Wheatmyer Music

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The tune we know today as PASSION CHORALE was originally a Renaissance era German court song. It later became linked with sacred texts and was adapted as a chorale in J.S. Bach's "St. Matthew's Passion." In this setting the melody is voiced in the haunting, somber tones of the double bass. Variations in timbre, register, and dynamics express the pathos from the hymn text of "O Sacred Head Now Wounded." The largely step-wise melody is well-suited to the piano accompaniment in a simple descending mixolydian scale which intimates the minimalistic stylings of Arvo Part. Unexpected finger cymbal chimes punctuate phrases when the double bass plays alone.

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded

String Bass Solo

Format

The Beartooth is a delightful musical romp across the alpine tundra of
  the Absaroka Plateau sure to please audiences and musicians alike. It's the
  third movement of my Absaroka Suite developing themes from the opening
  Eastern Ascent movement and focuses on the geological formation known as The
  Bear's Tooth. The music fits in a grade 4 difficulty level and would make a
  fine contest or concert feature. The Bear's Tooth is a 300 foot pyramidal
  spire rising from the flank of Beartooth Mountain to a height of 11, 920
  feet. It's set amid stunning vistas stretching over a hundred miles lying
  underneath indigo skies with clouds appearing within one's grasp. Thus, the
  Bear's Tooth earns its place as the inspiration and namesake for this
  movement

The Beartooth

Concert Band Score & Parts

Inspired by the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the Advent season of
  2020 and its obvious parallels with the Star of Bethlehem, CONJUNCTION looks
  on these events in the pandemic year as a reason for hope. The music combines
  themes from Holst's "The Planets" and Handel's "Messiah"
  with new material to create a familiar yet original work. The music is
  written to provide "meaty" concert material for the smaller high
  school or college band. The music stands on its own but may be combined with
  suggested scripture readings to offer an upliftiting perspective on the
  star's message in our troubled times.

CONJUNCTION

Looking for a sacred bassoon solo? Well, you've found it! Utilizing the
  melody from Morning Has Broken (the traditional Gaelic tune BUNESSAN) A Hymn
  of Beginnings presents a familiar yet fresh treatment of the tune in this
  setting for solo bassoon and piano. Suitable as a prelude, postlude,
  offertory, meditative, or other functions in a sacred service it is also at
  home in a recital or concert program.

A Hymn of Beginnings

Bassoon Solo with Piano

"Oh, Shenandoah" is a short (approximately 1:20) arrangement of
  the traditional American folk song arranged for trombone (or low brass)
  quartet with a bass line playable by either bass trombone or tuba. This work
  is one of what is intended to be a series of short form arrangements,
  iminiatures,i of American sacred and folk tunes. "Oh,
  Shenandoah" is well suited for academic, community, or church ensembles.
  The music is readily playable by intermediate or higher level musicians and
  is intended to be enjoyed by a broad audience.

Oh, Shenandoah

Trombone Quartet

PROGRAM NOTES:

From hymnary.org: 

"SLANE is an old Irish folk tune associated with the ballad "With My Love on the Road" in Patrick W. Joyce's Old Irish Folk Music and Songs (1909). It became a hymn tune when it was arranged by David Evans (PHH 285) and set to the Irish hymn "Be Thou My Vision" published in the Church Hymnary (1927). SLANE is named for a hill in County Meath, Ireland, where St. Patrick's lighting of an Easter firean act of defiance against the pagan king Loegaire (fifth century)led to his unlimited freedom to preach the gospel in Ireland.

This setting of SLANE takes a variations approach to the tune with three recognizable but distinct interpretations. The first is an intimate and contemplative interpretation, followed by a jig, which is fitting for the tune's Irish background, and the third is a majestic chorale. Snippets of "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah" (CWM RHONDDA) appear during interludes.
 
