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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 Hear Him (Lower Voice
This song is on my website twice. I wrote it initially for a lower voice (this version), but Angie has this angel voice in a higher range. She is very flexible and was able to do low as well.
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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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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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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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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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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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Candle Light; Christmas Night
This was my Christmas gift to Jesus in 2009. I wanted to compose a Christmas song. This was the end result.
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Fifty Years
This song was created to be sung at my parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary which was a big deal. It was a party to be sure where all their family and friends gathered to congratulate them on this accomplishment. In today’s age, it is even greater than then.
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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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By Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them
This is another Camp Theme Song for the Orem, Utah ward. I loved serving in the Young Women program and camp was a highlight. The girls would learn these lighthearted songs and we had a great week using the theme to learn about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and who we were as daughters of our Heavenly Father. Those were great days. A young woman knows close to the Lord she must stay, by serving her neighbors; don’t forget to obey the guidelines as given by our prophets so dear. The fruits you will see them multiplying each year. Do men gather grapes of thorns? “No, no!” you say. Or figs…
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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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My Father’s Care
I was a young mother with several little children and one troubled teenager. I was managing a household, caring for others and wasn’t feeling a whole lot of love at the time. I just wanted to vent. Venting was never my style, so a song was born. Read between the lines. This song tells a story.
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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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Happy, Healthy Spirits
When my oldest daughter was in Primary, she was asked to give a talk. Singing was her thing; not speaking. We wrote this song with the topic of the Word of Wisdom. She did great. This song was a flash in the pan and never sung again. I hope it gets a new life.
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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.
Music by Connie Stauffer