Sacred Sound - The Art of Music

Original compositions and arrangements from the pen of Christina Laberge and available for purchase through J.W. Pepper & Sons. All levels of ability from easy arrangements for small, amateur choirs to selections for advanced singers and instrumentalists. Each piece has been tested in performance and edited for maximum readability and clarity.

Fresh works for solo instruments, choral and orchestra ensembles.

Flowing from 35+ years of sacred music and collegiate experience, these music arrangements provide solutions for small choirs and amateur forces.

 

Available for years A, B and C. All the resources to enrich your worship with psalmody set to tunes that are accessible for most choirs and allow for easy congregational participation.

 

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Original Compositions

The Passion of St. John

Composed for the St. Stephen’s Parish Choir in 2017, this work is based upon the Gospel of St. John’s account of the Passion. It is scored for soprano and mezzo-soprano solos, solo flute, SATB chorus, two narrators and piano. Two chorale tunes feature prominently throughout the work. The first tune, Aus tiefer Not is attributed to Martin Luther (1483-1546), with a text based on Psalm 130 (“From the depths I cry to thee”). The second tune is Thomas Tallis’ Third Tune. Tallis (1505?-1585) was one of the pillars of the English Choral Style, and this tune inspired Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. It is set to a text by Henry Lawson entitled “The Crucifixion”.

The “Lamentation at the Foot of the Cross” presents the sound of mourning in three different voices. Mary Magdalene’s voice is heard in Christina Rossetti’s moving text, “A Better Resurrection”. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is heard in a reworking of the lullaby “Lullay, my liking”, which was made prominent in the work of Gustav Holst. The chorus of women takes up this lullaby, representing the mothers of the firstborn infant children whose deaths were ordered by Herod in an attempt to kill Jesus. This movement is available separately for purchase here.

The video of the premiere can be viewed here.

"Evensong for Everyone"

It has been a mission of my ministry to make the ancient Anglican liturgy of Choral Evensong accessible to smaller choirs of more modest musical abilities. My "Evensong for Everyone" series features simpler voicings and ranges without sacrificing any of the liturgical richness.

The Preces and Responses – (Bishop Mary Glasspool Setting) - SATB

Introit for the Feast of Ascension Festival Evensong  - SATB, handbells

The Preces and Responses (O’Connell Setting) - SAB

Let my Prayer Rise as Incense  - unison, handbells

Solo Instrumental Works

Specializing in works for horn, these works will add depth to a recital program. Exploring the lyrical and extended aspects of horn writing, these works were written for and premiered by Andrew Pelletier.

Three Divine Aspects - horn, piano & organ

Sacred Space - solo horn, media

Invocations for Solo Horn - solo horn

Suite for Solo Horn - solo horn

Arrangements that WORK

With 35+ years of church music leadership, and experience in teaching choral arranging, band scoring and orchestration at the collegiate level, I am a problem solver of the musical kind, and I can help you improve the quality of your music program today!

Throughout my career as a church musician, I found it difficult to find quality arrangements of solid liturgical music that actually meet the needs of my smaller, amateur ensembles. Tailor made arrangements that avoid the trouble spots of these groups were the answer, and now they are available for you to use with your groups. Here are a few of my favorites:

Down in the River to Pray - trad. - SATB, T solo

Gloria in D Major - Vivaldi - SSAA, orchestra

Wade in the Water - trad, SATB, piano

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent - 17th c. French - SATB, organ

Steal Away - trad. - SATB

Saw You Never? - trad. French Carol - SATB, piano

Custom Arrangements

Are you looking to feature an unusual selection of instrumentalists for whom standard arrangements don't work (or don't exist)? Are there hymns or songs that you would love to do with your choir, but have no arrangement to deal with the specific challenges of your group (i.e.: no tenors, no sopranos, little rehearsal time)? Let me solve your scoring problems! I can create a custom arrangement that will fit the needs of your church. Please email me with your particulars, and let's talk!

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The Complete Psalter for Choir and Congregation

Available for years A, B and C. All the resources to enrich your worship with psalmody set to tunes that are accessible for most choirs and allow for easy congregational participation. This package contains:

  • All psalms and canticles for the year, including both tracks for the Propers
  • All psalms and canticle options for holy days that are non-rotating
  • Choir versions of psalms and canticles are in PDF format with easy-to-read font and layout
  • Congregational response files in TIFF format for insertion into congregational orders of worship
  • Easy to use cut and paste notes for proper citation in disposable publications
  • All permissions for single church use. Make as many copies as necessary for choir, conductor, organist and congregation.

This system allows for the easy creation of high quality orders of worship with citations that can be located at the end of the document to improve layout. Choirs love the large font format of the PDF files created with amateur music readers in mind. You can present these files to your choir in any number of formats:

  • Weekly disposable sheets
  • Bound collections to be reused
  • Document sharing systems for use with ForScore or other music reading platforms

As long as proper credit is given and the material is not shared with another church, you may use these files the way that will work best for your church and musicians.

 

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