Robert Myers
S.D.G.
wheatmyermusic.com


TO THE DIRECTOR:
This arrangement was written for a smaller ensemble, recognizing that few church orchestras have a symphonic size string section. It features alto flute and solo violin carrying the melody or providing colorful counterpoint.  Other than these featured players other instruments are hardly asked to carry an independent line. Doubling is prevalent allowing for a lot of flexibility in instrumentation and coverage of missing parts or the director may specify strategic tacets to present additional color and texture. Optional doubling parts are provided for alto (dbls. alto flt.) and tenor saxophone (dbls. Cl. 3).

Be Thou My Vision

Score & Parts

OK, to answer your first question, call it "suh-JEE-nuh."
  Rhymes with Regina. This arrangement is a colorful and moving setting of the
  Charles Wesley hymn, "And Can It Be," for traditional orchestra.
  The beauty of the music, the prominence of the familiar tune, and the text
  painting of Wesley's poignant lyrics will find immediate acceptance in the
  hearts of its hearers. Aside from frequently shifting asymmetrical meters the
  difficulty level is very basic yet your musicians should still find it
  interesting and fulfilling to play.
    
    In 1825, Thomas Campbell published a collection of twenty-three tunes under
  the title of The Bouquet. Campbell gave each of these tunes the name of a
  botanical species. One, titled SAGINA, was named for the family of flowering
  plants that includes baby's breath and carnations.
    
    Almost a century earlier, in 1738, Charles Wesley wrote six stanzas for his
  hymn titled "And Can it Be" as a reflection on his conversion to Christianity.
  By the mid-twentieth century, Campbell's tune had become irrevocably wedded
  to Wesley's verse in Christian hymnody. Two of Wesley's stanzas along with
  the refrain were chosen as inspiration for the music in this arrangement of
  the classic hymn tune.
    
    Three accommodations make the music more accessible to church and community
  orchestras. First, important passages are liberally cued to keep the music
  workable even without full instrumentation. Second, several optional parts
  for band instruments are provided to allow current and former band musicians
  take part beside your orchestra players. And third, the piano/synthesizer
  part doubles key passages from most of the less common instruments such as
  harp, vibraphone and chimes.
    
    Robert Myers
    
    S.D.G.

Sagina

Full Orchestra Score & Parts

The title, What Child We Sing, is a play on two traditional Christmas
  carols, What Child Is This and Sing We Now of Christmas, which are the basis
  of this new work. What Child Is This is almost always paired with the 16th
  Century English tune, Greensleeves. 
  Both the text and tune of Sing We Now of Christmas come from a
  traditional French Christmas carol, Noel Nouvelet, believed to be even older
  than Greensleeves. These two traditional Christmas carols blend together in
  several ways so as to make the compilation into one work a natural result.
  Both tunes are set in a minor mode with a very similar narrow melodic range
  that effortlessly flow together. The question of what child lies in the
  manger is answered in the refrain of Sing We Now of Christmas with the
  proclamation, "Sing We Noel, the King is born, Noel."  The result turns out not to be a medley but
  a melding of two distincts into one union, What Child We Sing?
    
    
    
    What Child We Sing works best in the Advent or Christmas seasons with its
  strong exposition of traditional Christmas carols and would be suitable in a
  sacred concert or as a prelude, offertory, or reflective music in either
  liturgical or unstructured service. It has sufficient artistic metric to be
  suitable for the concert stage as well, although it is not difficult, being
  suitable for intermediate or higher level musicians.

What Child We Sing?

<p>Selected as a 2025 NATIONAL FINALIST in The American Prize in Composition for band/wind ensembles. An dawn-to-dusk envisioning of the alpine wonders of the Hellroaring Plateau featuring bass clarinet. It's a musical high-altitude drama pitting light against dark staged amid rocks, meadows, streams, and lakes under electric blue skies and tempestuous weather. Written for the advanced concert band or wind symphony, the players will have a blast expressing the sounds of the living and inanimate occupants of the plateau.</p>

A Day on Hellroaring Plateau

Voice

Voice Category

"Love Lifted Me" by Robert Myers is a stirring anthem crafted for church choirs. This piece beautifully intertwines traditional and contemporary elements, providing a rich, harmonic tapestry that uplifts and inspires. Perfect for common church services, it eloquently enhances worship through its profound musical expression. - Note: This music is composed by humans. No human-written product description is available, limiting search visibility. The AI-assisted description is for reference only.

