (the first of his Lorenz anthems published by their Monarch Division, with others to follow). The SATB anthem is still available through Lorenz (See links below), as is the orchestration and the performance/accompaniment CD. Although many churches probably still have and use the published octavos, there are other churches that use Travis’ self-copyrighted copies from before the anthem was published. So many of the Ministers of Worship in the Churchmen wanted to use “God is Faithful” with their choirs that Travis did quite a bit of self-publishing before the song was accepted for publication.
Whatever methods God has used to expand the reach of “God is Faithful”, Travis and I are just thankful that the message of this song has meant as much to others as it has meant for us. The most important truth to which we can cling in difficult times is that God is faithful! Circumstances don’t always work out as we had hoped, but God’s faithfulness is always there. In fact, we did have to continue to pay on the heating and air conditioner loan for over 2 years after selling our western Oklahoma home. Somehow, God provided. The publication of “God is Faithful” and other songs even became part of that provision for our needs.
In 2012, we still have 6 boys at home, five of whom are currently in Elementary School. As a result of circumstances in the past 4 years, we have started over again as far as acquiring equity in a home. Our most recent home sale, after we’d moved to Georgia, took over a year and was completed in 2009 during the worst recession since the Great Depression. The home in eastern Oklahoma, where we’d lived for 12 years, updating and adding a room addition, sold for far less than it would have before the recession began. We could choose to dwell on the losses that we have sustained, but there is no point in that. We know that in each situation, what appears to be bad timing was really God’s timing. He has called Travis to each new place of service very clearly, and He has been faithful to meet our basic needs in spite of economic conditions and other external factors. God’s faithfulness is not thwarted by the ups and downs of the stock market or housing values. His faithfulness is not limited to the specific circumstances that surrounded the writing of this song or any song. Just as God is eternal, His faithfulness is eternal; and it continues as He continues. God is a keeper of promises, and He is faithful!
So, remember…
“When you find it hard to understand
And you’re just not sure you have the strength
To do all God commands…
When the task seems overwhelming,
You can rest within His hands.
For the One who called you is faithful!
God is faithful.
He will not forget His own.
God is faithful.
He’ll never leave you all alone.
He’s right beside you,
Waiting to guide you,
For the one who called you is faithful.
God is faithful!
He is always there when human eyes can’t see…
So aware of all your hurts and all your deepest needs!
God is faithful! He will not forget His own.
My God is faithful!
He’ll never leave you all alone.
He’s right beside you,
Waiting to guide you,
For the One who called you is faithful.
God is faithful!”
Lyrics to “God is Faithful” by Travis L. Boyd, SATB Choral anthem and Orchestration, Copyright 2003, Lorenz Publishing Company, a division of the Lorenz Corporation
Self-published copies of the SSAA, TTBB, and SATB octavos and the Orchestration that pre-date the Lorenz publications, Copyright Travis L. Boyd
Here, you will be able to click the listening link (music notes) and then immediately click the sample pages link (Adobe icon) to allow you to listen to the professional studio demo recording of the anthem while you view the music.
To returen to this blog, please use the ‘back’ arrow
“GOD IS FAITHFUL” IN AUSTRALIA!
OUR GOD IS FAITHFUL EVERY DAY AND EVERYWHERE!
Here is a testimony of a specific circumstance in which God used the message of His faithfulness through “God is Faithful” to bless and encourage. In 2003, over 300 people went to Australia for an incredible mission trip. The main performing group was The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma. The group gave concerts in serveral large and well-known venues, such as the Sydney Opera House, and then split into smaller groups to minister in local churches. Over 90 of the people on this trip were the wives of the Churchmen; and for the first time ever on a Churchmen mission trip, there were enough of us to form 2 women’s choirs, which ministered in Churches and even in a pineapple canning factory during our time in Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane.
The women’s choir that I was in, directed by Singing Churchmen member Tyrone Smith, sang at Annerley Baptist Church, near Brisbane, on Sunday morning, May 11th, 2003, which was Australia’s Mother’s Day. Although the Singing Churchmen were no longer singing “God is Faithful”, the two womens’ choirs were singing an SSAA arrangement of the song. I had been asked to sing the solo on “God is Faithful,” and I had done so during the Worship Service that day.
Our womens’ choir rehearses at Annerley with director Tyrone Smith prior to the service (minus a few members who were taking pictures of the group)
Later on, during the fellowship meal after the service, a woman approached me. She told me that her name was Noela (pronounced Nola), and that she was not a member of Annerley Baptist Church and did not live in Brisbane. She said that she was only at the church that morning because it was Mother’s Day. She and her husband had driven from their home 2 and a half hours away to be there with his Mother. Noela confessed that she almost did not make the trip to visit her Mother-In-Law. She explained that she had been fighting cancer and that she was feeling discouraged.
