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)
The Choral Guild of Atlanta is an organization with a long history of service and commitment to the cultural environment in the Atlanta area and beyond. In its 72nd year, the Choral Guild is a true community chorus, with membership open to anyone who meets musical qualifications. Their concert of May 6th, 2012 was titled “Georgia: The Past Meets the Present.” It featured choral settings of music from the Civil War era in the first half of the program and choral works by contemporary composers who have a connection to Georgia in the second program section. A few weeks before the concert, Travis was notified by Director Clair Maxwell that his anthem, “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” had been selected for inclusion in the second half of the program. Travis was also invited to attend the concert and to introduce the anthem, which was the first selection in the second half of the program.
Travis and I went to the May 6th afternoon concert without knowing exactly what to expect, although we did know that the chorus has a reputation for excellence. The concert was held in the Chapel of Northside Drive Baptist Church in Atlanta. It’s a great place for singing, with acoustics that enliven the sound without adding an echo. Our musical impressions were very favorable, and we really enjoyed the concert. Here is an excerpt from a post we placed on the Choral Guild’s facebook page so all of the membership could see it, thanking the group for the experience and for the honor of having one of Travis’ works performed:
“It was great to be able to join you for the afternoon concert. You sang (and conducted…and played) with sensitivity and artistry as you shared a variety of lyrical content. The emphasis on the value of various musical styles and genres was reflected in the eclectic nature of your program and in your attention to lyrical messages that were sometimes historical and sometimes literary or spiritual. My wife and I greatly enjoyed the concert, and I am honored that you chose to perform “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!’ and did so with excellence. We also enjoyed the opportunity to meet and talk with many of you in person. Blessings to you all as you continue to use your God-given talents and sing together with your Atlanta Choral Guild family.
Sincerely, Travis L. Boyd”
Even though all of the Choral Guild’s repertoire was very well performed, musical excellence was not the only impression that has stayed with us from the concert and the reception that followed. Our primary observation about the group is that they are a community of musicians who share a love for choral music, with all of the depth of relationship that the word “community” implies. For example, the following elements of community were very evident in the conversations that we were able to join:
* A community is a group of people who care about one another. It was obvious that many of the people in the Choral Guild have been members for a long time and have grown to love one another like an extended family.
* A community works together to accomplish common goals. Whether rehearsing for a concert, recording a CD, or touring around the world, the Choral Guild has obviously been working together to promote and enjoy choral music for many years.
* A community welcomes opportunities for growth and for new community members.
Through the eclectic and historical nature of their program, the premiere of a new work, the inclusion of contemporary composers, the opportunity for composers to be invited to attend the concert and introduce their works and then spend time in conversation with chorus members, other composers, and guests, the Choral Guild of Atlanta has demonstrated a desire to embrace both historical and contemporary music as well as works in various styles and with both sacred and secular texts. Their website offers audition information for anyone wishing to become a member of the Atlanta Choral Guild. From our experience, I am sure that along with becoming a representative of the organization and a member of the chorus comes a membership that is of even higher importance: inclusion in a community of committed volunteers who are doing their part to see that choral music remains an important cultural force and a viable and valuable form of musical expression.
This photo of the Atlanta Choral Guild was taken at the concert described in this blog post.
“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” SATB Choral Anthem written by Travis L. Boyd
Performed by The Choral Guild of Atlanta on May 6th, 2012, at Northside Baptist Church, Atlanta
“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” was published by the Lorenz Corporation’s Monarch Division. The anthem and Travis’ accompanying orchestration (as heard on the publisher’s studio demo) are still available at this link:
To hear the original studio demo while viewing the music on the Lorenz product page link above, click the demo link (music notes), minimize immediately, and then click the sample pages link (Adobe icon).
A performance/accompaniment CD which features the full orchestration is also available.
“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” has been performed and recorded by over 700 musicians from the The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Baptist Symphony at their “Foundations” concert, with the CD and DVD of the concert also being titled, “Foundations.”
“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” has also been performed and recorded by the Farrells of the Tom Farrell Evangelistic Ministries as the title song on one of their CDs. The CD is still widely available in many Christian bookstores.
“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” has been translated into the Mandarin language and printed in a choral book for Chinese choirs. Several performances of the anthem have been posted on youtube and other video hosting sites in Chinese, and we’ve found some postings of performance videos in English as well. For more information about the Mandarin version used in Chinese churches, contact Lorenz music, which holds the copyright. To view the lyrics in Mandarin and see a link to one of our favorite videos of the song in Mandarin, go to our Song Story post for “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” at this link: https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/song-story-amazing-grace-eternal-life/
There are many more songs written by Travis L. Boyd on our WorshipSounds Music website
Worshipful and affordable music for Choirs, Ensembles, Soloists, Orchestras, and Congregational praise Inspiring music for School, University, or Community Choirs
There are two additional posts about “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” on this blog.
