Easter, New Arrangements

Our God Reigns

CLICK TO LISTEN: Our God Reigns Piano/Vocal By Don Chapman Our God Reigns emerged in that first wave of “choruses” way back in 1974, the…
Our God Reigns
Our God Reigns

Our God Reigns

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CLICK TO LISTEN: Our God Reigns Piano/Vocal By Don Chapman Our God Reigns emerged in that first wave of “choruses” way back in 1974, the same era as I Love You,…
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today 2023

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CLICK TO LISTEN: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today By Don Chapman I’m so excited to share my new arrangement of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today! Other arrangements of this…
Our God Reigns

Our God Reigns

CLICK TO LISTEN: Our God Reigns Piano/Vocal By Don Chapman Our God Reigns emerged in that first wave of “choruses” way back in 1974, the same era as I Love You,…
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today 2023

CLICK TO LISTEN: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today By Don Chapman I’m so excited to share my new arrangement of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today! Other arrangements of this…

Our God Reigns

CLICK TO LISTEN: Our God Reigns Piano/Vocal By Don Chapman Our God Reigns emerged in that first wave of “choruses” way back in 1974, the same era as I Love You,…
Our God Reigns

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today 2023

CLICK TO LISTEN: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today By Don Chapman I’m so excited to share my new arrangement of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today! Other arrangements of this…
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

Our God Reigns

Our God Reigns
CLICK TO LISTEN: Our God Reigns Piano/Vocal By Don Chapman Our God Reigns emerged in that first wave of “choruses” way back in 1974, the same era as I Love You, Lord (1976) and Seek Ye First (1971). Songs like these are the forebears of our modern worship music. Can you…

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today 2023

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
CLICK TO LISTEN: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today By Don Chapman I’m so excited to share my new arrangement of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today! Other arrangements of this classic Easter hymn here at hymncharts are big and bombastic, but this one is a bit more laid back with…

Our God Reigns

CLICK TO LISTEN: Our God Reigns Piano/Vocal

By Don Chapman

Our God Reigns emerged in that first wave of “choruses” way back in 1974, the same era as I Love You, Lord (1976) and Seek Ye First (1971). Songs like these are the forebears of our modern worship music. Can you imagine a day and age when beautiful music like this was considered radical (and even dangerous) by traditionalists!

Lenny Smith, the composer of Our God Reigns, recently emailed me and asked if I might be interested in arranging it (he’s still going strong at 80!) He’s quite a charming, humorous fellow 🙂 For fun I thought I’d try, not expecting much. Sitting down at the piano this little rendition instantly popped out and I quite liked it! Those chime-y piano chords give it a nice modern feel.

My vision for this version is that it makes a great prelude-type song. It’s just one verse and 4 choruses and will work wonderfully as an opening for your Easter worship, especially opening a hymn like Christ the Lord Is Risen Today or Christ Arose (I arranged it specifically to work with my new version of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today but it would work equally well with my others.)

One thing I especially love about most Easter music is that you can use these songs and hymns all year ’round. Imagine Our God Reigns as an ending to your communion service!

The 5th verse is perfect for Easter: “Out of the tomb He came with grace and majesty…” Start your service with Our God Reigns and on that final chord launch into an upbeat version of your favorite Easter hymn or praise song (This Is Our God or This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham would work well!) Your congregation might get swept up in it, I certainly do as I listen, so feel free to add another chorus.

Download the basic files now and I’ll have a little more elaborate version with full band coming up!

P.S. I would love to arrange other popular praise and worship songs but alas, publishing companies won’t let me since they don’t like my subscription based sales method. Mr. Smith, owning his own copyright, is able to give me permission. I get content for hymncharts and he gets CCLI royalties (the CCLI number is only 4 digits: 8458 – you know it’s a classic!)

Here’s a YouTube video of Mr. Smith singing Our God Reigns live a few years ago with his kids and grandkids.

Download sheet music, chord charts, tracks, multitracks and instrumental parts for Our God Reigns exclusively with a hymncharts subscription. You won’t find this arrangement on any other website.

