What Wondrous Love Is This? (arr. Heather Sorenson): Choral Instrumental Pak
Arranged by Heather Sorenson
Item: 35-PK00502563
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Description
From the cantata "What Wondrous Hope," the plaintive strains of this valued early-American hymn are a conduit for sharing the message of Holy Week. The cost of salvation and the fathomless love of the Creator for His creation are timeless themes for the Lenten journey. Arranged with sensitivity, this adaptation is filled with emotive harmonic turns and well-considered vocal textures. The overall impact is magnetic, drawing the listener into a greater understanding of the gift of grace. Score and Parts (fl, ob, cl, hn 1-2, perc 1-2, b, pno, vn 1-2, va, vc, syn) available as a digital download.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00502563
More about this title
About the Arranger: Heather Sorenson
Heather Sorenson is a Dallas-based composer and arranger whose music reaches performance spaces from parish churches to concert halls and university stages. Her reputation spans both traditional and contemporary sacred music, and she has developed a distinctive voice by weaving these worlds together rather than choosing between them. Her work has been commissioned by institutions including Texas A&M University and Carnegie Hall, where her oratorio EXODUS premiered.
Beyond composing, Sorenson has shaped music education at multiple levels: teaching elementary music at Grace Academy of Dallas, serving as adjunct faculty at Baylor University, and conducting master classes in piano and songwriting across the country. She remains active as a guest conductor and speaker at churches and worship conferences nationwide, always balancing her writing commitments with time spent championing causes she believes in through benefit concerts and community partnerships.
Why we love this
Sorenson brings serious harmonic craft to this American spiritual without sentimentalizing it. The orchestration unfolds with real sensitivity to how instruments can deepen the choir's text without overwhelming it, and the layered vocal writing creates moments of genuine emotional depth that will resonate in a Holy Week context.
What to expect
This arrangement inhabits a reflective, contemplative space. The harmony shifts with careful restraint, each turn of phrase inviting deeper meditation rather than dramatic gesture. There is tenderness throughout, but never sentimentality; the arrangement respects the weight of its subject matter while allowing grace to emerge organically from the music.
Who it's for
Choirs with access to a small but capable instrumental ensemble, particularly those programming Easter or Lenten services. The scoring works for community church choirs, school and university ensembles, and festival choruses looking for sacred repertoire with real musical substance.
How to get the most out of it
- Let the instrumental introduction breathe. The opening flute and oboe lines should float above the texture, inviting listeners into the space rather than announcing the hymn.
- Balance the choir's harmonic turns carefully during the emotive passages. These moments demand precise intonation and control; a single sharp or flat chord disrupts the whole effect.
- Use the string section as an anchor for phrase shape. When violins, violas, and cellos move together, the choir can follow their arc of intensity and relaxation.
- Attend to dynamic contrast between verses. This arrangement thrives on variation; resist the urge to sing at a consistent volume throughout.
How to use it
Place this as a centerpiece in a Good Friday or Maundy Thursday service, perhaps with instrumental music framing it before and after. It pairs naturally with unaccompanied hymn singing earlier in the liturgy, creating a bridge between congregational song and more elaborate choral statement. The length and emotional trajectory make it ideal as the concluding anthem in a Holy Week concert.
Skills your students will build
- Singing precise chromatic voice leading in four and five-part harmony
- Responding to instrumental cues for phrase timing and shape
- Blending with orchestral textures across dynamic ranges
- Interpreting emotive text through subtle harmonic context
- Sustaining stillness and focus during sustained passages