Cindy Berry grew up in Houston, Texas and earned her degree from Houston Baptist University. As both a composer and arranger, she has written extensively for sacred choirs, children's musicals, and piano, while maintaining an active career as a clinician leading composer workshops nationwide. She has received ASCAP Special Awards consistently throughout her career.
Berry currently serves First Baptist Church in Killeen, Texas alongside her husband Bruce, a Minister of Music. She directs the children's choir and serves as church pianist, bringing her compositional gifts directly into worship leadership. Her approach to writing reflects a deep conviction that music functions as an offering of worship.
Why we love this
Berry's three-part writing for SSA voicing avoids the thinness that can plague upper-voice arrangements by crafting genuinely singable lines with rhythmic interest and harmonic sophistication. The collection's sacred foundation means each piece carries theological weight without becoming overly solemn, giving your singers meaningful material that resonates emotionally and spiritually.
What to expect
Accessible yet refined, these pieces honor sacred content with clear harmonic language and assured melodic writing. The three-part texture feels intimate and focused, allowing voices to shine individually while building unified sound.
Who it's for
Intermediate to advancing treble choirs seeking substantial sacred repertoire that doesn't require divisi complexity. Groups with solid sight-reading skills and musicianship will find genuine interpretive depth in Berry's part-writing.
How to get the most out of it
Balance the three parts by thinking horizontally rather than vertically; each line should flow with independence while still locking into the harmonic structure. Rehearse parts separately before combining to ensure singers hear their own melodic contour.
Apply text intelligently to shape phrasing and dynamics. Sacred texts often suggest natural breathing points and emotional arcs that will emerge if you emphasize word meaning over mechanical note-singing.
Check intonation carefully in passages where parts move in parallel motion; SSA voicing can expose pitch drift if the upper voices don't anchor securely.
Use dynamic contrast across the three pieces to create program shape; varying intensity between selections prevents listener fatigue and showcases your choir's range.
How to use it
This collection works especially well for church music programs needing flexible sacred selections that can anchor a service or concert without overpowering other repertoire. The three separate pieces allow you to program one piece with complementary arrangements or to perform all three as a substantial choral suite that demonstrates tonal control and interpretive maturity.
Skills your students will build
Part independence in three-voice texture
Harmonic listening and intonation in parallel motion
Phrasing based on text meaning
Reading and performing sacred vocal literature
Blending in upper-voice voicing
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