Love Lifted Me

SATB Octavo

8 Ball is an exploration of the emotional swings of grief  shock and sorrow, emptiness and isolation, pain and finality  mixed with wistful, treasured memories recognizing the blessing of sharing life with a loved one, and added to this the hope of eternal reunion. It's written in memory of my brother, Tex, who we lost to COVID in 2020. In homage to his passion, dirt track racing, there is a contrasting section of paint-swapping, fender-bending frenzy, which comes to an all too sudden end as did his life. The title has nothing to do with billiards but refers to his long-tenured racing number and logo.

The music uses unconventional scales which are actually six-tone pitch sets treated as different key centers. They produce a lush mixture of consonance and dissonance that at turns feel comforting and unsettling.

Writing 8 Ball was a cathartic experience to explore my own emotions, cement my brother's proper place in my memories, and produce a tangible expression of my love for my brother. It was written as an assignment in the 2023 summer composition workshop at Tarrant County College. I'm grateful to my instructor, Dr. Aaron Kline, the music department at TCC, and the musicians of our performing quartet for their part in bringing this music to life.

8 BALL

Clarinet Quartet

Lo, a Rose is a somber, contemplative setting of the incarnation of
  Christ as described in the traditional German carol, Es ist ein Ros
  entsprungen. This arrangement is moderately easy but allows good musicianship
  to shine. The light and delicate accompaniment, with hauntingly beautiful
  harmonies, directs the focus onto the text while providing just the right
  amount of color and interest. Thus, Lo, a Rose, allows a choir to demonstrate
  artistic merit without enduring exhaustive preparations. The setting portrays
  that the light and salvation brought to us by the Rose was achieved via
  bitterness and sorrow.
    
    
    
    Lo, a Rose is a perfect complement to a Christmas Eve service, or a vehicle
  to contemplate the incarnation, or as part of any Christmas musical
  presentation.

Lo, a Rose

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: ON SECOND THOUGHT is an excursion into the
  impressionistic world of French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel
  with seasonings borrowed from 20th Century pioneers such as Charles Ives and
  Paul Hindemith. It is set in a rondo structure where the adventurous and
  tonally unstable 'A' sections surround distinct, sweet, and lyrical passages.
  The work is not particularly difficult but it allows the adventurous pianist
  to explore unique artistic expressions that are still accessible to the
  casual listener. Suitable for concert stage or recital hall.

First Impressions: On Second Thought

Piano Solo

Fairest Friend combines the beloved hymns "What a Friend We Have in
  Jesus" and "Fairest Lord Jesus" in a duet for C Flute and Horn
  in F (or trombone) with piano accompaniment. 
    
    
    
    The music is aimed at churches with rhythm sections who have or would like
  to include wind players in their ensembles. It is intended to be ready to
  play in one or two rehearsals by advanced high school or higher level
  musicians.
    
    
    
    Full score and parts are included in the package (both horn and substitute
  trombone), including parts for optional drum set, bass guitar, and
  synthesizer (or strings). Any or all of the optional parts may be included as
  needed but the piece works well with just the piano accompaniment.

Fairest Friend

Flexible Instrumentation Ensemble

This fresh setting of the Welsh tune, HYFYRDOL, works perfectly for an
  offertory, prelude, or devotional function. Although written for the Advent
  season, the multiple familiar hymns set with this tune make the piece
  suitable throughout the church year. It is readily performed by high school
  or higher musicians yet still contains sufficient variety and artistic
  expression to be rewarding for even advanced performers. The familiar melody
  is stated clearly throughout and accompanied with interesting and sonorous
  harmonies so as to be accessible to all audiences.

