Jesus Christ

How Great the Wisdom and the Love – Vocal Solo

Marilee Leishman Religious Arrangements 1 Comment
How Great the Wisdom and the Love – Vocal Solo

Text by Eliza R. Snow: In the midst of the Missouri persecutions in the late 1830s, Joseph Smith called on Eliza to write on behalf of her people and in their defense.4 She accepted the challenge, and by the 1850s, she became known as “Zion’s Poetess.” She wrote more than 500 poems in which she chronicled the history and beliefs of the Saints. Many of her poems became beloved hymns and were sung around pioneer campfires, in meeting rooms, and in temples. (source)

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Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Marilee Leishman Religious Arrangements 1 Comment
Jesus, Lover of My Soul

Hello! This week I created a vocal arrangement of the old Christian hymn, Jesus, Lover of My Soul, which is one of the suggested songs for this week’s Come Follow Me Book of Mormon lesson. I pushed myself on the speed of the left hand notes for the instrumental section and last verse of the song. It took some practice for me to get it up to speed and I had to record it multiple times to get it right. I never know what I am going to do with a hymn when I first look at it. I just start playing around with it and eventually come up with something. It takes some effort! ha ha. 

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The Lord is My Shepherd Men’s Trio

Marilee Leishman Religious Arrangements 1 Comment
The Lord is My Shepherd Men’s Trio

Hello! This week, for our Come Follow Me  Book of Mormon lesson, I chose to select The Lord is My Shepherd. This is an arrangement I did for a men’s musical number we needed at our recent church conference for the adults in our area. I had adapted it from a previous piano solo to suit this Men’s trio. RD Parsons, Kevin Forbush and Josh Pack are on vocals and did such a wonderful job recording and interpreting this beautiful hymn. I am grateful to them for allowing me to record and film them for this setting!

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Love One Another BOM

Marilee Leishman Religious Arrangements 1 Comment
Love One Another BOM

Hello! Love One Another is one of the suggested songs to go along with the Come Follow Me  Book of Mormon lesson this week. Love One Another is a popular LDS hymn with a beautiful melody and just one single verse. This arrangement is a vocal solo with an instrumental piano part and reprise of the second half of the verse at the end. The sheet music for this arrangement is available for free here. 

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Keep the Commandments

Marilee Leishman Religious Arrangements 1 Comment
Keep the Commandments

Hello! Keep the Commandments is one of the suggested songs to go along with the Come Follow Me  Book of Mormon lesson this week. This is a short and simple piano solo arrangement. This lesson studies Mosiah chapters 11-17. In this section, King Noah rules in wickedness, Abinadi prophesies that the people will be taken into bondage & King Noah will die because of their wickedness. Abinadi is imprisoned. He speaks to the false priests and King Noah, teaching them the Ten Commandments and that Salvation does not come through the law of Moses alone, but through Jesus Christ. Alma, one of the wicked priests, believes his words. Abinadi suffers death by fire and Alma writes his words, separating himself from King Noah and the priests. 

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A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief

Marilee Leishman Religious Arrangements 1 Comment
A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief

This arrangement is a vocal solo of verses 1, 5, 6 and 7. I didn’t want the song to be too long, so I tried to include the final verses that are essential for the storyline, but are often not sung in Church because of how long the song is. This hymn has beautiful descriptive language that draws you in. A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief was a favorite hymn of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The apostle John Taylor first learned the hymn while on his mission to England. On the afternoon that Joseph and Hyrum were killed by a mob in prison in Carthage, the Smiths requested Taylor sing this hymn twice. How touching and special this hymn is.

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Risen by Shawna Edwards Cover

Marilee Leishman Religious Arrangements 1 Comment
Risen by Shawna Edwards Cover

Hello! “Risen” is the song I chose to do this week to go along with the Come Follow Me Easter lesson. This song was written by Shawna Edwards in 2019. Here is what she said about the song: “Every good thing we have is because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Risen” is the result of my special feelings for Jesus and the joy I feel, knowing that He lives!” Melinda Spence is on vocals with me along with Emily Clark on the Violin. Melinda is the one who suggested this song to me as one we could sing in sacrament meeting at Church around Easter time. We decided to record and film it as well. I’m grateful for everything those two added to this arrangement. They did such a beautiful job.  

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