Church of the Servant is pleased to announce Carol Browning’s setting of Psalm 131, “Help Me Have the Faith of a Child,” the winner of the 2011 COS New Psalm Contest.

The judges evaluated 57 submissions from all over the world, with styles ranging from metrical to responsorial, from four-part to folk to free form, and voted Browning’s submission the best over all. The judges were looking for a song that was faithful to the Psalm text, but also creative and singable. Browning brings out the humble simplicity of Psalm 131 without being simplistic. “Help Me Have the Faith of a Child” is skillfully arranged for four-part singing and piano, and offers a number of ostinato options (a la Taizé). Further, the song’s Black Gospel style brings a fresh and less-frequently heard musical voice to the Church’s Psalm repertoire.

Carol Browning’s song will be premiered at Church of the Servant on January 29, 2012 during its 8:30 and 11am worship services.

Congratulations to Carol, and to all the composers who submitted such fine songs. We hope this music will serve Church of the Servant and many other congregations for years to come. Special thanks are due the contest judges who took the time to play through each submission carefully and discuss them gracefully.

Questions about this year’s contest or inquiries about future contests can be directed to Greg Scheer.