God Himself is Present

Lutheran Worship #206
Text: Gerhard Tersteegen, 1697-1769
Tune: "WUNDERBARER KONIG" , Joachim Neander 1650-80
vs. 3-4 copyright Augsburg/Fortress
Score
Lyrics
MIDI
MP3 better, newer live recording at Faith
MP3 live board recording at Faith Lutheran, 2 Jan. 2005
PowerPoint

Comments: Ok, I'll admit it up front: this arrangement borrows from the Police's early hit "Every Breath You Take". I find the arpeggiated-chords-over-eighth-note-bass feeling of that influential song gives a gentle rhythmic drive to this and similar hymns like "I Love to Tell The Story". Any distraction initially caused by the listener thinking "hey, isn't that . . . ." quickly fades with the harmonies of this hymn, which hew closely to the original version. This is the first hymn I ever learned on piano and it has stayed with me.

PLEASE NOTE: because of copyright considerations I cannot reproduce the third and fourth verses of this hymn with this collection at this time. You may find these in your hymnbook and add them to your worship materials but I can't distribute them without permission.