They are:
Blessings through worshipping together (about the “Foundations” Concert and recordings, with The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Baptist Symphony, under the direction of Dr. Bill Green)
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.
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
“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” Music and lyrics by Travis L. Boyd
“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” is a choral anthem and modern hymn, published by the Lorenz Corporation, that shares the full message of the gospel. The publishers’ description of the anthem states, “This memorable theme steadily builds throughout, forming a powerful statement of praise.”
(NOTE: Scroll down just below theJohn 3:16 needlework picture to the “Publisher’s Information Page” heading for a link to the anthem, orchestration, & accomp. trax on the Lorenz website.)
The anthem was inspired by the most beloved scripture verse and the favorite hymn for so many Christians. Travis wrote this song using as his inspiration John 3:16 and the message of the hymn, “Amazing Grace.” This is the story of how “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” came to be written.
In 2002, Travis stated that he wanted to write an anthem in honor of and dedicated to my Dad, who was valiantly fighting cancer (first diagnosed in December of 1999). Travis asked my Mom to find out what Dad’s favorite scripture verse and favorite hymn were, and to try to do so without arousing any suspicion. When Mom asked at first, Dad wanted to claim the entire book of John as his favorite scripture passage; but Mom was able to get him to name his favorite verse from the book, John 3:16. Mom called back to let us know his favorite scripture and also that his favorite hymn was “Amazing Grace.” Travis began the writing process, and he was blessed with a beautiful melody and a text that powerfully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. As soon as the song was complete, Travis immediately began arranging the song for SATB Choir.
When “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” was finished, my family began making plans to surprise Dad with the song. The son of some long time family friends was being married in Tulsa in early 2003. Since that was near our home, Travis and I invited everyone in our family who could come for the wedding to stay with us while in the area. While all were at our house, we would make the surprise happen. My sister, Linda, and brother, Rich, were both able to come, flying in from Washington State. Though Dad had endured two cancer-related surgeries by this point in his treatment and was still dealing with ongoing chemo and radiation, he was able to do some light travel. He and Mom drove the 3 and a half hours to our home. While we were together, we celebrated Dad’s birthday, which was very close to the date of the wedding. After the festivities, we surprised Dad with “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” Travis and Mom shared the story of the way they’d been able to learn Dad’s favorites and use them as inspiration. Then, all of us who were there helped to share the song with Dad for the first time. Our daughter, Meredith, sang Soprano with me. Mom and Linda sang alto. Rich and Travis handled the men’s parts while Travis accompanied on piano. It was an all-family production, and Dad seemed to be blown away. Travis told him that he would contact the Choir Director at Mom and Dad’s church to see if the premiere of the anthem could take place at their home church with their own church choir.
The date of the anthem premiere at Mom and Dad’s church (pictured here) was in November of 2003. Dad had a few months of feeling really good over the Spring and Summer of 2003, and on into the early Fall. He even felt well enough to drive all the way to South Carolina to visit relatives for almost a month, play a lot of golf, and drive back to Oklahoma. However, by October, the chemo that had been well tolerated had stopped working. The next regimen he was placed on seemed to immediately sap his strength, and it later became apparent that his heart had been damaged. By the time Travis and I and our two boys drove down for the premiere week-end, Dad had already lost both his hair (which had grown back w/ the former chemo med) and his strength. He was pale and not feeling very well, but he did make it to church that Sunday morning. The church had chosen to use the occasion of the anthem premiere to say ‘thank you’ to my Dad for his years of faithful service as a Sunday School teacher and in many other capacities. Dad was rather embarrassed about this. He felt that there were many others in the church who had served just as faithfully. My Mom and Travis and I sang in the choir. My sister, Linda, was able to come, and she sat with Dad, as did our son, Jared, age 10, who had just lost his other Grandpa in May of that same year. Dozens of Dad’s friends and colleagues were there, as well as his church family. Everyone present that morning heard the gospel message clearly presented as “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” was sung by a choir for the first time. The song is much more than a tribute to one man. It is a testimony of God’s saving grace demonstrated in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Travis had submitted “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” to one of his publishers, and he got word that it had been accepted for publication by the Lorenz Corporation in the Spring of 2004. My dad was very pleased to know that. The anthem went to press bearing a first page inscription in honor of my Dad. Travis had also been asked by Lorenz to write a full orchestration for the anthem, as he had done for “God is Faithful” previously. So, when “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life” was published as an SATB anthem, Travis’ full orchestration for it was published as well. Both are still available from Lorenz Music. (See info below)
Dad passed away in the Fall of 2004, less than a year after the anthem premiere at his church. The lyrics to “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” were read by Dad and Mom’s Pastor at his memorial service. Singing was never Dad’s thing (though he could whistle beautifully). He left the singing to other members of the family, though he did his best in the congregation at his church. He always had an appreciation for music and for the power of words. We hope that his heart was touched by this gift of his favorite expressions of spiritual truth, combined with new words and music. Our hearts were touched and challenged by his life and by his brave battle with cancer. And, far beyond anything that we could ask or think, we pray that the message of “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” will continue to touch the hearts of people around the world.
