Submit your song for the next worship book by 30th November 2022
If you would like your song/s to be considered for the next worship book, please submit details here using the Google forms link below. We are looking for a huge variety of styles, themes and possibilities with how these songs could be used. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for more hints.
You will need to have the following info for the submission:
- the song’s title
- ALL composer/s name/s
- ALL lyricist/s name/s
- the ecclesia and country that the composer/s and lyricist/s come from. If you are using pre-existing lyrics eg a traditional poem or a traditional folk tune, make sure you note this in your submission.
- any Biblical reference attached to the lyrics
- any information about the song’s providence - eg was it commissioned for a special occasion? Was it inspired by something? Has it been recorded or performed anywhere?
- which sectional theme of the worship book would the song fit into
- a sheet music and/or audio file of the song. This needs to have at least a vocal line and some sort of accompaniment. If sheet music, the accompaniment needs to be for piano. Sheet music can be a Sibelius, PDF or hand drawn image file. Audio can be mp3 or mp4 and doesn’t need to be studio quality. No videos.
- a lyrics-only text document that has correct capitals, punctuation etc
- a contact name and email address - this will be used for all correspondence about the song
We kindly ask that you take your time to put your best foot forward. We welcome and appreciate all submissions.
You will need to have the following info for the submission:
- the song’s title
- ALL composer/s name/s
- ALL lyricist/s name/s
- the ecclesia and country that the composer/s and lyricist/s come from. If you are using pre-existing lyrics eg a traditional poem or a traditional folk tune, make sure you note this in your submission.
- any Biblical reference attached to the lyrics
- any information about the song’s providence - eg was it commissioned for a special occasion? Was it inspired by something? Has it been recorded or performed anywhere?
- which sectional theme of the worship book would the song fit into
- a sheet music and/or audio file of the song. This needs to have at least a vocal line and some sort of accompaniment. If sheet music, the accompaniment needs to be for piano. Sheet music can be a Sibelius, PDF or hand drawn image file. Audio can be mp3 or mp4 and doesn’t need to be studio quality. No videos.
- a lyrics-only text document that has correct capitals, punctuation etc
- a contact name and email address - this will be used for all correspondence about the song
We kindly ask that you take your time to put your best foot forward. We welcome and appreciate all submissions.
Songwriting hints
These tips may help you if you need some direction. These tips also help explain what we are looking for.
1. Use personal, creative expression, but build this on your personal relationship with God and his son Jesus, daily meditation and prayer, regularly reading the Bible, and always make sure your theological intent is clear.
2. If you haven’t composed before, write a few songs before writing ‘the one’. Workshop the song with some friends.
3. Keep the metre of the prose the same for each verse. This is especially good advice when writing a song for a congregation to sing.
4. Melody 101 - must be in a congregations vocal range to sing, which will not necessarily be the same range as your own personal range; must be mostly made out of steps but use leaps in well-chosen spots; must make musical sense!!!
5. Don’t try and put too many themes or musical ideas into one song.
6. Think of how the subject matter relates to the style of music that you have chosen to use.
7. Think of how the song can be used… events, situations, celebrations etc.
8. Every song submitted needs to be meaningful, but we are after a big range of musical characters (some songs may have a musical character of ‘joy’, others may be sad or full of hope or peaceful or pleading etc). Be bold with your style and don’t be afraid if your style is different to everyone else’s. Write authentically.
9. You may only be great at writing music or you may only be great at writing lyrics - find someone to collaborate with.
10. Rarely does a song need to modulate/change key for the final chorus. The music should be able to ‘hold its own’ without needing a key change.
11. Steer away from Christadelphianisms… some will understand your meaning, some won’t, some will appreciate your intentions, some will find your lyrics well-worn and overused. You may also be asked to alter your lyrics if requested by the worship book lyric consultants.
12. Don’t be hung up on a certain structure - remember there’s many available to you. However, repetition is important, especially where musical ideas are concerned. Here’s some ideas:
‘Hymn’ - same lyric metre every verse and same music every verse (strophic structure). Often the verses use a ‘song’ structure AABA. A descant for the final verse may be added for musical interest. Some verses may be in unison so that the underlying instrumental harmony can be altered.
