The Weeping Tree: Choral Instrumental Pak
The Weeping Tree Sheet Music Preview

The Weeping Tree: Choral Instrumental Pak

By Joseph M. Martin

Item: 35-PK00457595
Digital Download
$300.00

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Description
From the writers of "Song of the Shadows" and "Harvest of Sorrows" comes this profoundly moving work for Holy Week. "The Weeping Tree" is a poignant portrait of the cross that uses beloved hymns, newly composed music, thoughtful narration, and simple sacred symbols to create a touching testament of grace for choirs of every size. By offering the smaller orchestral accompaniment option along with the shorter performance time, "The Weeping Tree" is accessible to choirs that have not previously included cantatas in their Lenten and Holy Week services. Includes: The Weeping Tree, Without His Cross, Of Tears and Sorrows, Alas and Did My Savior Bleed, and more. Practical and profoundly affecting! A full line of support products is available to help enable churches of every size to enjoy this outstanding new seasonal offering. Support products include a brilliant orchestration by Brant Adams in traditional format or on the exciting "print-your-own" iPrint CD-ROM, or use the outstanding StudioTrax CD. Shorten your learning time by using the Rehearsal Trax CDs.

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Additional Details
Publisher: Hal Leonard
SKU: 35-PK00457595

More about this title

About the Composer: Joseph M. Martin

Joseph M. Martin

Joseph M. Martin trained as a concert pianist, earning degrees in piano performance from Furman University and the University of Texas at Austin, where he later taught in the Piano Pedagogy Department. His performance career has taken him across North America and Mexico, including appearances with the Guadalajara Symphony Orchestra and broadcasts from historic venues, but in recent years he has focused his artistry on serving church music programs and worship communities.

Based in Austin, Texas, Martin has built a prolific catalog of sacred compositions and arrangements that appear in churches, concert halls, and conference centers throughout the United States and Canada. His gift for blending accessibility with emotional depth makes his work especially valuable for congregations seeking meaningful seasonal liturgies without excessive technical demands.

Why we love this

Martin has crafted a work that opens the cantata repertoire to choirs without extensive orchestra budgets or lengthy rehearsal schedules. The shorter performance time, flexible orchestration options, and integration of beloved hymns with new composition make this a practical entry point for Holy Week programming without sacrificing artistic integrity or emotional resonance.

What to expect

The work unfolds with intimate, contemplative restraint; Martin's use of familiar hymn melodies anchors the listener while new musical material deepens the theological reflection. Passages of quiet sorrow give way to moments of grace, creating a journey through grief and faith that feels both timeless and genuinely moving.

Who it's for

Chamber choirs preparing Holy Week or Easter services, including those with limited instrumental resources or first-time cantata singers. Church music programs seeking material that honors the season without demanding extensive orchestral forces or performance length that strains limited rehearsal time.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the sung movements with the narration so neither overshadows the other; this text-music relationship is central to the work's impact.
  • Prepare hymn sections in unison or simple harmony first, especially if your singers are less experienced with cantata repertoire, then layer additional complexity gradually.
  • Use the accompaniment track (whether orchestral, orchestration, or StudioTrax) from the earliest rehearsals so singers hear and feel the full harmonic context, not just their individual lines.
  • Let the simpler sacred symbols mentioned in the description guide your staging choices; restraint in physical presentation allows the music and text to carry the full weight.

How to use it

Schedule this as a complete Holy Week service experience in itself, or program it as a substantial choral segment within a longer liturgy focused on the Passion. Its shorter length makes it viable for mid-week services or Good Friday observances where choirs might otherwise skip cantata-style offerings.

Skills your students will build

  • Singing with hymn-based material in sacred context
  • Balancing sung passages with spoken narration
  • Working with multiple orchestration options and accompaniment formats
  • Developing expressive singing for contemplative, sorrowful text
  • Reading chamber voicing within a larger narrative structure

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