Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven

mvanpatter — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:30:52 +0000

This has become a favorite at Hope Chapel over the past couple of years. How can you not love “ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven…who, like me, his praise should sing”? This is my retuning, although there are lots of other great tunes out there as well.

Recording | Chart

I Surrender All

mvanpatter — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:46:49 +0000

Here is a live recording of Judson Van De Venter’s late 19th-century hymn ‘I Surrender All’. This hasn’t been in the regular cannon of songs at Hope Chapel, but it happened to be a very fitting sending song a few weeks ago. We used the slightly reworked lyrics by Caedmon’s Call (most notable change may be in very 2 where they substitute “treasures” in place of “pleasures” so that the line reads “Worldly treasures all forsaken…”).

Recording | Chord Chart

Blessed Assurance

mvanpatter — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:01:06 +0000

Here’s a recording of Fanny Crosby’s “Blessed Assurance” from a worship service at Hope Chapel about a month ago. A great reminder that for the Christian, the work is done and “all is at rest”.

Recording | Chord Chart

New music!

mvanpatter — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 15:22:53 +0000

Hello! It has been a long while since I’ve posted anything here, but I’ve got some new music to share with you. First off, I’m going to be participating in a songwriting challenge called 7in7, starting today. For the next week I’ll be writing a song each day and posting a demo recording of it. What a challenge. Here’s the first one: https://soundcloud.com/michaelvanpatter/what-could-be. It’s a little song about living in the present.

Secondly, my band Meager Fare released a 6-song EP in January. You can check it out on our store, or on iTunes or Amazon music.

Third, I’m going to be posting some arrangements of hymns that you’ll know in the coming weeks. They are live recordings from services at Hope Chapel Greensboro and are mostly our versions of some traditional hymns. Stay tuned for those.

New Christmas record from Hope Chapel

mvanpatter — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 21:28:09 +0000

Hope Chapel, where I serve as director of worship arts, just released a Christmas record and you can get it for free here: http://hopechapel.bandcamp.com/album/jesus-came-jesus-comes. I produced and arranged everything, along with my friend (and worship intern!) Griffin Kale. It’s completely in-house, from the musicians and singers to recording, mixing, and mastering. We even had a group of 20 or so folks sing in a stairwell after the worship service one day (you’ll hear them on tracks 1 and 6).

Along with the music, your download will include a PDF with chord charts for all of the arrangements– maybe some of you are still looking for Christmas music to use in worship services this season. Hope it can be useful to you!

I’d love to hear what you think. Feel free to email me at michaelvanpatter [at] gmail.com.

An original hymn: For Your Glory

mvanpatter — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:51:41 +0000

Every song I’ve posted on this blog has been an old hymn text set to new music. Occasionally, though, I’m hoping to post a song with original text and music. This is a text that I first wrote almost 10 years ago, then rewrote about 2 years back. It’s an attempt to capture the majesty and worth of God and the humble worship that results. At the same time, it’s a reminder that we are daughters and sons, loved and known– and so we can worship boldly and with confidence. This recording is from last Sunday’s worship service at Hope Chapel.

For Your Glory (words/music: Michael Van Patter)

recording | chart

It’s for Your glory, Lord, we come—not for our own gain
For Your glory, Lord, we come—to praise Your holy name
Not on a merit of our own, alone we’d bring you shame
But by the power of His blood, we stand and bless Your name

We hope in nothing we have done, we boast in Christ alone
We are daughters, we are sons; and we are loved and known
And in the quiet of this place, we’ll boldly seek Your throne
And plead the merit of His blood and worship You alone

You are worthy our Messiah! You are worthy Abba Father!
You are worthy King of Glory! You are worthy of all praise!

When the last sun fades away and all is said and done
You will be forever praised, from every tribe and every tongue
And every knee will someday bow in reverence ‘fore Your throne
Until that day we’ll join and sing, “the glory’s Yours alone”!

You are worthy Great Redeemer!You are worthy Mighty God!
You are worthy Everlasting! You are worthy of all praise!

