Worship 8s & 7s

Tune composed in my head in Arlington, Massachusetts on August 4, 2009 and written down and harmonized later that day and the following day in Troy, New York. Worship is one of several 3-liners written in the late summer of 2009 inspired by Henry Johnson's singing school on Sacred Harp harmony at the youth session of Camp Fasola 2009. In this song I focused on the melodic lines of each part while striving to write unisons and dyads while minimizing triads.

Written without a text in mind, but set to "Brethren, we have met to worship..." a few week later after hearing the melody sung to those words in my head.

Brethren, we have met to worship,
And adore the Lord our God;
Will you pray with all your power,
While we try to preach the Word?
All is vain unless the Spirit
Of the Holy One comes down;
Brethren, pray and holy manna
Will be showered all around.

Brethren, see poor sinners ’round you,
Trembling on the brink of woe;
Death is coming, hell is moving,
Can you bear to let them go?
See our fathers, see our mothers,
And our children sinking down;
Brethren, pray, and holy manna
Will be showered all around.

Let us love our God supremely,
Let us love each other, too;
Let us love and pray for sinners,
Till our God makes all things new.
Then He’ll call us home to heaven,
At His table we’ll sit down;
Christ will gird Himself, and serve us
With sweet manna all around.