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today 2023

CLICK TO LISTEN: Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

By Don Chapman

I’m so excited to share my new arrangement of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today! Other arrangements of this classic Easter hymn here at hymncharts are big and bombastic, but this one is a bit more laid back with a slightly slower tempo and a lower key than usual. I’ve added a few little Bach-ish licks and have mixed them with a more modern chord structure.

I’ve also finally figured out how to get rid of those dreaded 2/4 measures that many contemporary hymn arrangements tend to have at the end of verses and/or choruses (I think, and email me if you know, these odd measures made more sense in the old days when a hymn was sung simply and without stopping. That extra beat gave everyone a second to get their breath.)

This arrangement uses my favorite “trick” of starting with a female worship leader for the lower melodic part of the song, and switching to a male vocal for the higher melodic end of the song. Christ the Lord Is Risen Today has such a wide melodic range that it’s difficult to manage for most vocalists – splitting it in two solves the problem as you hear in the demo.

Use this female/male alternating melody version for a quick and easy two part choir, or use the still easy SATB parts and bump the key up to Bb or B with the free Finale Notepad.

Hymnlink: Blend Christ the Lord Is Risen Today with popular praise and worship songs

The hymn Christ the Lord Is Risen Today is all about celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead! It’s a happy and triumphant song that reminds us that through His resurrection, we have hope for eternal life and victory over sin and death. It’s a song of joy and praise that encourages us to lift up our hearts and voices in thanksgiving for what Christ has done for us. Try kicking off your Easter worship with Christ the Lord Is Risen Today and follow it with any of these popular praise and worship songs that fit thematically:

“Glorious Day” by Passion

You called my name
And I ran out of that grave
Out of the darkness
Into Your glorious day

“Resurrecting” by Elevation Worship

The head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now
The Savior knelt to wash our feet
Now at His feet we bow

“Because He Lives (Amen)” by Matt Maher

Amen, Amen
I’m alive, I’m alive
Because He lives
Amen, Amen
Let my song join the one that never ends
Because He lives

“Death Was Arrested” by North Point Worship

Our Savior displayed on a criminal’s cross
Darkness rejoiced as though heaven had lost
But then Jesus arose with our freedom in hand
That’s when death was arrested and my life began

Download sheet music, chord charts, tracks, multitracks and instrumental parts for Christ the Lord Is Risen Today exclusively with a hymncharts subscription. You won’t find this arrangement on any other website.

Our God Reigns

Our God Reigns

1 Comment
CLICK TO LISTEN: Our God Reigns Piano/Vocal By Don Chapman Our God Reigns emerged in that first wave of “choruses” way…

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

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Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

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Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

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Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

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Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video
Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video

Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta

Live Video
Christ Arose (LIVE) 1st Baptist Atlanta
Christ Arose
Christ Arose (LIVE)
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
Christmas Carol Medley
Christmas Carol Medley
Come Ye Thankful People Come
Come Ye Thankful People Come
Go Tell It
Go Tell It On the Mountain
Hallelujah What a Savior
Hallelujah, What a Savior!
He Hideth My Soul
He Hideth My Soul
Sing We Now of Christmas
In the Studio: Sing We Now of Christmas
Now Thank We All Our God
Now Thank We All Our God

We love HymnCharts…it has helped us start an orchestra ministry in our small church! The parts are accessible and don’t leave the same “gaps” as most orchestrations. We appreciate what you do. God bless your ministry!

Josh Erisman
FBC Strafford
Strafford, MO

I use your charts almost every Sunday, and love them. You have done such a great job giving new life and spirit to old hymns. Your website is easy to use, and all charts are so accessible. Well done!

Susan Hutchinson Banning
Rockland Community Church
Golden, CO

Our congregation is incredibly receptive to your quality arrangements of the old hymns. The elder saints can still hear the tune they love so much and generation x/z feel like they’re singing new praise and worship songs and are digging the “deep” lyrics. I think your product is the best on the market.

