Check out this video of God With Us.  A song for Christmas…or any time of the year!

Click here for the lyrics and chord sheet for use in your church…

This song is planned to feature on Pete’s new recording in 2010.

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This is what Pete wrote about the story behind the song:

“During the run up to Advent in 2008, I wanted to write a song suitable for Christmas. I’d had a simple idea for a line during a service and so I recorded a quick sound bite capturing the lyric and a basic melody. At my next song writing session I began work on it and decided I wanted to write something in 3/4 rather than straight 4/4.

I read quite a few of the scriptures that were familiar with Advent and took to the theme of “God with us”. This formed the chorus quite quickly and I then began to unpack it more through the verses. I worked hard and fast on this song to finish it in time to introduce it but I couldn’t get it to sit with me. The verses in its original form felt melodically and lyrically busy, but I didn’t want it to plod along like a waltz.

It wasn’t ready for Christmas. However the pressure of writing for that deadline meant that I had worked hard on it and had progressed well with it. I first introduced it a little after Christmas and discovered it was too complex as it had a key change in the chorus. I decided the key change had to go and that trying to do something different for the sake of it was too great a cost for a song that would potentially be strong and easy for a congregation to pick up.

The cutting process paid off and I ended up with a song that people got hold of quickly. The chorus worked and the verses unpacked the Triune God coming to dwell among His people. I discovered that like a dog, this song wasn’t just for Christmas, but for life!”

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