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Hosannah to The Risen Lord!
Hosannah to the Risen Lord! As I was studying the New Testament and Come Follow Me during the Easter Season, I became quite intrigued at things I had possibly skimmed over in my previous study of this section of the New Testament. I found myself pondering Mary at the tomb and the sorrow she might have been feeling. Although I felt I knew this scene in the history of Jesus, I did not remember the women who accompanied Mary to the tomb. That became the seedbed of this song. Like most of my music, it started out as a solo, but I could not ignore the fact I heard other…
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I Believe in Miracles
This song was born after a heart-felt plea to Heavenly Father to write a children’s song that taught a principle and could create a brain worm with that idea. It didn’t come instantly, but this was the end result. This is the version that I used in the Sacred Sheet Music competition in the Fall of 2022. There were some valid suggestions I made after this competition, and I changed a few things for the Church Music Submissions. We’ll see how that works out. It will be submitted with the changes since no part of the application requires an audio.
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He Lives
This song came one night as I was “playing with” I Know That My Redeemer Lives. I wanted to arrange my own version of it, but this is what happened instead. It’s simple, but it is my testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ. LYRICS He lives! I know my Savior lives! Oh, the peace and joy this sentence gives. He lives to guide me with His love, As He advocates for me above. I know He hears and answers prayer. This is truth: I know of His kind care. He lives to grant me rich supply As He cares for me beneath his watchful eye. I know His love can…
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I Know That My Redeemer Lives
This has always been one of my favorite hymns. One of my favorite things to do in the evening is turn out the lights and let my hands do what they want. This song is a result of one of those sessions. I turned on the recorder and enjoyed writing it. I’ve played it at several funerals lately. It is very comforting.
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Follow Him
We were blessed that Covid-19 in 2021, did not come rock our world much. Clyde had it before it became a household word. My life was pretty packed prior to shut down. When it hit, I had time to pursue music that came; when it came. This is one of those songs. I don’t remember the seed that sprouted this song.
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I Hear Him
This is the original version. Realizing it might not be the easiest for most people to sing, I rewrote it. This is for those who like to sing below Middle C. This song just came in the night. It went through a few iterations before settling on the final version. Pres. Russell M. Nelson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has challenged us to know how we hear Him. I can’t claim that this song is a comprehensive list, but it is a personal list of ways I’ve heard Him. Thanks to Angela Dugdale for recording this one. She has the voice of a songbird. Lyrics I…
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Our Savior’s Love
The music for this arrangement was rearranged from a number I wrote for the Alpine Stake play, “Children of The Dream”, which was inspired by Marvin Payne. After twenty plus years, I revisited the song and discovered it would work with the lyrics to the hymn, “Our Savior’s Love”. With some modification, this arrangement of a favorite hymn was born. Our ward choir sang it in October 2017, and it was so beautiful. COVID has brought new inspiration and it now has a C-instrument duet. I’ve recorded it with flute and oboe, although strings work beautifully as well. You use what you have access to.
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Be Still My Soul
June 2020, and we are three months into Covid-19. The music for this song had haunted me for weeks. At first, I felt like it was a song about the heart, but words would not come. One morning I awoke to the melody going through my head. This was not new. However, the words came as well and they were very familiar. I instantly went to my Hymnal and found that they worked very well with all of the music I had already written. This is the result of that experience.
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Words Won’t Come
By the time this song was finished, I knew the Lord wanted me to write it. I thought I knew what I was writing, but it actually turned out to be the road from “lost” to being “found” – really, a conversion experience. Thanks to Angela Dugdale for helping me with the vocal. LYRICSWords won’t come. My heart is breaking.Can’t hold back the tears. I’m aching.Dreams are shattered. Nothing matters.Hope seems distant; nonexistent.Tortured with the thoughts within.Bless me with the will to winthe battles raging deep within my soul.Then I remember lessons long ago.Christ is there for ev’ry soul who calls Him.Reaching out I take His hand.He’s there for me.…
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Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd – SATB
I’ll never turn down an opportunity to play with a hymn. Our new choir director gave me an assignment. Since I already had been playing with this hymn as an instrumental (piano solo), it seemed a natural thing to turn it into a choral number. I now know why it is written in the Hymnal the way it is.
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I Stand All Amazed
I was given the blessing of accompanying the son of a dear friend’s funeral. They requested organ accompany for this song, and I was unable to find an arrangement that fit our needs. This was the end result of my search. Matt Gifford is the voice you’re hearing. He was out of his comfort zone, but he did a beautiful job.
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Thy Will, O Lord, Be Done
Another piece of inspiration while I was the choir director. When I discovered how much fun it was to use the lyrics from one hymn to another, I was constantly on the lookout for matching possibilities. This was one of them.