Long Expected Jesus

Brass Quintet

This solo piano setting of the beloved Christmas carol applies fresh and
  distinctive harmonies to the traditional melody. A haunting, and slightly
  dissonant, introduction sets a contemplative mood that heralds a unique
  approach to the carol. Set in ABA form, the A sections contain lush harmonies
  and delicate lyrical phrases which contrast with the syncopated and
  ornamented melody of the uptempo B section. The work is within the grasp of
  the intermediate to advanced pianist without extensive rehearsal but still
  contains sufficient challenge to provide a rewarding experience for performer
  and listener alike. THE FIRST NOEL is an excellent piece for offertory,
  instrumental praise, candlelight service, or any occasion reflecting on the
  miracle of Christ's incarnation during the Christmas season.

The First Noel

Andaluza is an interpretation for concert band from Manuel de Falla's
  suite of Spanish folk music for solo piano. When I first heard Andaluza it
  immediately struck me as music that would shine in the realm of the concert
  band. Each movement in the suite expresses Spanish folk music idioms through
  an impressionistic lens reflecting Debussy's influence on de Falla. Andaluza
  seems to portray a civic gathering with a mixture of dances, speeches,
  sonnets, arguments, and celebrations ending with a mysterious lingering
  question tinged with hopefulness. The music is meant to allow the high school
  or higher band to explore the world of impressionist harmonies alongside the
  classic artistry of Spanish folk music.

Andaluza

A dramatic musical journey along one of America's most beautiful
  thoroughfares, the Beartooth Highway. It's a white-knuckled climb from the
  lush forest floor to the alpine tundra of the Absaroka Plateau for advanced
  concert band and featuring solo flugelhorn.

Eastern Ascent

You Were Once Darkness is written for advanced string trio with abundant
  use of extended techniques plus challenging rhythms and harmonies and is
  suitable for use in recitals or chamber concerts.
    
    The music follows a redemptive arc, a journey from dark to light, from
  chaos to repose. It's not meant to be auto-biographical but to be meaningful
  to anyone who has known the sweetness of overcoming personal brokenness,
  whether it might be addiction, self-destruction, religious deliverance, or other
  crisis. It approaches the topic from the perspective of overcoming self. The
  harmonies, rhythms, and timbres of the piece strive to portray this
  transition.
    
    
    
    The age-old metaphors of darkness for ill and light for good are featured
  characters in the music. In particular, the title refers to a line from the
  Apostle Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus, "You were once darkness
  but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit
  of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
    
    
    
    "You Were Once Darkness" uses the melody from a very familiar
  Christmas carol but it is highly camouflaged and difficult to distinguish.
  Although it forms the backbone of the music it also, as our own backbones do,
  remains mostly unobserved. Clues do peak through the darkness, so to speak,
  from time to time so the attentive listener may discern the melody by the
  end.
    
    
    
    The music sounds edgy and unfamiliar even though it only uses the notes of
  the C-major scale (all the white keys on the piano). This is achieved using
  techniques developed by Estonian composer Arvo PArt which employ rules-based
  writing, typically using a simple scale over a single major or minor
  accompanying chord. The concept sounds simple but that does not make it easy
  to write or to play. The technique produces an interplay of dissonance and
  consonance that creates a fascinating variation of sound much as a
  kaleidoscope does with color.
    
    
    
    Robert Myers
    
    S.D.G.

You Were Once Darkness

String Trio

A perusal of Kathryn Lee Bates poem, "America the Beautiful,"
  reveals a prayer, a plea that God might guide America's fulfillment of the
  noble dream that inspired its origin to make America as beautiful in
  brotherhood as it is in nature. Her prayer inspired this brass quintet
  setting of Samuel A. Ward's melody. Accordingly the music is set as a prayer
  to lament the ugliness around us, to confess losing our vision, and to cry
  out for fulfillment of Bates' dream that our "alabaster cities gleam
  undimmed by human tears." The music is full of pain that reflects our
  hurting peoples. There are moments of shock at how much has been lost so
  quickly. And there are moments of sweetness and light in hope that God may
  indeed mend our every flaw.
    
    Robert Myers - S.D.G.

A Prayer of Beauty

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