Just Believe

This is a song based on the Bible story of Jairus, his daughter, and the woman with the issue of blood. It is written in a Gospel Church style, with backing vocals, and light orchestration.

Shelter

Blessed is the person whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the roads to Zion!
Passing through the Valley of Baca they make it a spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them appears before God in Zion. (Ps. 84:6)

The valley of Baca is translated '“valley of weeping.”

When we trust in the Lord with our whole heart, even in the tough times, He brings us through to the other side, not only to experience life as usual. But, just like God can, He brings us to a place of joy.

This song merges Psalm 84 with passages from Psalm 91. The Lord is our refuge, our protector. Even when we go through trials and fiery circumstances, He is there surrounding us with His Presence.

We are truly blessed, no matter the situation!

The Seed

The Seed

This is an Easter Oratorio, written in a ‘Praise and Worship’ setting.  It is a 20 minute through-composed song, derived from an analogy of Jesus coming to earth as a seed, dying in the ground and resurrecting to new life, ultimately producing fruit for harvest as God’s Kingdom expands throughout the world.

This was a substantial stretch for our group at the time.  I was glad to have obtained a live recording of the work.

More and More Grace

“But God gives a greater grace.” (James 4:6) More and more grace has been poured out on us, through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here’s a Gospel song I wrote about it. Hope you enjoy!

Joyful (Light of the World)

This is a Gospel Christmas song, using a quote from Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (Ode to Joy). This live performance was done at Odessa Christian Faith Center, Christmas Eve 2023.

This Is Christmas

Here is an original song that uses quotes from other well-known carols in a unique and fun way. Hope you enjoy!

Floodgates, All Hail the Power (score)

This is a declaration song of God’s ability to break into our awareness. Just like a dam bursting open, His power will not be contained by any human agency. This was presented live at Odessa Christian Faith Center in 2022. I wrote the song for a special presentation, then later added the hymn, ‘All Hail the Power,’ for congregational involvement.

Hope you enjoy it!

America, Come to Me

God has a call upon this nation. His light will yet shine through us to the benefit of the world. As we humble ourselves under His might hand, He will bring us back to the destiny we are meant to fulfill.

It Is Finished

When Jesus hung on that cross, He declared '“It is finished!” That means all of our sins, separation from God, and eternal judgement were taken away. We now have peace with God because of His sacrifice, His willingness to pay it all.

Road to Golgotha

As Jesus carried His cross, the awkwardness and humiliation of facing crucifixion, He did it for us, knowing He would purchase us from our sin and bring us into His family. He gave His life, laying down all privileges, so we could see Heaven. He faced hell in a way no one else could, so we could gain eternal life.

In the Garden (Easter)

It was actually in the Garden that Jesus won the victory internally before going to the cross. He found the strength in prayer to head toward the cross, being separated from His Father for the first time. He had courage to face the humiliation and pain of crucifixion, knowing the joy that would soon follow in resurrection.

Magnificat

This is a composition for acapella choir, using the famous text from the Bible, as Mary greeted Elizabeth. (Lk. 1:46-55) The miracle of The Seed being placed in her womb, the Word becoming flesh, Heaven touching earth is even more astounding knowing that it happened to a young girl who was unsuspecting of her destiny to bear the Child Who would be the Savior of the world.

This was a live performance by the Odessa Christian Faith Center choir, directed by Stephanie Carter, Christmas Eve 2021.

Hope you enjoy!

Other Side

Here’s an original song I wrote about crossing seemingly dangerous waters in order to get to where God wants you to go. The Other Side is where the blessings are, but sometimes we have to look above the wind, waves, and storms of life, in order to get there.

When Peter stepped out of the boat, he walked on the water until he started looking at the negative circumstances. When the disciples were struggling in the boat, thinking they would perish, Jesus was asleep in the stern, at peace, because He already gave them the word to go to the other side. He ended up rebuking them for their lack of faith because they could have done what He did, which was to command the wind and waves to desist.

We have what it takes to make it to the Other Side, where the promises are, but He expects us to utilize our faith in His Word in order to get there. We trust Him and we focus on His promises, then we Go.

This recording is taken from a live service, with score overlaid.

Hope you like it.

One Light (Christmas Medley)

Here is a collage of well-known Christmas carols, framed in a unique way. Throughout the medley, a tone row is used a number of times. (You may be surprised to find its iterations.) It was presented by the Odessa Christian Faith Center choir in 2021. Hope you enjoy!

There Is Life (score) and Track

Here are a couple more thoughts on ‘There Is Life’. The score shown below does not contain the full orchestration, which would probably be too small to read in this format. However, this condensed score shows the basic concept of the piece. Perhaps someday it could be done with a live full group consisting of rhythm section, choir, praise team vocalists, and orchestra. Until then, I’m glad to have this presentation.

Also, since the track itself bears a good bit of work, I wanted to share it without vocals. This was my first attempt at using EastWest Hollywood Orchestra sample library in conjunction with Logic X. Hope you enjoy!

(without vocals):

There Is Life (for Vocal Ensemble, Rhythm Section and Orchestra)

This was an experimental piece, written for Easter, in which the tempo gradually morphs through the middle of the song, becoming twice as fast at the end, as the opening material returns in the same tempo in which it started, only now in ‘cut-time’. In order to make this rhythmic transition successfully, a click-track arrangement was made to guide the rhythm section players successfully.

Due to the pandemic, Easter 2020 presented a big challenge: how was I going to do a piece of this magnitude? I had already started producing the orchestration and arrangement with Logic Pro and the EastWest Hollywood Orchestra sample library. I ended up digitally producing all instrumentation together with two phoned-in choir parts, and a four-member vocal ensemble, including myself.

