It Is Well with My Soul

This hymn with its powerful message of peace and hope has long been a family favorite.  It speaks of the assurance that even when the road of life gets rocky, there can be peace.  Peace that comes from the One who walks the path with us - our Savior, Jesus Christ.  

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll—

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

“It is well, it is well with my soul.”

It is well with my soul;

It is well, it is well with my soul.

 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control:

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate

And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well with my soul;

It is well, it is well with my soul.

 

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.

It is well with my soul;

It is well, it is well with my soul.

 

O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The heav’ns be rolled back like a scroll.

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend;

Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul;

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Horatio G. Spafford

I arranged this hymn for my brother-in-law, Oren Clarke, who is quite possibly the world’s most devoted BYU Cougars fan.  Oren and my husband joined the Dave and Ann Crockett family just one year apart marrying their two oldest daughters and have been fast friends ever since.  

While our families were young we lived relatively close to Julie and Oren, not far from my folks.  After college, Chuck landed a job out of state so we headed up north to Oregon.  Soon after, the Clarkes uprooted and made their way to Henderson, Nevada.  Our homes formed an odd shaped triangle with my parents.  Almost every Christmas and for a week each summer the Clarkes and Hutchings would synchronize watches and travel back home.  Wall to wall sleeping bags, suitcases everywhere, cousins, siblings, aunts and uncles, parents and grandparents - it was heavenly! 

Our children are grown now with children of their own, but we still find ways to meet up once in a while.  A few years back while Oren and Julie were living for a time on the Big Island, we were lucky enough to visit. They introduced us to malasadas, snorkeling, red flag warnings and the remarkable Kuha’o Case.  The trip was enchanting and we will forever treasure our memories made in Hawaii with them.

The Clarkes live in Arizona now.  They are the parents of four great kids and have 15 wonderful grandchildren. Oren’s devotion to family and faith are strong.  He has always been a great example to me of kindness and selfless service to others.  He is fun-loving and has a heart of gold.  I am blessed to call him my brother. 

And, oh yeah . . . GO MIGHTY PELS!!!

Terri Crockett Hutchings · It Is Well with My Soul

Click HERE to download free sheet music 

Come, we that love the Lord,

And let our joys be known.

Join in a song with sweet accord,

And worship at his throne.

Let those refuse to sing

Who never knew our God,

But servants of the heav’nly King

May speak their joys abroad.

The God who rules on high

And all the earth surveys—

Who rides upon the stormy sky

And calms the roaring seas—

This mighty God is ours,

Our Father and our Love.

He will send down his heav’nly pow’rs

To carry us above.

Text:  Isaac Watts

Born during a time when many churches believed that texts of sacred hymns should be drawn only from the Psalms, gifted poet Isaac Watts felt that hymns should also reflect the light of the New Testament. “Where the Psalmist describes religion by the fear of God,” he wrote, “I have often joined faith and love to it.”

Watts is widely known as the Father of English Hymnody.  He wrote over 600 hymns in his lifetime — among them are When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, O God, Our Help in Ages Past and the beloved Christmas carol Joy to the World.  His hymns have endured for over 250 years and are still widely sung today.  

There are different musical adaptions of this hymn, but the one I have chosen to arrange was written by Aaron Williams.  I actually wrote this a few months back, but sadly my computer crashed last September and with it I lost my trusty, albeit ancient, transcribing program.  I have been spending the last few months procrastinating learning Dorico music notation software.  (Old dog - new trick)  I think I now have enough of the basics down to get by, so I can pick up where I left off. 

Here you go - piano solo Come, We That Love the Lord

Terri Crockett Hutchings · Come, We That Love the Lord

Click HERE to download free sheet music

Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah

My husband’s Welsh blood runs deep in his veins.  In 1848, his great-great grandparents, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Richardson and James Thomas, both were born in Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales, an area rich in culture and heritage.  

James and Lizzy married at age 18, and within a few short years sailed to America along with their two young children, Emily and Lorenzo.  They settled first in Utah, then Idaho and eventually in California.

Seated in between her sisters in this photo is Reva Jacobs, Chuck’s maternal grandmother.  Reva is the youngest daughter of Emily Thomas Jacobs, that same Emily Thomas who emigrated to America in 1873 when she was only five years old. 

But back to Wales — in the year 1717, William Williams was born in Carmarthenshire.  He intended to become a doctor, but not far into his studies he abandoned his pursuit of medicine to devote himself to religion.  For half a century he travelled throughout Wales preaching the gospel.  He was known to many as the “Sweet Singer of Wales”.   He composed over 800 hymns, chiefly in his native tongue, no doubt gathering inspiration from the beautiful countryside around him.   

His most famous hymn is Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah.  In it Williams weaves imagery from the Old Testament book of Exodus, illustrating man’s reliance on God throughout difficulty and strife.  It’s possible that traces of his own hardships experienced as a traveling minister are found in the hymn as well.

The music was written by Welsh composer, John Hughes, and was translated into English by Peter Williams.  

