You Are the Song: Choral Instrumental Pak
By Joseph M. Martin
Item: 35-PK00300654
$75.00
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Description
Uses: General, Music Appreciation
Scripture: Psalm 8; Revelation 5:11-12
Here is a powerful and emotive anthem that is a testimony to the Giver of the Song. Written in a ballad style, the attractive melody carries an impassioned prayer for God to teach us to listen and learn the music of grace. This piece begins in stately restraint and gradually builds to the affirming declaration, "You are the Song!"
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00300654
More about this title
About the Composer: Joseph M. Martin
Joseph M. Martin studied piano performance at Furman University and later earned his master's degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he subsequently taught in the Piano Pedagogy Department for five years. A competition winner and nationally performed pianist, he has graced stages from Carnegie Hall to symphony orchestras across the United States and Mexico, building a reputation for both technical mastery and artistic versatility.
These days, Martin channels his energy into church music and compositions that serve worship communities. His catalog spans an impressive range of styles and instrumentation, and his work appears regularly in sanctuaries and at conferences for church musicians across North America. He lives in Austin with his wife Sue and their children Jonathan and Aubrey.
Why we love this
Martin crafts this anthem with genuine emotional intelligence, letting the piece breathe through its ballad style rather than forcing impact. The arc from restrained beginning to that powerful declaration gives your choir a shaped musical journey that feels earned, not manipulated, and the integration of instrumental accompaniment deepens the texture without overshadowing the vocal line.
What to expect
The piece settles into stillness like a moment of private prayer, then gradually unfolds with growing conviction. There's an undercurrent of vulnerability in the melody, anchored by the harmonic support beneath it, until the final affirmation arrives with quiet power rather than bombast.
Who it's for
This anthem works beautifully for choirs seeking meaningful sacred music that connects theology with emotional honesty. It serves general worship settings, special services, and music appreciation programs where the combination of text and musical architecture can deepen congregational reflection.
How to get the most out of it
- Honor the stately restraint of the opening by resisting the urge to over-sing. Let silence and space matter as much as the notes themselves.
- Shape the dynamic build gradually across the entire piece. Mark your score with specific dynamic targets at key phrases so the growth feels inevitable rather than sudden.
- Balance the choir against the instrumental accompaniment by positioning singers slightly forward in the rehearsal space, then adjusting based on what you hear from the house during sound check.
- Emphasize the textual clarity of 'You are the Song!' by isolating that phrase in rehearsal and drilling it at full volume before integrating it back into context.
How to use it
Slot this into a service focused on God's creative work or during a season emphasizing listening and spiritual formation. Its moderate length and emotional pacing make it effective either as a standalone anthem or as the centerpiece of a mini-concert pairing it with shorter congregational hymns on similar themes.
Skills your students will build
- Executing dynamic growth across an extended phrase
- Balancing vocal line with instrumental accompaniment
- Interpreting text with musical restraint and building intensity
- Sustaining tone quality through a gradual build to climax
- Coordinate ensemble releases with instrumental cues