Doug Hewitt
First Baptist Church
Riverview, FL

We love HymnCharts…it has helped us start an orchestra ministry in our small church! The parts are accessible and don’t leave the same “gaps” as most orchestrations. We appreciate what you do. God bless your ministry!

Josh Erisman
FBC Strafford
Strafford, MO

I use your charts almost every Sunday, and love them. You have done such a great job giving new life and spirit to old hymns. Your website is easy to use, and all charts are so accessible. Well done!

Susan Hutchinson Banning
Rockland Community Church
Golden, CO

Our congregation is incredibly receptive to your quality arrangements of the old hymns. The elder saints can still hear the tune they love so much and generation x/z feel like they’re singing new praise and worship songs and are digging the “deep” lyrics. I think your product is the best on the market.

Doug Hewitt
First Baptist Church
Riverview, FL

We love HymnCharts…it has helped us start an orchestra ministry in our small church! The parts are accessible and don’t leave the same “gaps” as most orchestrations. We appreciate what you do. God bless your ministry!

Josh Erisman
FBC Strafford
Strafford, MO

I use your charts almost every Sunday, and love them. You have done such a great job giving new life and spirit to old hymns. Your website is easy to use, and all charts are so accessible. Well done!

Susan Hutchinson Banning
Rockland Community Church
Golden, CO

Our congregation is incredibly receptive to your quality arrangements of the old hymns. The elder saints can still hear the tune they love so much and generation x/z feel like they’re singing new praise and worship songs and are digging the “deep” lyrics. I think your product is the best on the market.

Doug Hewitt
First Baptist Church
Riverview, FL

We love HymnCharts…it has helped us start an orchestra ministry in our small church! The parts are accessible and don’t leave the same “gaps” as most orchestrations. We appreciate what you do. God bless your ministry!

Josh Erisman
FBC Strafford
Strafford, MO

I use your charts almost every Sunday, and love them. You have done such a great job giving new life and spirit to old hymns. Your website is easy to use, and all charts are so accessible. Well done!

Susan Hutchinson Banning
Rockland Community Church
Golden, CO

Our congregation is incredibly receptive to your quality arrangements of the old hymns. The elder saints can still hear the tune they love so much and generation x/z feel like they’re singing new praise and worship songs and are digging the “deep” lyrics. I think your product is the best on the market.

Doug Hewitt
First Baptist Church
Riverview, FL

We love HymnCharts…it has helped us start an orchestra ministry in our small church! The parts are accessible and don’t leave the same “gaps” as most orchestrations. We appreciate what you do. God bless your ministry!

Josh Erisman
FBC Strafford
Strafford, MO

I use your charts almost every Sunday, and love them. You have done such a great job giving new life and spirit to old hymns. Your website is easy to use, and all charts are so accessible. Well done!

Susan Hutchinson Banning
Rockland Community Church
Golden, CO

Our congregation is incredibly receptive to your quality arrangements of the old hymns. The elder saints can still hear the tune they love so much and generation x/z feel like they’re singing new praise and worship songs and are digging the “deep” lyrics. I think your product is the best on the market.

Doug Hewitt
First Baptist Church
Riverview, FL

We love HymnCharts…it has helped us start an orchestra ministry in our small church! The parts are accessible and don’t leave the same “gaps” as most orchestrations. We appreciate what you do. God bless your ministry!

Josh Erisman
FBC Strafford
Strafford, MO

I use your charts almost every Sunday, and love them. You have done such a great job giving new life and spirit to old hymns. Your website is easy to use, and all charts are so accessible. Well done!

Susan Hutchinson Banning
Rockland Community Church
Golden, CO

Our congregation is incredibly receptive to your quality arrangements of the old hymns. The elder saints can still hear the tune they love so much and generation x/z feel like they’re singing new praise and worship songs and are digging the “deep” lyrics. I think your product is the best on the market.

Doug Hewitt
First Baptist Church
Riverview, FL