Music Notes
Is one of your goals for 2022 to memorize more Scripture? Adam Wright, the creator of The Corner Room and member of the band Acts of Congress, has written more worship songs whose lyrics are verses and chapters of the Bible! “Psalm Songs, Volume 3 is a continuation of The Corner Room’s primary focus of setting Scripture to music as a tool for memorization and meditation, ultimately leading to worship,” Wright explains.
Wright has been the worship leader at Cahaba Park Church for 12 years and plays the mandolin and sings vocals for Acts of Congress. In 2013, as Wright was preparing the worship set for a series on Psalms, he began to brainstorm ways to musically tie the Psalm of the week into worship. “I had the idea of sitting down and writing the Psalms to music straight from the Bible.” He reflects that the first time he sat down to put music to the Bible, he felt more connected to the passage than ever before. After only two and a half hours, he had nearly completed a musical arrangement for Psalm 1 that he led the congregation in worship to the next Sunday. He adds, “I enjoyed the process so much that I said I want to do more of this.” By that summer, Wright wrote 12 additional Psalms to music and within a year wrote eight more. “This was my initial discovery of taking text and trying to interpret the feeling and the intent of it in a way that is faithful to what the Psalmist is trying to say.”
In 2015, Wright embarked on the journey of recording these songs at Cahaba Park Church’s current location. On the second floor of the church building, there is room literally in the corner that Wright inquired about transforming into a recording space. A good friend helped him design the room that is now referred to as “The Corner Room.” Since then, Wright has continued to put music to Scripture. He has written songs on 1 Corinthians 13, Isaiah 53, and a children’s album called Remember and Proclaim.
Psalm Songs, Volume 3 includes a variety of musical genres. “Listeners will primarily hear acoustic instruments exploring various styles such as rock, gospel, and country/bluegrass,” Wright says. Reflecting on the process of putting music to Scripture, Wright says one of his favorite parts is inviting friends and musicians to work on the album. “Wilder Adkins, Connie Skellie, Demetrius Hicks, and Molly Lockwood all serve in music ministries in their respective churches and I’m so thankful for their willingness to lend their voices to this project,” Wright says, adding, “As the psalms are all very diverse, including different voices adds another dimension to the variety on every Corner Room project.” Visit www.cornerroommusic.com to learn more about the songs that are available on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and more.
-Melissa Armstrong