My new songbook In The Spirit is a collection of 14 songs that I originally wrote for the Café of the Gate of Salvation. From that description you may gather that they’re inspired by the black gospel tradition, but because I’m so undisciplined I can’t help but be swayed by other genres — so these songs have a pretty tenuous kinship with black gospel songs. But then it also depends on how one performs them. And because COTGOS is an auditioned choir, I wrote songs that are a little more complex & involved than the material I usually teach in workshops. So this book is pitched at a choir with some experience & some reading skills. The songs are all my compositions except for ‘All Of Heaven’ which my good friend the late Arthur Baysting & I wrote back in the ’70s.
The songs, all from the choir’s first three CDs, are:
A Window In Heaven
All Of Heaven
Don’t Wait (For Sunday)
(I’ve Been Given) Two Wing
In The Shadow Of Thy Wings
In The Spirit
Jubilation
Lost In The Heavenly Light
Save Me Some Grace
Shine On
Superman’s Prayer
The Heart of Jesus
The Lord’s Prayer
There Is Room At The Inn
The book is $25 (AUD).The digital edition is now on my website store. Hard copies will also soon be available.