‘Anthem’ - different musical characters for each lyrical line. Lyrics are accessible and often liturgical (from the Bible)… (through-composed structure).
‘Verse/chorus’ - the lyrics for each verse change, though the metre and music rarely does. The lyrics and the music in the chorus are the same.
Variants on ‘verse/chorus’….
- add a bridge between the second last chorus and the last chorus - this will be different musically and lyrically to the rest of the song, and will hold the climax of the song
- add a pre-chorus to each chorus - this will have the same lyrics each time and thematically/musically climax towards the chorus
- add an instrumental introduction or riff, plus instrumental sections between each verse and a coda
‘Rounds’ (canons) - three or four musical phrases that can easily harmonise with each other when turned into a round. You really need to think about melodic harmony before securing this.
‘Taize’ - simple lyrics repeated over and over again in a simple song-form (2 or 4 musical phrases total), used for meditating.
‘Double stanza’ - basically, two different choruses are alternated one after the other. Sometimes, a middle ‘meditating’ repeating section, like a taize, then is used and often holds the climax or the theological point of the entire piece. Then one or both choruses are used again to end.
1. Use personal, creative expression, but build this on your personal relationship with God and his son Jesus, daily meditation and prayer, regularly reading the Bible, and always make sure your theological intent is clear.
2. If you haven’t composed before, write a few songs before writing ‘the one’. Workshop the song with some friends.
3. Keep the metre of the prose the same for each verse. This is especially good advice when writing a song for a congregation to sing.
4. Melody 101 - must be in a congregations vocal range to sing, which will not necessarily be the same range as your own personal range; must be mostly made out of steps but use leaps in well-chosen spots; must make musical sense!!!
5. Don’t try and put too many themes or musical ideas into one song.
6. Think of how the subject matter relates to the style of music that you have chosen to use.
7. Think of how the song can be used… events, situations, celebrations etc.
8. Every song submitted needs to be meaningful, but we are after a big range of musical characters (some songs may have a musical character of ‘joy’, others may be sad or full of hope or peaceful or pleading etc). Be bold with your style and don’t be afraid if your style is different to everyone else’s. Write authentically.
9. You may only be great at writing music or you may only be great at writing lyrics - find someone to collaborate with.
10. Rarely does a song need to modulate/change key for the final chorus. The music should be able to ‘hold its own’ without needing a key change.
11. Steer away from Christadelphianisms… some will understand your meaning, some won’t, some will appreciate your intentions, some will find your lyrics well-worn and overused. You may also be asked to alter your lyrics if requested by the worship book lyric consultants.
12. Don’t be hung up on a certain structure - remember there’s many available to you. However, repetition is important, especially where musical ideas are concerned. Here’s some ideas:
‘Hymn’ - same lyric metre every verse and same music every verse (strophic structure). Often the verses use a ‘song’ structure AABA. A descant for the final verse may be added for musical interest. Some verses may be in unison so that the underlying instrumental harmony can be altered.
‘Anthem’ - different musical characters for each lyrical line. Lyrics are accessible and often liturgical (from the Bible)… (through-composed structure).
‘Verse/chorus’ - the lyrics for each verse change, though the metre and music rarely does. The lyrics and the music in the chorus are the same.
Variants on ‘verse/chorus’….
- add a bridge between the second last chorus and the last chorus - this will be different musically and lyrically to the rest of the song, and will hold the climax of the song
- add a pre-chorus to each chorus - this will have the same lyrics each time and thematically/musically climax towards the chorus
- add an instrumental introduction or riff, plus instrumental sections between each verse and a coda
‘Rounds’ (canons) - three or four musical phrases that can easily harmonise with each other when turned into a round. You really need to think about melodic harmony before securing this.
‘Taize’ - simple lyrics repeated over and over again in a simple song-form (2 or 4 musical phrases total), used for meditating.
‘Double stanza’ - basically, two different choruses are alternated one after the other. Sometimes, a middle ‘meditating’ repeating section, like a taize, then is used and often holds the climax or the theological point of the entire piece. Then one or both choruses are used again to end.
