Hymns for Contemporary Worship: Violin, Duo, Score and Parts

Fresh and accessible. McMichael draws on recognizable melodies from today's worship landscape and frames them in warm, inviting harmonies. The writing feels contemporary without being trendy; there's a sincerity in these arrangements that lifts them beyond background music.

String students at the intermediate level who have solid intonation and can handle basic vibrato. Churches with youth orchestras or string programs looking to blend liturgical tradition with modern repertoire will find this especially useful. This also works for advanced younger players who need material with emotional depth but manageable technical demands.

• Balance the two violin lines carefully; often one carries the melody while the other provides harmonic support. Listen for moments where roles shift, and adjust your dynamic blend accordingly.
• Pay attention to the rhythmic figures that McMichael emphasizes. These aren't ornamental; they anchor the emotional pulse of each hymn and deserve crisp articulation.
• When performing with optional viola and cello, let the piano guide tempo initially, then find your independence as an ensemble. The string parts should lock with the keyboard, not follow it.
• Lean into the expressiveness. Contemporary worship hymns live on emotional authenticity. Don't play these as neutral arrangements; commit to the character each one projects.

These four hymns could anchor a service music component in your string curriculum or form the core of a youth orchestra concert devoted to sacred repertoire. Alternatively, program one hymn during a fall or spring concert to blend with more traditional classical fare, or use them as bridges between rehearsal room and worship context if your program serves a church community.

• Balancing duet textures where the melody and inner harmony both require presence
• Reading and responding to contemporary rhythmic figures in a hymnic context
• Intonation in thirds and sixths across the full range of two violin lines
• Expressive playing in a non-virtuosic setting, where emotion comes from sound quality and phrasing rather than technical display
• Adapting to optional scoring (switching between duo, trio, and quintet instrumentation)