Calling All Composers

Calling All Composers of Sacred Solo Music

Make Your Music Accessible
for Decades to Come

An Invitation. Perhaps you’ve noticed that I have begun offering copies of the Vocal Works website (“Solo Bank Insurance”) on flash drives. Why? Because the online version of the website will last only as long as I can maintain it, and I would like the 2,100 recordings, plus other information, to be accessible for decades to come.

Would you like your music to be included in that permanent archive? I’m not offering to sing and record your compositions, but I invite you to submit your own recordings of your solo music that is appropriate for Christian Science churches. Perhaps I have already recorded some of your work. I would be glad to replace my recordings with yours, if you wish.

The History. Over the past 24 years, I have built a collection of sacred solo music in the Solo Bank in the Vocal Works website. In the process, I have included all the compositions of 24 composers, from James MacDermid through Carolyn Kardinal. MacDermid’s “Behold What Manner of Love” was published in 1913, and people can still listen to it, along with his other 52 compositions in the Solo Bank. Wouldn’t you like people to be able to listen to your music in 2124?

The Plan. I plan to issue the next version of Solo Bank Insurance on September 1. It will be an image of the Vocal Works website on that date, and it will operate offline on Windows and Macintosh computers. The next Solo Bank Insurance after that will be issued on March 1.

All I’m suggesting is that you send me recordings of your sacred solo music in any convenient form: CD, Wav, MP3, etc. I will convert to MP3 and ensure that the information in the file includes the details of performer, accompanist, composer and lyricist. I will add the recording to the Solo Bank within days and confirm with you.

The Promise. So much wonderful solo music has been composed for Christian Science Services over the past 120 years. I know, because I have experienced so much of it. I’ve done what I can to preserve appreciation for this music, but there’s only so much that I have been able to do as a single individual. Individual singers have been welcome to contribute recordings to the Solo Bank since it was introduced, and so far there are nearly 300 recordings from guest singers in the Solo Bank. Now I’m turning to composers, offering an opportunity for the inspiration and talent embodied in your music to be available to bless generations yet to come.