NOTE: “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life” was on the Lorenz best-sellers list after it was released, and it continues to be a well-loved anthem for choirs all over the world (translated into 3 languages that we know of). There are Youtube and Vimeo videos that we have discovered of choirs singing the anthem in English, Mandarin, Korean, and Italian. See additional information below.
Here is the audio from my Sound Cloud set of Pulisher’s Demo Recordings of the Lorenz Studio Demo of “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” See the publisher’s info page link below for ordereing the music.
LYRICS FOR “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!”
There is a love sent down to man,
A rugged cross, a spotless lamb,
A life laid down, a sacrifice.
Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!
Here’s the first page of “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!”, published by the Lorenz Corporation (Monarch Division). The inscription at the top reads, “Dedicated to Dr. Harold McCoy White, in celebration of 38 years of faithful service as a layman of The First United Methodist Church, Weatherford, Oklahoma.
There is a hope beyond the grave,
With love so deep and pow’r to save.
Rising above all earthly strife,
Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!
There is a peace that all can know.
It calms the heart and heals the soul.
“Come unto Me!,” the Savior cries!
Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!
(bridge – a paraphrase of John 3:16 – 17)
God so loved the world that He gave His Son,
For us to believe in Him.
For the Son was not sent to condemn the world,
But to save us from our sin.
There is a home prepared for all
Who on the name of Jesus call.
A place of rest, a throne on high!
Amazing grace! Eternal life!
PUBLISHER’S INFORMATION PAGE: Here is a link to the Lorenz Music product page for “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!”, where you can hear the entire studio demonstration recording of the anthem with the complete orchestration. Click on the music note icon to hear the recording or on the Adobe icon to view sample pages.
Information is also provided about the related products available for the anthem, including the orchestration and an accompaniment/performance CD. http://www.lorenz.com/product.aspxid=10_3228M
TRANSLATED INTO MANDARIN LANGUAGE: “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” has been translated into Mandarin Chinese and included in a book for Chinese choirs. It has been posted on Youtube by choirs from several churches singing in Mandarin.
The youtube videos are a little hard to find because as soon as you type in “Amazing Grace,” hundreds of versions of that song come up first, but here’s one of our favorite videos of the anthem in the Chinese language, sung by the choir at the Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles, California: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYnchYmXVoI)
Here are the lyrics to “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” in Chinese characters:
TRANSLATED INTO KOREAN: “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!’ has also been translated into Korean. Numerous Korean churches have posted videos of their choirs singing this anthem on YouTube. The video below is of the Choir and Orchestra from New York Presbyterian Church.
TRANSLATED INTO ITALIAN: In the video below, the Coro Tre Ponti (Three Bridges Choir), directed by Rino Adam, is singing “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” in Italian at the Festa di San Giorgio (@ Terdobbate, Italy, April 21st, 2013). This is the only video we’ve found of “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” in Italian. We are not sure whether other choirs have access to this translation, “Sorprendente Grazia! Eterno Vita!”
The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, and Oklahoma Baptist Symphony share worship anthems, including “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life”) at the “Foundations” worship concert, directed by Dr. Bill Green. Over 700 musicians filled the platform, the staircases leading to the balcony on both sides of the platform, and the first section of pews on both sides of the platform. What a glorious night of praise!
“FOUNDATIONS” CD and DVD RECORDINGS:“Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” was chosen as part of the concert repertoire for the ‘Foundations’ concert presented by The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma, The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Baptist Symphony, directed by Dr. Bill Green, in May, 2005. The entire concert was recorded on both a CD and a DVD called “Foundations.” Our post about the blessings of worshipping together all through the day of rehearsals and the evening’s concert at this event is called, “The Blessings of Worshipping Together.” There is a photo of the event included in the post as well. Here is the link to that post: https://worshipsounds.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/blessings-through-worshipping-together/
TITLE SONG ON RECORDING BY TOURING GROUP: “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” has also been recorded by The Farrells, a ministry of the Tom Farrell Evangelistic Foundation, as the title song on one of their CDs.
One website that offers this CD can be found at http://www.mbbcbookstore.com/SPD/amazing-grace–eternal-life—9015751555667820287.jsp
My mother and several of her friends were able to attend the “Foundations” concert and hear the song that was first inspired by my Dad’s favorites as it was being sung and played by over 700 musicians. The ladies loved the entire worship concert, and especially “Amazing Grace! Eternal Life!” My Dad would have enjoyed that evening as well, but he probably would still have cherished the initial family performance of the anthem and the premiere at the church where he and Mom had attended and served for decades even more.
