What a Friend We Have in Jesus

kristyjo

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Description

I've been spending my music time putting together a music book of children's singing games and play parties. I've also been getting things ready for our new tone-chime choir for some shy and beginning musicians. I've arranged about a dozen familiar hymns to practice and to choose from to perform. This is one of those hymns. Public domain, familiar, easily followed melody line. The tone chimes we have to work with are only 2 octaves, so most of the harmony parts are in closed position, and some of the countermelodies had to be kind of 'folded over' to fit within the range. This is nothing groundbreaking, but I do have to let folks here know that I'm still alive, and still arranging music:)
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus" was written as a poem in 1855 by Joseph Scriven, a Canadian preacher. It was set to music in 1868 by Charles Converse, an attorney and an accomplished musician.

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Lyrics

What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged— Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden, Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge— Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.

Song Stats

Hits: 370
Comments: 24
Fans: 9
Plays: 62
Downloads: 17
Votes: 1
Uploaded: Sep 18, 2009 - 10:52:37 PM
Last Updated: Sep 21, 2009 - 09:57:15 PM Last Played: Nov 18, 2009 - 12:05:39 PM

Song License

Creative Commons License:
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Song Actions

Hardware:

Yep, still using the PowerBook G4

Software:

Finale, with a quick clean-up in GarageBand.

Comments

Feter	Feter said 63 days ago (September 18th, 2009)
	What a Friend We Have in jesus what a sweet arrnagement and sound ..very lovely I love to hear it with a choir I might go look for it ...thank you so very much for sharin such sweet music !!!! Check out my latest song called A Night With Feter feat'(Roxylee sloparts crissew johnwhitehead and Yamin AL Yamani )

kristyjo	kristyjo said 63 days ago (September 19th, 2009)
	Thanks, Feter This is a favorite hymn in the English speaking world, and, I just found out, a favorite melody to use for weddings in Japan. Thanks for listening, and commenting. As is often the case, You got here first! Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

johnwhitehead	johnwhitehead said 63 days ago (September 19th, 2009)
	Friend Sweet arrangement. I've always loved the sound of chimes. I love the space in this. Would be great to here this performed live. Check out my latest song called I'm Pluggin' In

kristyjo	kristyjo said 62 days ago (September 19th, 2009)
	John - When (if) our chime choir plays this, I'll invite you over. I'm just 3.5 hours east of you, in Wisconsin (Hwy 29) Thanks for listening. Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Moviz	Moviz said 63 days ago (September 19th, 2009)
	Always a favourite and familiar hymn. The words too seem to convey that it's not only us who are/were going through troubled times and are in need of upliftment. I think your idea of a music book for children is wonderful, so congratulations on that and here's hoping for it's success, regards ~M Check out my latest song called A Soldiers Dream (Remix/record)

kristyjo

kristyjo said 62 days ago (September 19th, 2009)

Familiar hymns-
I do best at arranging things that I know inside out. I was actually surprised to find out it was written in Canada, for Scrivener's mother, who lived in Ireland. i thought it was an American hymn, because it is in so many of the denominational hymnals in America. So, I learned something new from the researching/arranging experience. Thanks for listening.

Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

paul f. page

paul f. page said 63 days ago (September 19th, 2009)

Beautiful.
It is wonderful that you are working on this project of arranging music for little ones to play. This is a beautiful little hymn and your arrangement sounds like it will be easy for children to learn. Teaching them classic hymn tunes is such a wonderful way to pass along our collective traditional songs and culture. What a wonderful way to do this.
Peace
Paul

Check out my latest song called Double Etude

kristyjo

kristyjo said 62 days ago (September 19th, 2009)

Paul,
So good of you to stop by. Actually, the chime group is for high school age and adults who are beginning musicians. (Never too late to learn a musical skill!) The music book is for school, and is a compilation of action songs and play parties for ages 4 - 12. I've been musical without really composing these last few months. I usually start writing again when the snow flies. i've been able to sneak some 'listening time' in at school, but I don't log in there. You have some really lovely pieces posted!

Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

peacepiano	peacepiano said 62 days ago (September 19th, 2009)
	Still here Good to hear you are still here. I did enjoy this little arrangement, and hope people realize I am still here too. I've also been quite for a while. Check out my latest song called I Should Have Known

kristyjo	kristyjo said 61 days ago (September 20th, 2009)
	Bill- I think we all go through the 'nothing to post' phase. Mine are closer together and longer than I'd like. I'm glad that when I do have something to share, you good folks here listen and let me know what you think. Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

blindsidedpoets	blindsidedpoets said 62 days ago (September 19th, 2009)
	What a Friend We Have in Jesus Great arrangement. Breaths new life into a hymn that has long gone stale in over use... like Stairway to Heaven. Much appreciated, thank you! Check out my latest song called Sorry (Bracelet of Hope Version)

kristyjo	kristyjo said 61 days ago (September 20th, 2009)
	A fresh treatment- of an old song is the best of both worlds! Thanks for listening, and all the best with your own 'Bracelet of Hope' project! Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Ed Hannifin	Ed Hannifin said 62 days ago (September 20th, 2009)
	There's a wonderful sound... ...as the gently clanging overtones of the chimes start building up over the course of the tune... Very neat... Ed Check out my latest song called Next Time Around (w/jiguma)

kristyjo	kristyjo said 61 days ago (September 20th, 2009)
	The overtones are really quite an interesting part of tonechimes. When I've tried recording real players 'through the air' I would get quite a muddle of competing overtones. I think that listeners often simply 'filter out' the ones that don't really fit. Thanks for listening 7 the nice comments. Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

michael2	michael2 said 61 days ago (September 20th, 2009)
	wonderful i think the fact that have such strict limitations really lends to the charm of this. i really love this, and I see that it is share alike, so do not be alarmed if you find yourself listening to a version with me singing in a scratchy way over the top of it. wonderful. Check out my latest song called Behind Enemy Lines (w/Bud and Particle Dots)

kristyjo	kristyjo said 61 days ago (September 20th, 2009)
	Go for it, Michael - I'll be watching for your version. The limitations actually give a bit of shape and personality to all of the tunes I've been arranging for tone chimes. There's kind of a 'do what you can with what you've got' feeling and a challenge that I enjoy working with in those limitations. Thanks for listening! Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Rocha Malhada

Rocha Malhada said 61 days ago (September 20th, 2009)

Marlena
says "that sounds like a Vibraphone" she was just walking through and stopped to listen in...

Marlena (daughter) is a sophomore now and plays Mellophone in the L.D. Bell HS band, after playing French horn in her Freshman year.

This is one of my favorite hymns, and simple as this is, I was singing along in an attempt to harmonize..

. - Harold

Check out my latest song called Kanun Oud Rock (LIOLI9)

kristyjo	kristyjo said 60 days ago (September 21st, 2009)
	Thanks for sharing that 'family moment' My kids, too, comment on what I'm listening to. Vibraphone isn't actually too far off the mark. Thanks for listening. Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

ic42	ic42 said 60 days ago (September 21st, 2009)
	it rings with simple beauty the melody and rhythm are compelling. this is beautiful in its sparseness. the bell sounds have warmth. there are spirits of countermelodies and harmonies that hover around this, just out of reach. but we hear them. it creates a charm that way. 0x0 Check out my latest song called futatsu 0x01

kristyjo	kristyjo said 54 days ago (September 27th, 2009)
	I am so glad- that you are hearing the hovering harmonies and countermelodies. When ther are only two octaves to work with, it helps to be able to use the overtones as well as the musical intuition of the listeners. Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

jiguma	jiguma said 60 days ago (September 22nd, 2009)
	Reminds me so much of the glockenspeil chimes on the clock in Marienplatz Munich - when all the mechanical activity happens on the hour. Nice arrangement. Good to hear you're still around. Neil Check out my latest song called Lost In Translation (w Mike Watkins)

kristyjo	kristyjo said 54 days ago (September 27th, 2009)
	It's good to still be around:) The tonechimes are a branch of the clock chime family. Poor 2nd or 3rd cousins, I think. If we'd have had the money, we'd have purchased handbells. These work well, though, and I can let younger students use them without worrying about fragility or difficulty of use. Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Roxylee	Roxylee said 57 days ago (September 24th, 2009)
	Sweet Chimes to a familiar and loved hymn. And you already know I loved the harmony. ;-) Real pretty, KristyJo. Check out my latest song called Sweet Grace

kristyjo	kristyjo said 54 days ago (September 27th, 2009)
	Roxy- Thanks for stopping in! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Check out my latest song called What a Friend We Have in Jesus

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Artist Info

Name: Kristine Johanek

I've been performing, composing and teaching music for many years. I enjoy arranging traditional and classic pieces, and also enjoy composing original music. I'll write for whomever will perform my music, so I've written for children's choirs, co... [see more]

Check out some of my other songs:

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