This past summer, I wrote a couple of hymn arrangements for full choir and orchestra. One of these a medley of "The Church of Jesus Christ", a beloved children's song by Latter-day Saint composer Janice Kapp Perry, and "This Is the Church", a song about Christ's Church that I wrote a few years ago.
The inspiration for the tone and mood of this arrangement came from this prayer by the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1836: "Remember all thy church, O Lord, with all their families, and all their immediate connections, with all their sick and afflicted ones, with all the poor and meek of the earth; that the kingdom, which thou hast set up without hands, may become a great mountain and fill the whole earth; that thy church may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." And I confess, the last part of the quote made me think of a part of J. R. R. Tolkien's "Silmarillion" where the glorious elf army of light comes to vanquish the darkness of Morgoth, so there is a little bit of Elven Middle-Earth in this arrangement, as well. :)
The Church of Jesus Christ © 1990 Janice Kapp Perry; used with permission.
www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/music/songs/the-church-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng
I am so grateful to this amazing group of 380 musicians who came together and volunteered their time and talents to create this recording at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse at 1498 East 800 South in Provo. What fun it was to testify of the Savior with you all!
Link to full list of performers (I tried posting all their names in this description and I maxed out the character limit):
docs.google.com/document/d/14I1Z4HetZiIxIZcpjLe_Uo-ZZJtDSYwqJpQBtUErQP0/edit?usp=sharing
An especial thanks to Stephen Kendall for his video editing and filming and Haden Leavitt and Cris Torres for their audio and other technical prowess. Paul Schwartz, Amanda Capener, Sarah Kelly, and David Kime were also instrumental in pulling this off - thank you so much! And of course, I am grateful to my parents Peter and Laura, my kids, and my wife Samm for their incredible support.
Lyrics
"The Church of Jesus Christ"
I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I know who I am.
I know God’s plan.
I’ll follow him in faith.
I believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ.
I’ll honor his name.
I’ll do what is right;
I’ll follow his light.
His truth I will proclaim.
"This Is the Church"
This is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I am a child of God,
And I will follow God's plan for me.
I believe in Christ.
I'm saved through His name.
I'll do what is right;
The Lord is my light.
His truth I'll proclaim