All Creatures Of Our God And King
One of my church orchestra director friends, Scott Clark in Columbia, SC, commissioned me to create a new arrangement of All Creatures of Our God and King. I reminded him that there were several great arrangements for orchestra already out there and available, but he assured me that was what he wanted.
He wanted it in a high energy style (my forte I guess) and told me that he wanted some 7/8 meter in it somewhere. I mentioned in last month's Song of the Month that on “O God Our Help In Ages Past” I had the idea to use 7/8 time signature within the arrangement. All of the odd metered time signatures like 5 or 7 are really just combinations of 2’s and 3’s within the measure.
In “O God Our Help In Ages Past”, the combination was 2+2+3 eighths in the measure. I love the slight delay feel in the last 3 in the measure. It’s conducted in a 3 pattern with the last beat having the value of 3 eighths. I have to laugh a little when I remember someone telling me how to count 7/8 with one-two-three-four-five-six-sev-en. I hope you get the joke. I’ll leave it at that.
I had several of my favorite arrangements of this great hymn in my head, so I really had to think to take a new direction, but I got what I needed especially, considering the use of 7/8. It starts with a big and bold up tempo fanfare and moves into the first verse with alternating measures of 4/4 and 3/4.
After the first verse it goes into the first 7/8 section starting with only Flutes and High Hat Cymbal in a composed new section emphasizing the 2+2+3 feel. Next, Clarinets and Oboe join along with a Violin and Viola pedal point C. Then, Horn and Cello counter melodies join and finally the full orchestra before going into the second verse once again with some alternating 4/4 and 3/4. 7/8 returns again with full orchestra making a key change and into a majestic 4/4 statement of the 3rd verse before returning to the opening fanfare and a climactic final 7/8 coda.
I feel this arrangement utilizes the beautiful fluid melody of this hymn and emphasizes the echoing “Alleluias” that are such an important lyric. I remember hearing that the “Alleluias" in praise to our God have been going on in Heaven since the beginning and when we sing it, we are joining those praises for the moment we are singing (playing).
Even when we stop, the praise continues forever.