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.
Just a Step Away (for Baritone Voice and Brass Quintet)
This is a piece I wrote for a friend for his wedding, performed by his brother, Nathaniel Carter and the Lone Star Brass Quintet. It combines the simple melody of a contemporary pop song with a Renaissance-like accompaniment of the brass, with linear diatonicism.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel (acapella)
This was one of my first acapella choir carol arrangements, written for my church’s annual Christmas service.
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (Gospel)
This is an original song I wrote, using text from the well-known Christmas carol. The recording was from a live performance on Christmas Eve at Odessa Christian Faith Center, 2023. 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.
Away In a Manger (for acapella choir)
This is an essay on the famous Christmas carol, performed live by the Odessa Christian Faith Center Vocal Ensemble, Christmas Eve 2023. It was an experiment in linear textual writing, as well as linear melodic part-writing. Added to the song are some theological thoughts.
Hope you enjoy!
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.
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.
The Entry (Palm Sunday)
The noisy and excited crowd on Palm Sunday was enthusiastic about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, only to deliver Him to Crucifixion days later.
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!
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 (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!
America the Beautiful (for a cappella ensemble)
Here's an arrangement I wrote for this past year's Patriotic service. It's probably the most challenging lines I've written for the group, to date. I finally had a chance to mix it down.
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!