It Is Well With My Soul (When Peace Like a River)
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SKU: A0.971700
Composed by Horatio Spafford (lyric) and Phillip Bliss (music). Arranged by Michael E. Ropp. Christian,Sacred,Spiritual. Score and parts. 11 pages. Michael E. Ropp #2959209. Published by Michael E. Ropp (A0.971700).I have always loved this hymn, and one Sunday morning when I had been called upon to write something lyric for our brass quartet (two trumpets in Bb, horn in F, and tuba), I went straight for "It Is Well With My Soul". This arrangement tells in music the story of Horatio Spafford and the circumstances under which he wrote the lyric for this hymn. The piece opens with sounding of the horn of Spafford’s ship as she passes over the point at which Spafford's four daughters were lost. The first verse builds dramatically as the lyric comes to Spafford and ends with the lovely chorus. The next section is based on the third stanza of the hymn in which Spafford writes, "My sin, not the part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross…" The horn gets the melody, evoking the sound of Spafford’s own voice, and the other instruments vividly paint the hammering of the nails. However, as Spafford moves into the chorus, the harmony becomes dark and uncertain as Spafford’s grief overwhelms him; his faith wavers as he tries to believe what he is writing. Then, the melody transfers to the trumpet as Spafford is answered by the higher voice from above-his daughters assuring him that, yes, it IS well, it is well. The piece then ends with a peaceful statement of the chorus, evocative of the rolling sea and Spafford’s soul at peace. This piece can be played by a student ensemble; the primary challenge is in achieving the level of expression and emotion required to pull off a piece like this.
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