A lovely lady with a beautiful smile, Noela spoke with a radiant faith as she said, “I believe that I am here today by Divine appointment.”
However, she did feel an urging from the Spirit of God to come to Brisbane; and, with her husband’s encouragement, she made the trip. She told me that she now felt it was a divine appointment for her to be there. Noela said that the message of God’s faithfulness had come across to her so clearly as she listened to “God is Faithful” that she knew why we were there on that day and why God had prompted her to come. Several of us talked with Noela as long as we could, and it was an amazing conversation. God had so touched her and encouraged her heart through the message of His faithfulness that she seemed radiant with faith in His goodness and faithfulness to her, and Noela in turn became an encouragement to all of us. It was a very brief encounter, but I will never forget it.
I can think of many times when God has also touched my heart with His love and encouragement, just as he touched Noela’s heart. Comfort or encouragement can come through a kind word, a prayer, a song, a note, a sermon, a scripture passage or verse, and certainly through God’s presence within us and as revealed to us through the kindness and compassion of others. God is faithful to Noela, He is faithful to me, and He is faithful to you! Be encouraged today as you thank Him for His faithfulness! Encourage others as well. Never forget that God is faithful!
Pray for the people of Australia and of Annerley Baptist Church. Their Pastor, Brother Jim Johnston, retired at the end of 2012 after 16 and a half years of service there. The people there were so kind, providing corsages for each of the women in our choir, plus a single red rose (mindful of the fact that mothers were being honored and that we had left our families to come). They had prepared a meal for us and were so friendly as we shared time together that day. What a blessing it was to be in the midst of Christian brothers and sisters who live on the other side of the world and to feel so welcome and at home. 🙂
Annerley Baptist Church Pastor, Brother Jim Johnston, and our womens’ choir Director, Tyrone Smith
Thank you for spending your valuable time reading the contents of this page. We hope that it has been helpful to you. If you or someone that you know is looking for answers about life, we hope that you will visit our page called “Do You Know Jesus?”. The links provided on this page will help to answer life’s deepest questions. Here is the link to “Do You Know Jesus?”: http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/
Please feel free to share this URL with anyone who is looking for answers about life and eternity.
Here is a Youtube video of singer Debra Eden’s solo version of “God is Faithful,” recorded on Debra’s CD entitled, “It Was Love.” The video was put together with the recording by Debra’s sister. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIdfLJOo3q8
*** THE PASADENA TABERNACLE SONGSTERS *** The testimony of others can be uplifting and encouraging to believers. That’s really our main task… our mission… to share the good news about the love of God, His gift of salvation, and how He continues in relationship with His children, at work in our lives in ways that we often don’t even see. We must share these truths and the difference that knowing Him has made in our lives with those who don’t know the Lord and also with each other. We never know how the Lord may use our personal salvation or faith walk story in the lives of others. As Christians, sometimes the testimonies that help to strengthen our faith walk are from people that we know personally. At other times, we may read them in a book or magazine, hear them on the radio, in a movie or television show… or even in a song!
The group in this photo takes the mission of sharing their testimony of faith very seriously. They are the Pasadena Tabernacle Songsters from the Salvation Army’s Pasadena, CA, Tabernacle. This group has recorded several CD’s and does a major mission trip every year. They recorded Travis’ SAB Anthem, “Children of Light,” (published by Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard) on their “New Day” CD just prior to a mission trip to Australia and New Zealand. The CD is still available at this link: http://www.tabsongsters.org/previous.html , along with their current CD, “Amazing Grace” and several other previous CDs. Travis’ anthem, “Children of Light” is song #12 on the “New Day” CD (yellow cover), and the text is a perfect description of the testimony of this group: “Saved by grace, walking in faith, following Jesus Christ…we are the children of Light!”
Here is the audio from my Sound Cloud of the Pasadena Tabernacle Songsters’ recording of “Children of Light”. Although this anthem has also been recorded by others, the Pasadena Tabernacle Songsters are the only group which has recorded the song with the full Orchestration. Because the Publisher, Shawnee Press, had not requested or published an Orchestration, the group’s director contacted Travis and commissioned him to write a Full Orchestration for this recording and for all of the times that the song has been shared on mission trips and in their home church. (See the note about availablility below.)
Note: The Orchestration heard on the Pasadena Tabernacle Songsters’ recording of “Children of Light”, commissioned by the Choir’s Director specifically for their recording project and mission trip repertoire, remains unpublished. Travis contacted the publisher after finishing the Orchestration to see if they wanted to publish it. However, the publisher declined. It is, unfortunately, not available for purchase since the song is under Shawnee Press / Hal Leonard copyright and the commissioned orchestration is owned by the group (though they were willing for it to be published).
The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make! The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation. Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus. http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/
Worship Sounds Music 