Happy 80th Birthday, Dad!
I wrote this to honor the Lord and in your memory.
Post written by Cynthia A. Boyd, February 1st, 2012
In honor and in memory of Dr. H. M. White, longtime professor of Organic Chemistry at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, founder of the SWOSU Summer Science Academy, graduate of Clemson University (Bachelors, Masters, and PhD), Army veteran and Reservist (served in the United States and in Germany), crossword puzzle pro, community volunteer, golfer, Sunday School teacher, active layman, Founding Board Member of Weatherford YMCA, Rotarian, Paul Harris Fellow, Weatherford Golf Course Board member, a faithful son and husband, father, brother, uncle, great uncle, cousin, nephew, Grandaddy, and friend.
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/
The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma will always be such a special group of brothers for me. As a member of the Churchmen for over 18 years, I have very close friendships with so many of the fine Ministers of Music and Worship in this group. We’ve travelled around the world together, sharing the good news of Christ though music, testimony, and every other way imaginable. I’ve been to Russia, Estonia, Latvia, China, Hong Kong, and Australia with this group. It has been a joy and a blessing to know these men, worship together with them during rehearsal times and concert performances, and then serve with them in other mission opportunities. One of the things that is most special about this talented group is their love for the Lord and for each other. These brothers pray for one another and are willing to help any of the group that may have a major need. We’ve seen God answer so many prayers. We’ve prayed for healing for each other, for those who were seeking a place of service, for family situations, and for God to use our efforts to glorify Himself. We’ve also prayed for doors to open in the countries to which we’ve travelled. There were often large stumbling blocks that could have been a real problem for our group and our ministry; but time after time, we saw God answer the prayers for open doors in really miraculous ways. For example, our group made the trip to Russia, Estonia, and Latvia just after the fall of Communism, in Spring of 1993. We were even able to minister and share the gospel in public schools, which was really amazing.
In our ministry as a group and in our individual lives, all of the Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma could testify to the faithfulness of our God. I was inspired to write a song about God’s faithfulness in my life, and I shared it with Dr. Bill Green, who was then the Director of both The Singing Churchmen and The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma. Brother Bill loved “God is Faithful” and made it part of our concert repertoire for several years. The next time the Churchmen recorded a CD, “God is Faithful” became the title song. The song was eventually published by the Monarch division of Lorenz music, and I have no idea at this point how many churches are still singing it. I do hear from people regularly about how this song has touched their lives. That’s the biggest blessing of all. It’s a wonderful privelege to be able to share this message of God’s faithfulness with my brothers in Christ in both Oklahoma and Georgia. The Sons of Jubal also have sung “God is Faithful,” and it became the title song of one of their CD’s (recorded in a different year & with different repertoire from the Churchmen CD). In addition, The Singing Churchwomen of Oklahoma have sung “God is Faithful” in many church concerts. It was also sung in Australia during our Singing Churchmen mission trip, but not by the men. The wives who went along on the mission trip to Australia in 2003 had their own choir, with over 80 of the women choosing to participate. They divided into 2 choirs for some events and sang together for others. These women gave concerts in churches all over the Sydney area (even in nearby seaside communities such as Cronulla) and then all over the Brisbane area, even singing at a pineapple canning factory. They were the groups that were singing “God is Faithful” in Australia, though everyone who went on that trip could testify to God’s faithfulness in so many ways.
Many times, the message of “God is Faithful” has ministered to Cindy and I as we have faced trials. She has said that in the messages God inspires me to write, He knows the message that we will need to hear at some point in our future. If the song “God is Faithful” has been a blessing to you, remember that it is not the song itself that is the source of blessing. It’s the TRUTH of the message of this song that makes it so meaningful to those of us who are walking with the Lord. What a blessing it is to know that our God is faithful in all things, and that he is ever-present in our lives!
“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…when the valley is so low. God is faithful…whereever He leads you to go! Cast your cares on Him, and rest within His loving arms. For the One who called you is faithful. God IS faithful ! ” (Lyrics to the chorus from “God is Faithful”)
Here is the audio from my Sound Cloud of the recording of “God is Faithful” made by The Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma as the title song of one of their CDs.
HERE IS THE LINK for the original studio demo of “God is Faithful.” http://www.lorenz.com/Med/Sample/10_2978M.mp3
You can VIEW THE MUSIC AS YOU LISTEN to the demo by going to the publisher’s product page for “God is Faithful” at the link below.
Click the listening icon, immediately minimize the media player, and click the Adobe sample page link to see and hear the music simultaneously. http://www.lorenz.com/product.aspx?id=10_2978M
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 