ARRANGING
RESISTING THE “COVER BAND” URGE | Grant Norsworthy
“GREAT ARE YOU LORD”: ARRANGED TO ENHANCE repertoire for congregational worship through But the versions of “Great Are You Lord” (or any
CONGREGATIONAL SINGING songs. For me, it’s essential that I make a clear other song for the matter) by pro, recording,
distinction between the musical choices I will touring artists are designed to be effective in
If you’re reading this, I’m quite certain that you make for performance and those that I’ll make the situations in which they find themselves.
know the song “Great Are You Lord”. You’ve when I am trying to help the congregation find Yes, these artists are inviting their audiences
probably sung and played it many times - their voice to worship God through the song. to sing along as an expression of worship to
presenting your version of the song to your
God, but they are able to integrate elements
home Church congregation. You’ve invited Right now, “Great Are You Lord” is a song that’s of concert performance and radio hit as they
them to sing this beautiful and passionate being sung more than most by gatherings of do so. Musical choices are made accordingly.
prayer as an expression of worship to God. I Christian believers across America and the Not all these musical choices will work in the
hope it’s still firmly in your current repertoire. It world. Published in 2012 (by Integrity’s Alleluia! trenches of week-in-week-out Sunday services.
deserves to be. Music and composed by David Leonard, Jason Ingram and Leslie Jordan) “Great Are You Artists’ versions of the song may work well
But how did you come up with your version? Lord” first came to the attention of listeners for them, but we need to make an important
How close to the original is it? What elements when Leonard and Jordan’s duo All Son’s and distinction between one, creating yet another
did you modify? Which did you keep? Why? Daughters released a live version in April 2013. cover version of the song and two, crafting a
Was the process intentional? Did you try to Ingram’s One Sonic Society released their own version that will warmly invite our congregations
produce the best “cover version” you could - as version much later in August 2016. to sing. I’d encourage you to resist the “cover
close to the original artist’s version as possible?
band” replication urge.
Or did you craft your own version - working As I write this article, “Great Are You Lord” is within your specific musical and technical (still!) comfortably nestled within CCLI’s Top 10 So, with that in mind and using “Great Are
limitations - with the explicit objective of helping at #4. All Sons and Daughters’ YouTube video You Lord” as the working example, here’s my
your Church family sing? of their live version of the song is pushing close typical Musical Director’s process to select
to 17 million views. Cover versions by Casting and arrange a song. These items must be
In this and several following articles, I want to Crowns, Passion, Phillips Craig and Dean and considered before I bring the song to my team
invite you into the process I went through for my numerous others have been further expanding of singers, instrumentalists and technicians to
version of “Great Are You Lord”. It’s the process the song’s appeal. be added to our repertoire:
I go through for every song that I add to my
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June 2019
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