Here is my piano arrangement of this beloved hymn.  I am definitely adding Wales to my bucket list.  Some day.  (Sigh)

Terri Crockett Hutchings · Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah

Click HERE to download free sheet music 

Do What Is Right

Lori and I first met in Miss Brooks’ afternoon Kindergarten class.  I don’t remember a whole lot about that year.  I know I loved playing on the tiger slide at recess. To this day I can still recite my lines from the Christmas program.  I always liked it when it was my turn to go to the office to get milk for the class.  Two children would walk to the office and return to the classroom lugging back 24 little individual milk cartons.  It went great with the graham crackers we had for snack time every day.   

When I was six my family moved just outside of town and I changed schools.  I wouldn’t meet up with Lori again until around the fourth grade.  That was when the Bennetts moved four houses up the street from us on Navajo Way.   Lori and I would finish off our elementary, jr. high and high school years together.

I’ve shared so many fun-filled memories with her:  walking her St. Bernards around the block, riding our bikes into town, sleepovers, roller skating, and picking green beans in her grandparents' garden.  As we got older it was body surfing at Santa Cruz, church basketball, food fights on the steps outside the church, girls’ camp, and early morning shenanigans before school.  Lori makes a mean toasted PB & J sandwich.  Together with my sisters, we’d put on song & dance recitals for our two families.  Once we were even able to convince our brothers to create a strobe light effect with flashlights as we danced to The Age of Aquarius.  At times she’d join us on family outings out at the lake.  Lori was always up for adventure.    

We loved singing around the piano.  She has a beautiful soprano voice that she inherited from her mother, that along with her gorgeous red hair.  I always loved harmonizing with Lori.   We even sang in a quartet throughout our high school days.  Lori is the reason I know all the words to the hymn Do What Is Right.  We must have been around 15 when we were asked to accompany and lead the music for the Primary children at church each Thursday afternoon.  I remember the day Lori taught this hymn.  She wrote out the words on a big chalkboard and often substituted her primitive stick figure art for words.  After singing it she’d have a child come up and erase a word/picture or two and then they’d sing it again.  We all knew that hymn before we left that day.

Lori is confident, smart and has an amazing sense of humor.  I count myself lucky for having shared my formative childhood years with her.   

Love you, Lori!!!

So here you go - Do What Is Right for children’s choir.  For the recording the strings represent the children’s voices.

Terri Crockett Hutchings · Do What Is Right

Click HERE to download free sheet music 

For the Strength of the Hills

This arrangement is dedicated to Edna Richards Bucknum.  Our paths crossed briefly around the turn of the century.  It was our shared love of music that brought us together.  I visited her home a few times and was amazed at the view from her living room window overlooking Mirror Pond.  I remember having such a peaceful and familiar feeling as we visited, watching the swans glide across the water.   

Edna was born in Malad, Idaho in 1909.  She was encouraged by her mother to pursue an education.  She was 11 years old when women were granted the right to vote.  A very bright student, Edna graduated high school at age 15.  She went on to study at the University of Idaho, earning a BS degree. Edna taught high school Latin and Home Economics for a few years.  She later married and she and her husband eventually moved to Bend, Oregon in 1945 and were pioneers in their little local congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

For several years, Edna owned and operated a children’s wear shop.  She taught music —  both voice and piano.   She also taught Home Economics at Bend Jr. High and in 1972 was honored receiving the “Woman of the Year” award.

Edna was fun, witty and a compassionate friend.  I wish I’d had time to get to know her better.  She is gone now, but her power and influence live on.  After she passed in 2003 at the age of 93, I was gifted some of her sheet music — organ music, piano music, and compositions she herself had written. Even now when I’m playing prelude out of books with worn and yellowed pages that she had scribbled notes on, I feel a deep connection with her. 

For the strength of the hills we bless thee,

Our God, our fathers’ God;

Thou hast made thy children mighty

By the touch of the mountain sod.

Thou hast led thy chosen Israel

To freedom’s last abode;

For the strength of the hills we bless thee,

Our God, our fathers’ God.

At the hands of foul oppressors

We’ve borne and suffered long;

Thou hast been our help in weakness,

And thy pow’r hath made us strong.

Amid ruthless foes outnumbered

In weariness we trod;

For the strength of the hills we bless thee,

Our God, our fathers’ God.

Thou hast led us here in safety

Where the mountain bulwark stands

As the guardian of the loved ones

Thou hast brought from many lands.

For the rock and for the river,

The valley’s fertile sod,

For the strength of the hills we bless thee,

Our God, our fathers’ God.

We are watchers of a beacon

Whose light must never die;

We are guardians of an altar

’Midst the silence of the sky.

Here the rocks yield founts of courage,

Struck forth as by thy rod;

For the strength of the hills we bless thee,

Our God, our fathers’ God.

Text by Felicia D. Hemans; adapted by Edward L. Sloan

Terri Crockett Hutchings · For the Strength of the Hills

Click HERE to download free sheet music