Sacred Music

Choir practice at St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, Washington / Courtesy saintmarks.org

I have written lyrics for sacred music since 2016 when I began a collaboration with Kerry Lewis of Santa Clara, California. Kerry is my wife’s cousin. He is a composer, musician, and arranger of church music.

Kerry Lewis at work

Kerry and I created 13 anthems as an informal team. Go to the JW Pepper website, enter Kerry Lewis, and look for these titles:

  • God Knows the Heart
  • Strength and Power
  • My Times Are in Your Hands
  • Because of Faith 
  • The Yoke
  • Long Night’s Journey into Day
  • Justice
  • Parable of the Growing Seed
  • We Stand As One
  • Celebrating Peace
  • Evening, Midnight, Cockcrow, Dawn
  • Impermanence
  • Better Than You
Here is the 3 ft. x 6 ft. banner we displayed at church conferences. The photo shows Lake Ingalls in the Alpine Wilderness Area near Leavenworth, Washington.

Starting Over

After two years, Kerry and I decided we each wanted to move on to other creative projects. He is busy composing new sacred music, in addition to orchestral music. I am writing and publishing new poetry. We remain the best of friends.

Regarding the anthem titles currently available on JW Pepper, Kerry says he would not mind if other composers used my lyrics to create new anthems.

I still have dozens of lyrics that, I think, might be set as anthems. Composers of sacred music can contact me at davebaldwin37@gmail.com to review my work.