Essential Sacred Music Resources to Inspire Your Choir Year: Recommendations from Dr. Tim Sharp
To help you kick off your choir year, we asked our good friend Dr. Tim Sharp to share his thoughts and recommendations on valuable resources to help you prepare for the season ahead.
As a lifelong church musician and advocate for equipping the local church with meaningful, practical, and inspiring resources, I’m always excited to share tools that help bring worship to life. Several recent offerings have caught my attention, and I’m pleased to recommend them to my colleagues in music ministry:
Amazing Grace! From Blind to Free by Lloyd Larson is a stirring new musical work that brings the timeless hymn Amazing Grace” into sharp focus by telling the story of its writer, John Newton. Larson has a unique ability to bring biblical and historical narratives into musical form in ways that connect with both performers and congregations. This work is ideal for choirs looking to combine storytelling with choral artistry. The music is accessible but rich, the story compelling, and the message one of redemption and transformation—perfect for worship, concerts, or outreach events.
For your instrumentalists, the All-In-One Instrumental Kit arranged by Ed Hogan is a dream tool for music directors—especially those working with varying instrumentalists week to week. Priced at just $49.95 and available as a reproducible CD-ROM or online digital download, this kit includes ten beloved hymns arranged flexibly for solos, duets, trios, and ensembles in multiple keys and clefs. You can mix and match players with confidence, and the arrangements are musically satisfying while being incredibly practical.
The Rhythm of Worship newsletter from J.W. Pepper has become a valuable weekly touchpoint in my inbox. It’s not just a product list—it’s a ministry of encouragement. Every Tuesday, it offers curated music suggestions, reflections, and inspirational insights that speak directly to the heart of what we do as church musicians. It’s free and well worth signing up for.
Celebrating 30 years, Christmas Messiah for Young Voices continues to delight. This resource gives children the rare and beautiful opportunity to sing selections from Handel’s Messiah in unison/two-part arrangements, including one solo option. It’s a wonderful introduction to classical sacred music and perfect for seasonal concerts or worship.
Nancy M. Raabe’s One-Minute Devotions for the Church Musician is an excellent companion to the church year. With reflections tied to the Revised Common Lectionary, these brief devotions are ideal for choir rehearsals, personal devotion, or service preparation.
Jason W. Krug’s Simply Reproducible Hymns, Vol. 2 is a perfect handbell resource for beginning to intermediate ensembles. With eight classic hymn arrangements for 2–3 octaves, it supports worship beautifully and is ideal for congregational hymn support or service offerings.
Finally, Sacred Music News & Reviews from Polyphony Music Resources is a must-read quarterly publication. It offers thoughtful reviews of choral, keyboard, instrumental, and handbell literature, all organized around the liturgical calendar. It’s smart, practical, and full of insight.
Each of these resources offers something unique—and together, they reflect the creativity and vitality of today’s church music community. I recommend them all to you with confidence and gratitude.
