Cindy Berry brings a composer's gift for sacred expression and a church musician's practical understanding of what works in worship settings. A Houston native and Houston Baptist University graduate, she has built a catalog of sacred choral works, children's musicals, and piano collections while maintaining her role as a church pianist and children's choir director at First Baptist Church in Killeen, Texas (where her husband Bruce serves as Minister of Music). Her work has earned repeated ASCAP Special Awards recognition.
Berry's approach to composition flows from her conviction that music serves as an offering of worship. She regularly conducts composer residencies and clinician workshops across the country, sharing her insights into sacred music writing with choral directors and musicians who want their work to deepen congregational and ensemble experience.
Why we love this
Berry captures an essential message of Easter faith in a setting that doesn't oversimplify or talk down to singers. The unison texture allows your choir to pour their voices together with clarity and power, while the musical writing itself carries conviction. It's the kind of piece that works equally well for a volunteer chancel choir or an advanced youth ensemble.
What to expect
Direct and affirming, with an underlying warmth that reflects genuine faith rather than performative emotion. The music invites singers to inhabit conviction rather than merely express it. There's a gentle strength here that builds naturally rather than manufactured.
Who it's for
Directors seeking a unison sacred anthem that works for mixed-ability choirs, youth ensembles, or church choirs at any level. The piece accommodates beginning singers while remaining musically substantial enough to engage more experienced singers. It functions as either a standalone anthem or as part of a larger sacred concert or Easter service.
How to get the most out of it
Build the piece from a grounded, conversational quality in the opening phrases before allowing the affirmation to grow. This creates a narrative arc rather than simply projecting loudly from the start.
Attend carefully to the text setting. Berry's phrasing choices reinforce the theological weight of the lyrics, so honoring the breath marks and line structure preserves that intentionality.
Balance your ensemble's vibrato so the unison line reads as a unified voice rather than a collection of individuals. Some vibrato is natural and welcome; excessive vibrato diffuses the power of multiple voices singing as one.
Use dynamic contrast to shape sections. A piece of this length needs built-in variety; lean into the score's indications rather than maintaining a single energy level throughout.
How to use it
This anchors an Easter or spring sacred concert with a thematic core. It also serves well as a closing number in a service of worship, giving congregations a moment to stand and affirm alongside your choir. The six-page length allows it to sit comfortably within a longer program without demanding excessive rehearsal time relative to its impact.
Skills your students will build
Unison ensemble cohesion and blend
Text clarity and diction in sacred music contexts
Shaping long phrases with appropriate breath management
Dynamic control and expressive communication within a single melodic line
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