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Prayer of Thanksgiving
Being the director of our ward choir was so fun for me. This arrangement almost started out jokingly. We were nearing November, and I was thinking hard about the outcome of our presidential election. Either way, it was going to be a tough pill to swallow for me. (This is not a political statement.) At any rate, I was playing around with this piece and this is what resulted. The choir got the “tongue-in-cheek” connection when I handed it to them. It turned out to be a really nice change to a traditional Thanksgiving hymn.
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Jesus, The Very Thought of Thee
This arrangement was for an Easter program in 2016. It’s preservation is miraculous. Thank goodness for backup discs. Ugh! As I got it ready for this Website, I realized again that I was working with a spectacular group of people as we performed. They just did it. It’s simple enough, but I see things that might have been different. Suffice it to say, it’s safe now. I can’t guarantee I didn’t get inspiration on the narration from someone else’s effort. I apologize I don’t have the name of that person or even where it came from. I don’t have that original narration either, but my experience has been that what…
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Come, Ye Thankful People
Another opportunity for playing in the hymnal. This was my favorite guilty pleasure for about five years as I served as choir director in our ward.
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Stay By the Tree
After Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Seventy gave his General Conference talk in April 2015, I could not rest until I committed his comments to music. To me, it came out of his mouth musically. This is the result.
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I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Song background: One of the more exciting pieces I wrote for our choir. I had heard the voice of one of our Young Men in a stake program and was blown away. I wanted him to sing with our choir, but he wasn’t all that interested. I wrote this arrangement with him in mind. He did amazing. What is the back story on the arrangement? I’ve always liked the message of this song, but feel the original arrangement is too long. As I was drying my hair one morning, the melody came to me and it fit! Of course, piano accompaniment is just as nice as organ.
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As I Search the Holy Scriptures
When I was at UVU, I was on fire with the things I was being taught. This started out as a practice piece. The more I played it, the more I liked it. I would play it each morning before reading my scriptures. It finally needed to be put to paper.
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Abide With Me ‘Tis Eventide – SATB
Another favorite hymn of mine. If I haven’t said it before, the Hymnal is my “playground”. This SATB arrangement came from the piano solo that I wrote in 2010. Our ward choir performed this several years later and it was beautiful. Finale generates the sound, and unfortunately blows through my fermatas. It’s still better than nothing.
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In Thy Holy Name
This hymn was a work in progress. Lyrics sat in my scriptures with musical scribbles for several years. One day I decided to write it out and see if it really evolved into a hymn as I heard it in my head. The first and third verses came easily. This in itself was quite an accomplishment for me. I studied the second verse for what seemed forever sitting at my piano. Then my eyes looked up at the picture on my wall of the Savior holding a lamb. It was an inspired and instant fit, and the song was complete.
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Take it to the Grove
This song was written after visiting with a dear friend who was struggling with answers to questions that just can’t be answered by man. One day while visiting, she said her counselor told her to “take it to the grove”. Of course, as Latter-day Saints, we all know what that means. When she told me this is what he had said, I instantly thought to myself, “That sounds like the title to a song.” Sometime later, I read the book “The Secret”. I decided I would apply its theory one day. When my husband left for work, he asked me what my plan was for the day. I told him…
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Stand as a Witness of God
Jill Jasperson received the inspiration for this song from Mosiah 18:8-12. We put our heads together and created this fun song.
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As We Bow Our Heads – Hymn
I was blessed to attend a couple of college courses after our children “launched”. It was an exciting time for me, but life got busy again and it was short lived. This “hymn” is the result of an assignment in one of my music classes. Oh, how I loved that class! The assignment was to write a 4-part song using the “rules” we had been taught during the semester. I initially wrote it with the first verse. The instructor asked me where the lyrics came from. They are my own. When I walked away with my “A”, I added the other two verses. For curious minds who want to know:…
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Precious Savior
The closing hymn in sacrament meeting was “Precious Savior, Dear Redeemer”. During the closing prayer, my mind couldn’t leave the hymn alone. I saw notes and took a giant leap for me and played it for postlude. It worked, and this is the result of that experience – one of my favorite postludes to play. I submitted this song to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints music submissions and it was chosen as one of their favorites. They had me at “chosen”. I was stunned when a check came in the mail. Who knew? Not me!
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My Father
My Mother wrote the lyrics for this song and gave them to me. Even though the copyright says 2001, I believe it was much earlier than then. We did a lot of collaborating back in the early days of my music compositions. She was my biggest fan. My Dad was all of the things this song says. He was awesome. He could make and fix anything.
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Andrew Clair
My brother’s good friend delivered a baby boy who had no hope for living more than a few hours on this earth. It just wasn’t meant to be. The family was able to be in the room and hold this perfect little baby until he just fell asleep in the mother’s arms. It was a bitter sweet experience for all of them – and a very painful one for the mother. She was having difficulty getting past the ache. My brother asked if I could write a song just for her about this baby. We spent time on the phone talking about the experience. She shared some very tender feelings…
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Joseph Smith Medley
I arranged this piano solo in 1991 amidst the chaotic atmosphere of moving from Orem to Alpine. I’m not so certain what made me drawn to this at the time, but I found myself frequently at the piano playing parts of this arrangement (in between packing boxes) until it came together as a whole.
