The Story Behind: The Solid Rock by Hymncharts Team From the unruly streets of London to the pulpits of Baptist churches, Edward Mote’s life was a testament to the transformative power of God’s grace. Born in 1797 to pub-owning parents, young Edward grew up without any knowledge of the Bible or the loving presence of Christ. As he later recalled, “So ignorant was I that I did not know there was a God.” The Transformative Power of the Gospel But God had a plan for Edward Mote. As a young apprentice cabinetmaker, Mote’s life took a pivotal turn when his master brought him to the Tottenha ..read more

The Story Behind: Revive Us Again by Hymncharts Team We praise Thee O God For the Son of Thy love For Jesus Who died And is now gone above In the annals of hymnody, few stories are as compelling and transformative as that of “Revive Us Again” and its author, Dr. William MacKay. A Scottish physician turned Presbyterian minister, his journey from a life of drift and despair to one of faith and fervor encapsulates the power of divine intervention and the timeless call for spiritual renewal. The Early Years of William MacKay Born in 1839, William MacKay was raised in a spiritual ..read more

My most popular original song is My Blessed Redeemer when it hit #3 on Praisecharts.com’s Easter chart back in 2014. (Fun fact: when somebody rewrites the music for  public domain hymn lyrics, the song becomes a new copyright and is considered a new composition!) I love breathing new life into classic lyrics and this is one of my favorite compositions. For the ten year anniversary I’ve remixed it (and it sounds sooooo good with these amazing AI mixing plugins!) by tweaking the piano part a bit, adding a cello and multitracks. Like all Hymncharts arrangements, My Blessed Redeemer com ..read more

One of the big “hits” of my arranging career has been Christ Arose and it’s turned out to be in the top 5 arrangements on the website! Years ago I was working at a megachurch and a talented vocalist showed up in choir who turned out to be the perfect voice for this arrangement (watch the video below of the first Easter Sunday we did it back in 2009!) Since then, thousands of churches have used Christ Arose to kick off their Easter services. I spruced up the arrangement back in 2017 and now seven years later I’ve decided to give it a worship band-driven edge with a new mix. I’ve slightly ..read more

from Hymncharts arranger Don Chapman: My goal here at hymncharts has never been to recreate every hymn you’ll find in a hymnal as I’ve found some just don’t take too kindly to modernization! A good example is At Calvary – it has a distinctive Gospel song feel that resists contemporary chords and rhythms. Maybe one day I’ll figure something out! Instead I’ve decided to concentrate on the most popular hymns across denominations. I have roughly 150 on the website. By the time I get around to arranging them all, worship styles change it’s time to rearrange them all again for the next generat ..read more

from Hymncharts arranger Don Chapman: My latest version of Silent Night takes on a modern worship feel and would be a perfect addition to your Christmas Eve worship service! Try using Silent Night, as so many churches do, right after your pastor’s sermon. As the song starts and the congregation is singing, an usher can light the first candle in each row. Soon, the candlelight will spread across the sanctuary as people light each other’s candles. By the final chorus, the congregation can lift their flickering candles and sing Silent Night together in the dim, holy glow. This simple moment ..read more

The Story Behind: Go, Tell It On the Mountain by Hymncharts Team Go, tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere; Go, tell it on the mountain, That Jesus Christ is born. In the tapestry of Christmas carols, few resonate with the soul-stirring power and historical significance of “Go, Tell It On the Mountain.” This African-American spiritual, immortalized by John Wesley Work Jr. and the Fisk Jubilee Singers, transcends mere melody to become a testament to resilience, faith, and the enduring spirit of hope. The Roots in Nashville: John Wesley Work’s Mission Born into a wo ..read more

from Hymncharts arranger Don Chapman: This mid tempo version of “Go Tell It” would make a perfect song to close a December or Christmas Eve service. Imagine your pastor preaches a sermon to the effect of spreading the Good News at Christmas, then start “Go Tell It.” In fact, try opening a service with “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus” and closing the same service with “Go Tell It!” These other songs fit well thematically: Mighty to Save by Hillsong Worship. This song is a powerful proclamation of God’s saving power and mercy, and a testimony of how He can transform anyone who calls on His ..read more

by Don Chapman I’m excited to announce the launch of my brand new hymns website, Worshiphymns.com! Tailored specifically for modern worship teams, Worshiphymns will feature modern arrangements of classic hymns to seamlessly blend into a worship setlist of top CCLI songs. Both website will have the same, new modern arrangements, but Hymncharts will offer more sheet music files like choir and instrumental parts. How will Worshiphymns differ from my existing site, Hymncharts.com? Let’s compare the two: Hymncharts Overview Launched in 2002, Hymncharts offers over 150 hymn arrangements ranging from ..read more

The Story Behind: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus by Don Chapman Among the most beloved Christmas carols, “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus” powerfully captures the Advent themes of waiting, preparation, and hopeful anticipation. Though over 275 years old, this hymn by the prolific hymn writer Charles Wesley continues to speak to the deep needs and cries of humanity while renewing our faith in Christ’s coming. Charles Wesley’s Inspiration and Context In 1744, Charles Wesley penned the profound lyrics of “Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus” which would soon be published in his collection, “Hy ..read more