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| Bless the Lord - Song Index | ||
| Song Name | Sheet Music Sample* | Preview Song |
| Prayer Song | ||
| Bless the Lord |  |
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| Hold To God's Unchanging Hand | |
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| We Worship You Lord | |
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| Shma | |
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| My Jehovah | |
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| I Know It Was The Blood | |
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| They That Wait | |
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| * Requires Adobe Acrobat (free download). | ||
The Prayer Song was an attempt to have a corporate prayer that the congregation sings unto the Lord done in the traditional style of call and response. The simplicity of just thanking God for waking up and for health and strength is at the core of this prayer as well asking for guidance for the daily walk.
Bless the Lord is an up-tempo setting of the opening phrase of Psalm 103. Simplicity and repetition of the text are again an attempt to be mindful of the need to "Bless the Lord at all times" and to "continually have His praise in my mouth." Verse two of the psalms reminds me not to forget the Lord's benefits which is characterized in the song by the chanting of "He has done great things."
Shma was written for a service of reconciliation or Harambee, which in Swahili means coming together. The central idea of the song is love, and the text comes from Deuteronomy 6. The choir sings the Hebrew "Smha yisrael adoni eloheinu adoni echad. (Hear oh Israel the our God is one God.) V'a-hav-ta et adoni, u-v-chol naf-sh'cha. (Love the Lord with all your heart all your soul and all your might.) I originally wrote it for the Laura Caviani Quintet to perform with a Gospel choir.
South African friend of mine, Camillo Lombard, who is one of the top jazz pianists in Cape Town and who writes and arranges for an acappellagroup called Ambition, wrote My Jehovah. The group performed in 2004 at the World Choral Symposium, during which time Camillo shared this song with me. The piece has a calypso feel and captures the essence of South African praise and worship.
I Know it was the Blood is a very old traditional spiritual. I, of course, learned it by ear at Center Baptist Church, South Union, Kentucky, where I grew up. This song was done without any instruments and with only the patting of feet as accompaniment. It was usually sung on communion Sunday, which was served the first Sunday of every month.
We Worship You, Lord was written for Park Methodist and has become a favorite worship song. Hold to His Handthis is my arrangement of a hymn that has already gone through many southern Baptist transformations. I had just visited Jamaica and wanted to share the spirit of the islands with my church congregation. So this arrangement happened on the airplane just as we were getting close to Minneapolis.
High Praise is a unique fusion of many Afro-centric characteristics. The opening is again in the traditional call and response style but with cross rhythms in the drums and steady pulsating claps. The beat changes midway into a more traditional Gospel style and proclamations of Hallelujah.
A native of Minnesota, Robert Robinson is perceived as the "Pavarotti of Gospel" in the Twin Cities area. At the age of six, Robinson began singing with his family, The Robinson Children. He acted as coordinator of the group, even in his early years, and he was the group's lead vocalist.
Since then, Robinson has aspired to make music his career. His voice can be heard as both lead and background vocalist on various album projects with the Sam Davis Gospel Ensemble, Minneapolis Gospel Sound, GT and the Halo Express, Volume 10, Connell Lewis and Cornerstone, and Excelsior Choral Ensemble. He also performed for such greats as Aretha Franklin, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Jermaine Jackson, The Artist formerly known as Prince, Mattie Moss Clark and the Clark Sisters, The Steele Singers, and the Sounds of Blackness.
Robinson currently tours with nationally celebrated pianist Lorie Line and her Pop Chamber Orchestra. In 2001 Line produced a solo project for Robinson, titled "The Show Stoppers." The project featured selections that Robinson has performed with Line and the Orchestra during their 10-year working relationship. Robinson also has seven solo projects to his credit.
Robinson is the executive/ artistic director of the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir, which was started in May 1990 and has approximately 65 members. Together they have traveled in Minnesota and throughout the Upper Midwest. Robinson has recorded three CDs with the Gospel Choir, "Make Me an Instrument," "Thank Ya!" and "Love Brings Unity." The heart of the choir's ministry focuses on performances for shelters, juvenile detention centers, prisons and inner-city community events.
In 2000, Robinson toured South Korea as a guest of the United States Army. He is known for his powerful and sensitive delivery. He performs for corporate events, banquets, weddings, funerals and church services. His goal in music is to make a positive difference through his gift of song. His message is one of comfort and love to all people.