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Circles
I was asked to write this song for a poem that was written in the hospital when John Goodwin’s mother-in-law was passing this earth life. It seemed so untimely to him, yet he realized the Plan is that we come to earth and our life lives like the seasons – we come, and then we go. If you pay too closely to the notes vs what is sung, you will notice the altering of notes. Don’t let that be an annoyance. Obviously, both versions work well. Playing the piano while singing (and recording) brings its own challenge.
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Peace
This song was a request by a Relief Society for me to perform a song on the topic of “Peace”. There’s a possibility I misunderstood the request. But I wrote this in response to her request. She said it was over the top, which could mean a couple of things. I felt it turned out fine for the place where I was at the time. It was a good experience then, and has not been looked at since until 2021.
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I’ll Quietly Keep the Commandments
This song has a story. We were newlyweds and struggling financially. We were making ends meet, but it wasn’t easy. I was teaching piano to supplement our income and there was little money left over for play. I did the unpardonable – I asked someone else how they managed so well and why we would be struggling. Her answer was flippant and it stung: “Oh, we just pay our tithing and Heavenly Father blesses us.” What? Did she think we weren’t paying our tithing? I let this get under my skin. By day’s end, the Lord had given me a blessing to calm my mind. It truthfully put me in…
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Treasures in Heaven
We had just zeroed in on the theme for our Girls’ Camp in 1989. I had a full day on the road the next day driving to my Aunt Faye Watkins’ funeral. It was an amazing funeral and sparked such creative juices. As I was driving home, the lyrics came to me as if from a fire hose. I pulled off the road several times to write. This is the result of that experience.
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Ev’ry Day of My Life
1. Ev’ry day of my life, I’ll be thankful for lessons he taught,Thank the Lord for the battles he fought,As he guided me through life’s rough road.Ev’ry day of my life.Ev’ry day of my life, I will honestly try to live likeThe example he set through my life.I will cherish the humbleness shown,Ev’ry day of my life. Father, unselfish in all you do.Giving to others your whole life through.Seeking the joys of Celestial life,Ev’ry, ev’ry day of your life. 2. Ev’ry day of my life, the unselfishness he always showed,As he let others share in his glow,I am sure I will never quite know.Ev’ry day of my life.Ev’ry day of…
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And She Shall Be Called Woman
This song was a request from our Stake Relief Society for the annual RS Birthday Celebration. Sharon Reese and I collaborated on this one. She is a very talented lady and we created together for several years. LYRICS: And she shall be called woman,Gracious, beloved and divine.The works of her hands describe her.She’ll be known through all of time.Strength and honor are her clothing.Only kindness bespeaks her tongue.She lives a full life of service.And rejoices in time to come. And she shall be called womenFrom man in his image came she.Her life full of love and compassionhas its place in eternity.Has its place in eternity. The Lord will bring her…
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An Instrument of Love
This song, written in 1984, was collaborated with my mom, Joan Waldron. She was always very good with prose and poetry. It began as a piano solo, which my husband really enjoyed. It became quite serviceable as a vocal though. The alto part was added sometime after its debut.
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Sacred Task
This was a piano solo first, and my husband loved it. When my Mom heard it, she heard a song and put the song words. It was sung in the valley where she lived quite a bit for a few years. I’m sorry I don’t have a recording. The electronic version is the next best thing.
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Baptism Day
This song was written and sung in 1980 for the baptism of my oldest daughter. My parents had lots of grandchildren, and she was one of the oldest. It’s been heard a numerous baptisms through the years.
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A Parent’s Plea
Lyrics: Help me, dear Father, to guide this child of mine; to teach him to love thee and strive for things divine. Please bless me with wisdom and love to see him through temptations and trials; bless his friends and teachers too. This little spirit has been sent to me from thy presence, now I ask of thee, guide me in teaching him the rules of life, that he might avoid eternal strife. I ask thee Father in humility to guide me in this task thou hast given me.
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They Have Not Heard
The temptation to rewrite this is great, but I won’t at this time. This song was written by my Mom and me before my brother left for his mission in about 1978. My dad called it “Paul’s Call”. That didn’t fly with my brother, but the song has managed to survive the years. It is very old fashioned in musical content, but it was probably about the third song I ever wrote.
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A Mother’s Reflection
I almost hesitate to include the older songs I wrote. This is one of the first half dozen songs I created. Today, I see things I would change. I don’t necessarily want to take the time. It is a snapshot of my life as it is. I have learned a lot in 40 years. There is much, much more I could learn as far as writing music is concerned. This was a period in my life when I was very reflective. I was nearly panic stricken as I realized I was solely responsible for any gospel training this young daughter was going to get. She was so precious to me…
Music by Connie Stauffer