EFY Medley 20th Anniversary celebrated with new Music Video and Arrangement
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Michael R. Hicks, the composer of the EFY Medley: As Sisters In Zion & We’ll Bring the World His Truth, together with the Heritage Youth Chorus at American Heritage School, released a new music video featuring a refreshed arrangement of the classic composition.
“I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since EFY began singing The Medley as part of it’s program,” Hicks said. “I still remember while in college at BYU getting a call from my friends at the EFY office asking if I’d do an arrangement of As Sisters In Zion for the young women of EFY to sing.”
It wasn’t until Hicks wrote the young women’s part of the arrangement that the EFY Coordinators and Administration decided that they wanted something for the young men to also sing.
“I remember after performing the As Sisters in Zion and Young Women’s Theme portion of the arrangement for the EFY staff that one of the coordinators approached me and asked if I’d do an arrangement of We’ll Bring the World His Truth that they young men could sing,” Hicks said.
Hicks recalled immediately think of the two Janice Kapp Perry songs together. “I began to think of the melodies, the chord progressions, the time signatures – all the musical elements, and I thought to myself, ‘I think these songs can be sung simultaneously.”
He returned home and tried it out. Sure enough, they worked together. Hicks then wrote the second half of what became the EFY Medley: As Sisters In Zion & We’ll Bring the World His Truth.
Janice Kapp Perry, writer of the songs As Sisters In Zion and We’ll Bring The World His Truth, recalled hearing The Medley for the first time.
“One day I was speaking at BYU’s Education Week,” Perry said, “at the same time Brad Wilcox was speaking to EFY and he came and got me and said I HAD to hear his 1200 kids singing [The Medley]. He had me come up front and introduced me and when they started singing, it just got better and better and when they sang together I thought OH MY GOSH what has that Michael Hicks wrought!”
The experience left a deep impact on Perry. “I don’t know when anything has surprised and touched me
Hicks wanted to do something special to commemorate the 20 year anniversary. “The original arrangement was meant to be simple, so it could be learned quickly by many youth at a time,” Hicks said. “The new 20th Anniversary arrangement has parts with harmonies to enhance the whole experience.”
Hicks reached out the Rob Swenson, conductor of Heritage Youth Chorus of American Heritage School in American Fork, Utah, to sing the new vocal parts.
“It was a such a joy being involved in this project. It was so powerful to record this with my choir and hear the newly composed harmonies,” Swenson said.
The new music video and arrangement debuted live at Heritage Youth Chorus’ concert last night at American Heritage School in American Fork, Utah last night and received a standing ovation.
The new music video features The Heritage Youth Chorus singing the new EFY Medley arrangement around the LDS Mt. Timpanogos Temple.
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About Michael R. Hicks:
Michael R. Hicks has uplifted audiences all over the world – from the Middle East to California, from Canada to Kenya. His music has won awards and many have performed his arrangements, from small church choirs to famed country stars.
Michael loved working as a counselor for the Especially For Youth program for five summers.
Michael is perhaps best known as the composer of the EFY Medley: As Sisters In Zion & We’ll Bring the World His Truth, sung by over a half of a million youth since 1999 at the Especially for Youth program, and sung by hundreds of thousands more in church congregations around the world
Michael has contributed other arrangements of hymns for EFY CDs, including I Know That My Redeemer Lives, I Believe In Christ, Lord, I Would Follow Thee, and Let Us All Press On.
Michael has produced 7 of his own CDs, his latest being called Hymn Creations.
When he is not writing music, Michael enjoys spending as much time as he can with his family. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wonderful wife Natalie, daughter, and son.
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