SATB, Piano Ed. 9050 $1.70

Two American Hymns(How Firm a Foundation • Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing)

arr. Christopher Miller

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Christopher Miller earned a BMEd degree from The Ohio State University where, as a voicemajor, he studied with Dale Gilliland, Maurice Casey and Irma Cooper. As a member of variouschoirs both during and after college, he has sung under the direction of guest conductors RobertShaw, Erich Kunzel, Jester Hairston and Ward Swingle.

Singing and arranging for the real-world environment of volunteer choirs has taught ChristopherMiller the importance of producing music that is harmonically rich and interesting without beingdifficult to learn. Of his arranging, the Lima, Ohio native says, “I enjoy giving old familiarmelodies interesting new treatments. Even when it is difficult, it is more play than work.”

How Firm a Foundation (excerpts)How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

is laid for your faith in His excellent word!What more can He say than to you He hath said,

to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

When through deep waters He calls thee to go,the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;

For He will be with thee thy troubles to bless,and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

– John Rippon’s A Selection of Hymns...(1787)

Come, Thou Fount of Every BlessingCome, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace.Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.Teach me some melodious sonnet sung by flaming tongues above.Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise my *Ebenezer hither by Thy help I’m come;And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.

O to grace, how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above.

* Alternate text: my holy altar– Robert Robinson, (1735 – 1790)

& &˙ ˙ ˙ ˙Sopranos Altos Tenors

Ranges:? ˙

˙Basses?( œ ) ˙ ( œ œ)

˙*

*

* Soprano and tenor ranges are extended for unison singing.

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Allegretto con brio ( q = 69-76)

Duration: ca. 5:10

Piano

mf

7

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Unison MenHow

mf with conviction

firm

a foun da

- tion,- ye saints

of the

13

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Unison Trebles

is

mf

laid

for your faith

in His ex

cel- lent

- word.

Lord,

What

more

can He

3Two American Hymns

(How Firm a Foundation • Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing)for Mixed Chorus (SATB) with Piano Accompaniment

Isaiah 43:1-5 (alt.) Foundation and NettletonRobert Robinson (1735-1790) arr. Christopher Miller

Hear a full performance of this and other Kjos chorals at www.kjos.com©2007 Kjos Music Press, 4382 Jutland Drive, San Diego, California 92117

International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.WARNING! This composition is protected by copyright law. To copy or reproduce it by any method is an infringement of the copyright law.

Anyone who reproduces copyrighted matter is subject to substantial penalties and assessments for each infringement.

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