News flash! I have learned how to add content to this website!!  A wonderful friend, Rusty Graham, has been doing it for months, and he finally pointed out it would take the same time for me to do it as to send him files. Turns out it's true!  So, after excellent coffee and a quick lesson at Old City Java (thank you, Rusty!), I have added my first song, Your Words Are Sweet (Psalm 119).

I wrote it as part of a service of Sung Morning Prayer, as a way to welcome the Gospel and to sing the preacher to the pulpit.  That can be a long, hard walk, and a little sung prayer and encouragement goes a long way.  Also, the text serves as a reminder to all of us, that it's God's word we've come to hear, and God is faithful to speak, through our lips and in our hearts and minds as we receive. Takes a good bit of the pressure off, trusting that. 

Also, to me, the music feels like what the text is saying. "Your words are sweet to our taste, sweeter than honey to the mouth."  The words roll sweet on the lips and tongue, with a nice ratio of vowels to consonants, two easy notes for each of the first three syllables of alleluia, then a sustained ah from group one as group two begins the next alleluia.  It also forms a simple breathing prayer, with just enough notes to let the old air out (and the long ah making sure we do!) and just enough time for a good breath before we sing again.  On "sweet," the descant holds a major second (which to my ears is sweet!), then cascades down on "sweeter than honey to the mouth," gently picking up speed and adding another texture.  

I hope you enjoy it!  Also, I mentioned this is part of a Sung Morning Prayer.  That's mostly songs of mine but also includes a couple marvelous songs by others, one by Mark Miller and Laurie Zelman, another by Tim Hughes.  In the next little bit, I'll see if I can get clearance to publish the pieces together as one service, and I'll let you know!