A Mother's Hymn Cover Image

A Mother's Hymn: String Orchestra Conductor Score

$10.00 USD
$10.00 USD
Skip to product information
A Mother's Hymn Cover Image
A Mother's Hymn: String Orchestra Conductor Score

A Mother's Hymn: String Orchestra Conductor Score

How Great Thou Art

Arranged by Robert W. Smith

Grade: 2.5

Item: 98-RWS238401
$10.00
Shipped

One moment…

Related Items

A Mother's Hymn - How Great Thou Art: Concert Band Conductor Score & Parts

$75.00
View

A Mother's Hymn - How Great Thou Art: Full Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$80.00
View

A Mother's Hymn - How Great Thou Art: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$70.00
View
Description
Simple, poignant and beautiful, A Mother's Hymn by Robert W. Smith creates an artistic experience for both string orchestra and audience. Based on an old Swedish melody also known as How Great Thou Art, this setting is appropriate for any concert or festival performance. An instant standard in the orchestra repertoire.

Original Item#: RWS-2384-01

A Mother's Hymn: String Orchestra Conductor Score isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

Sample Audio
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: RWS - Developing Strings
Publisher: RWS Music Company
ISBN10: 1-4706-9619-3
ISBN13: 978-1-4706-9619-1
UPC: 038081612041
SKU: 98-RWS238401

More about this title

About the Arranger: Robert W. Smith

Robert W. Smith

Robert W. Smith stands among America's most recorded composers of orchestral and band music, with more than 400 published works performed on stages across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. His training at Troy State University and the University of Miami shaped a compositional voice that balances accessibility with genuine artistic substance, evident in everything from his symphonic works (The Divine Comedy and The Odyssey) to his arrangements for developing ensembles.

Beyond the concert hall, Smith's music has reached millions through television broadcasts, Olympic ceremonies, and major public events spanning from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. His work as a conductor and clinician has taken him across the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and throughout Europe, cementing his reputation as both a prolific creator and a dedicated advocate for music education.

Why we love this

Smith's gift for orchestration shines in this Grade 2.5 arrangement. He takes a beloved hymn melody and frames it with string writing that feels both elegant and genuinely accessible, never patronizing younger ensembles. The piece works equally well as a concert closer, a festival selection, or a moment of reflection in any program.

What to expect

A Mother's Hymn feels like lifting your eyes toward something greater than yourself. The melody is warm and familiar; the orchestration wraps around it with gentle authority. There is no struggle here, only the quiet confidence of a hymn that has sustained generations.

Who it's for

Conductors of developing string orchestras at the middle school, early high school, or community level will find this piece immediately useful. It serves ensembles ready for Grade 2.5 repertoire that asks for musicianship and control without overwhelming players who are still building technique.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the melody with a long line; resist the urge to chop at phrase breaks. Let the singers (or audience members who know this melody) hear its hymnic integrity.
  • Balance your sections carefully so that the melody sings out without drowning the accompaniment. String orchestra textures can blur if intonation wavers; use your rehearsal time to lock intervals.
  • Take time with the rubato if the score permits. Hymns breathe, and this arrangement honors that tradition.
  • Consider dynamics as emotional direction rather than volume marks. A softer approach to the opening creates space for the melody to grow.

How to use it

Program this as a concert centerpiece that gives your ensemble a moment of dignity and allows the audience to rest in something beautiful. It pairs well before a lighter work or after a technical showcase, giving both players and listeners time to breathe. Its spiritual character makes it fitting for winter or spring concerts, assemblies, or festivals where a reflective piece strengthens the program arc.

Skills your students will build

  • Sustained tone production and long-phrase phrasing at moderate tempo
  • Intonation control in homophonic textures with multiple voice parts
  • Dynamic shaping and emotional expression without excessive vibrato
  • Reading and executing simple but important accompaniment patterns that support the melody
  • Understanding arrangement and orchestration (how a melody can be presented with different instrumental colors)

You May Also Like