The original concept of the work was to blend the various stylistic elements of: 1) Praise and Worship, 2) Symphonic Orchestration, 3) Elements of folk/spiritual, using the pentatonic scale, and 4) an Obligato Choir line throughout. The piece starts in F minor and concludes in Eb Major after going through a passage of chromaticism towards the end of the piece.

I wrote the original version several years ago with limited success in our performance. The difficulty it presented to our group was a rhythmic one. Making the ‘twice as fast’ change was difficult for our team at that time. I knew the only way to successfully achieve it would be to use click across the entire group, including vocalists. Finally having this capability in my grasp, the pandemic situation caused me to abort the larger group idea, replacing the instrumentation with a fully produced track.

Following is the video performance used for Odessa Christian Faith Center’s Easter 2020, featuring Ana Young, Carmen Young, Debra Bledsoe, and myself:

There Is Life (©2020 Lowell Hohstadt)

There is life

There is life in the River,

life in the River which flows from the Throne,

it flows from the Throne,

it flows from the Throne

There is life

There is life in the breath of His Presence

There is peace beyond measure,

beyond measure,

a peace freely given,

freely given

It surrounds, it surrounds  

and it covers like a flood

covers like a flood,

like a flood

There is fruit precious fruit

which grows on the Vine,

inside there is seed to be planted

If it falls up on ground that is fallow and moist,

its power, its power,

its power will reflect all of Heaven,

all of Heaven

There is fruit precious fruit

which grows on the Vine,

inside there is seed to be planted

If it falls up on ground that is fallow and moist,

its power, its power,

its power will reflect all of Heaven,

all of Heaven

All of Heaven

Jesus is the Resurrection

Jesus is the life

No one comes unto the Father

No one comes unto the Father of Lights

with Whom there is no variation,

with Whom there is no shifting shadow of turning

No one comes unto the Father of lights

by any other way but Jesus

Jesus is the Resurrection Jesus is the Life

Jesus is the Life

Resurrection, Resurrection

Resurrection, Resurrection,

If you believe there is nothing impossible

If you believe there is nothing impossible

For He said, "I Am the Resurrection, I Am the Life,

He who believes in Me will never die."

Resurrection, Resurrection

If you believe, If you believe,

All things are possible

Resurrection, Resurrection,

Resurrection, Resurrection,

Resurrection, Resurrection,

Resurrection and the Life,

Resurrection and the Life

There is life in the River

which flows from the Throne,

There is life in the breath of His Presence

There is peace beyond measure, a peace freely given,

it surrounds and it covers like a flood

There is fruit, precious fruit

which grows on the vine,

inside there is seed to be planted

If it falls upon ground that is fallow and moist,

its power, its power,

its power will reflect all of Heaven

All of Heaven

He said, "I Am the Resurrection. I Am the Life.

I Am the Resurrection. I Am the Life.

Believe in Me, Believe in Me,

You'll never die.

I Am the Life, I Am the Vine,

I Am alive, alive, alive."

There is life,

There is Life!

What Child Is This (for string quartet) Video

I enjoyed writing this arrangement/composition of the well-known Christmas carol. My family, along with Tim Tyler on viola are all involved, including Jonathan Hohstadt who did the video.

I hope you enjoy it.

Crown Him With Many Crowns (for String Quartet)

Here is a new string quartet arrangement of the famous hymn "Crown Him With Many Crowns".  I hope you enjoy!

Go Tell It (for a cappella vocal ensemble)

Here's an arrangement of the popular Christmas song, "Go Tell It On the Mountain" I wrote for this year's upcoming Christmas.  While I was preparing the practice vocal tracks for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass, I sang each part in a range that fit my voice, which turned it into a 'male' (barbershop) arrangement.  I thought it sounded fun, so I went ahead and mixed it down.

Hope you enjoy!

We Win (Drops of Blood)

Here's a song I wrote for this year's Easter services.  I just now had a chance to mix it down.  Hope you enjoy it!

Drops of Blood upon the ground

and with thorns, He wore the crown,

as He carried the weight of all my sin

Driving spikes into His hands,

unrecognizable as man,

He cried out and all creation saw His end.

Now that darkness had its cost,

and ev'ry hopeful day was lost,

placed into the ground,

carried to a bed of rock,

Descending in to regions only known to death,

surrounded in the lies of all unrest,

Separated from the Love

and ev'ry thing from up above,

He became the curse that I deserved.

And when the debt was paid,

the wind of Heaven came,

and burning light came blazing through the door.

For the gates of hell shall not prevail

against the love that tore the veil.

Heaven's eyes toward us

are filled with tears of grace,

and a longing to behold us face to face.

With a blazing light and burning pow'r,

radiation filled the tomb,

as a New Creation, and a brand new Nation

came forth from Heaven's womb,

He's alive in us, and we're alive in Him!

All of Heaven now proclaims,

"We win! We win!"

"We win! We win!"

He is alive, He's ruling in His power,

We are alive in Him!

Ev'ry pow'r is put now beneath Him,

We declare, "We win!"

Heaven's gates are opened wide,

All His life is now inside.

Light and life are here to stay.

Ev'ry blessing shines today.

He is alive, He's ruling in His power,

We are alive in Him!

Ev'ry pow'r is put now beneath Him,

We declare, "We win!"

Heaven's gates are opened wide,

All His life is now inside.

Light and life are here to stay.

Ev'ry blessing shines today.

We win! We win!

We live in Him!

We win! We win!

We win!