Issac Watts hymn for the Ascension

mvanpatter — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:44:39 +0000

Here’s a hymn rewrite I contributed to a Cardiphonia project called Hymns for the Ascension. It’s a bit different than my normal folkish style– I enjoyed actually using no guitars on this one. Check out the entire collection of songs here: http://cardiphonia.bandcamp.com/album/hymns-for-the-ascension.

Lord, When Thou Didst Ascend (text: Issac Watts, 1719)

recording | chart

Lord, when Thou didst ascend on high,
Ten thousand angels filled the sky;
Those heav’nly guards around thee wait,
Like chariots that attend thy state.

Not Sinai’s mountain could appear
More glorious when the Lord was there;
While he pronounced his dreadful law,
And struck the chosen tribes with awe.

How bright the triumph none can tell,
When the rebellious powers of hell,
That thousand souls had captive made,
Were all in chains like captives led.

Raised by his Father to the throne,
He sent the promised Spirit down
With gifts and grace for rebel men,
That God might dwell on earth again.

a new song!

mvanpatter — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:52:51 +0000

Hello friends. It has been far too long since I’ve posted something. My church, Hope Chapel moved into a new facility at the end of 2011 and it consumed most of my fall and winter. I have missed the creative outlet that hymnwriting provides and I’m looking forward to jumping back in soon.

For now, I do have one new song for you (although it’s actually been out on the internets for a few months). I was glad to contribute something to a compilation project called ‘Songs for the Supper’, organized by Cardiphonia. The album consists of 30 songs from writers all over, all around the theme of the Lord’s Supper. It’s really quite fantastic. I contributed one called “Thee, King of Saints We Praise’. Hope you enjoy.

* to hear the rest of the songs, go here: http://cardiphonia.bandcamp.com/album/songs-for-the-supper

Thee, King of Saints, We Praise (Text: Charles Wesley, 1859; Music & Add. lyrics: Michael Van Patter, 2012)

(recording | lead sheet)

THEE, King of Saints, we praise,
For this our Living Bread;
Sustained by Thy grace,
Sustained by Thy grace,
Sustained by Thy grace
And at Thy Table fed ;

We we in lower parts
Of Thy great kingdom feast,
We feel in our hearts,
We feel in our hearts,
We feel in our hearts
The promise of Thy rest.

Yet still a higher seat
We in Thy kingdom claim,
And begin by faith to eat,
Begin by faith to eat,
Begin by faith to eat
The Supper of the Lamb.

Hymns #18 and #19

mvanpatter — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:08:49 +0000

Here are two more hymn rewrites that I did this summer. They are part of a project called ‘Pentecost Songs’, produced by Cardiphonia. The 23 songs on this compilation are really incredible, and you can download the whole thing for free here.

Breathe on Me

(listen | chart)

1 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.

2 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until my will is one with thine,
to do and to endure.

3 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
till I am wholly thine,
until this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.

4 Breathe on me, Breath of God,
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.

Great Comforter, Descend

(listen | chart)

Why should the children of a King
Go mourning all their days?
Great Comforter! descend and bring
Some tokens of thy grace.

Refrain:
Great Comforter, descend! and bring
Some tokens of thy grace

Dost thou not dwell in all the saints,
And seal the heirs of heav’n?
When wilt thou banish my complaints,
And show my sins forgiv’n?

Assure my conscience of her part
In the Redeemer’s blood
And bear thy witness with my heart,
That I am born of God.

Thou art the earnest of his love,
The pledge of joys to come;
And thy soft wings, celestial Dove,
Will safe convey me home.

Two new songs, coming soon…

mvanpatter — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:12:14 +0000

First off, if you are checking out this blog on a regular basis, thanks for hanging in there for what has become quite a dry spell. When I started this project, my intention was to do a hymn rewrite each week for a year. It has ended up being every 2-3 weeks, at best. Still, I have been more productive than I would otherwise have been, so I’m not too worried about it. The good news is, I will be posting two new songs next week. They’re part of another collaborative project by Bruce Benedict, in the same vein as Hymns of Faith and Songs for Lent. Should be a really great collection of songs. Stay tuned for a release early next week.