Solo Piano Angels

October 26, 2023 By Stanton Lanier 6 Comments

Solo Piano Angels just released today! You can stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, YouTube, Amazon Music, and all music services worldwide. You can also click below to listen as you read the inspiration behind this new piece.

Solo Piano Angels is a my first solo piano recording featuring the chorus melody from the song Bread of Angels, which was composed and released in 2011 on my seventh album A Thousand Years. The original version is a duet with piano and angelic vocals, with different themes for the introduction, verses, and ending. The main theme has always been so beautiful and powerful when the notes sing over my life. I am humbled and amazed when I pause to remember how God inspired the music. It was like the melody had been in heaven all along, and God sent it down through my head, heart, and hands when He was ready. The creative process can take days, weeks, or months to be complete, but when our Creator with the big “C” delivers, it becomes clear I am a little “c” creator just seeking to hear His voice and receive His inspiration by faith.

Solo Piano Angels also features the main theme from another listener favorite Walking on Air, which is used as the musical transition at the end of each angels chorus section. The verse melodies and variations within this new song are delicate and gentle, yet powerful in their symbolism of angels watching over us. Out of the many Bible verses including the word angel or angels I have shared six down below that I used for reflection and inspiration during the composing process. The phrase “heaven’s angels worship You!” from Nehemiah 9:6 is sung a few times by the piano notes, expressing God’s glory, beauty, and provision.

I hope this piece helps you relax and take some deep breaths. As you listen, close your eyes and envision you are breathing in God’s peace and presence, and breathing out life’s worry and distractions. Thank you for listening and reading. God’s blessings to you!

How does Solo Piano Angels speak to you?

“Blessed be your glorious name, exalted above all blessing and praise! You’re the one, God, you alone; You made the heavens, the heavens of heavens, and all angels; The earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them; You keep them all alive; heaven’s angels worship you!” (Nehemiah 9:5-6, MSG)

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:4-5, NIV)

“He rained down showers of manna to eat, he gave them the Bread of Heaven. They ate the bread of the mighty angels; he sent them all the food they could eat.” (Psalm 78:25, MSG)

“God! Let the cosmos praise your wonderful ways, the choir of holy angels sing anthems to your faithful ways! Search high and low, scan skies and land, you’ll find nothing and no one quite like God. The holy angels are in awe before him. Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us— you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air!” (Psalm 89:5 and 89:17, MSG)

“Watch that you don’t treat a single one of these childlike believers arrogantly. You realize, don’t you, that their personal angels are constantly in touch with my Father in heaven?” (Matthew 18:10, MSG)

“Isn’t it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14, MSG)

Why I Composed Bread of Angels

July 7, 2014 By Stanton Lanier 9 Comments

Click above to listen to Bread of Angels as you read. If you enjoy, consider purchasing the song, album download, or CD from iTunes or stantonlanier.com (where sheet music is also available). There is also a popular YouTube video you may enjoy – Official Bread of Angels Video.

Where do you need provision most right now?

Life has taught me there will be times when provision is needed, and I may have little or no control over the outcome. In 2010-2011 the melody Bread of Angels was born out of experiencing things only God could do with regard to providing. Sometimes I see clouds in the sky reminding me of angels and this song. Sometimes life experiences teach me to keep surrendering and trusting. See below for some memories where I was in need and God provided, followed by the verses that birthed the music for Bread of Angels…

Relationally. I didn’t even know or expect this one, but just yesterday my family and I ran into very dear friends who live several states away. We were precisely in the same place in the same moment. What a great surprise and blessing it was to visit and catch up!

Financially. During Music to Light the World’s first ten years, there have been moments every year when we are not sure where the money will come from. God never does it the same way, but has used generous donors, supporting customers, concert opportunities, music licensing, and more to provide just in time financially.

Logistically. When A Thousand Years was released in 2011, I was invited to be interviewed on a Toronto-based television program that reached a large audience across Canada (the show would include a live performance of Bread of Angels). In my excitement, I totally forgot to have my passport ready for the trip (it was locked in a safety deposit box over the weekend and my departing flight was on Sunday evening). All I had was a photocopy of my passport and my apology for forgetting the real thing. It is a long story, but amazingly I made it through seven checkpoints in the U.S. and Canada during the trip. Every customs agent would ask me questions, shake their head in disbelief, and then decide to let me pass through, including a secured screening area where I was instructed to wait for processing.

Our needs for “manna” provision can also be physical, spiritual, emotional, or can involve other life circumstances. These needs and Psalm 78:25 are why I composed Bread of Angels. What memory or verse can remind you to trust God for provision today? “…He (God) rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; He sent them food in abundance.” – Psalm 78:24-25

Podcast #2: Bread of Angels – The Passport

September 7, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

I am excited to share Episode #2 of the Pianist of Peace Podcast. This one is slightly longer than average, so to receive the most benefit, wait until you can take the time to pause and listen without interruption. There are three elements to help you experience peace and rest, inspiration and creativity in your life today:

Part 1 – A short, personal life story to inspire your journey.
Part 2 – A full-length melody to help you pause and reflect on a specific aspect of your life.
Part 3 – A few questions to encourage and challenge you to live a better story.

This story, and all the stories within the story, were totally unplanned and unexpected. When all this was happening, I knew I had better start writing it down. It fits perfectly with the song Bread of Angels, which expresses the wonder of provision, and how all things are possible. Bread of Angels is on my newest album A Thousand Years. I hope you enjoy…

[buzzsprout episode=’58647′ player=’true’]

How the Song Bread of Angels Happened

July 11, 2012 By Stanton Lanier Leave a Comment

The heart of this longer than average post is “Where do you most need provision in your life today?” Whether you are musical, creative, or moved by this question, I hope this inspires your life and spiritual journey… Below are brief highlights from the six months (December 2010 through May 2011) it took Bread of Angels to go from an idea to a recorded song. It became a favorite from the album A Thousand Years, is heard on Sirius-XM Spa, Music Choice Soundscapes, and is a Top 3 iTunes song download from all my albums. It’s a story of amazing provision…

Bread of Angels is on the album A Thousand Years

December, 2010 – At home in Atlanta. A new melody begins with inspiration from Psalm 78. It’s sounding like a good one. No title as of yet. January 6, 2011 – At home in Atlanta. I have been meditating on the psalmist’s words “…he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven. Men ate the bread of angels; he sent them all the food they could eat.” (Psalm 78:24-25). This reminds me to look back on 2010 with remembrance and gratitude…for provision, blessings, memories and even the struggles. In the first week of 2011 I have been coming to terms with surrendering the New Year. For me, this means deeper trust, child-like anticipation, sometimes running, sometimes walking, sometimes waiting, and replacing self-sufficiency with dependence on God. February-March, 2011 – Atlanta. Lots of piano practice, new composing, and making changes to compositions that I expect to be on the new album A Thousand Years. There is a sense that Bread of Angels will be something very special with Noah Wilding’s vocals. March 18, 2011 – Atlanta. It’s been a busy week with Music to Light the World and family activities. I recorded several demos for the new album A Thousand Years, including new originals Always in Blossom (Psalm 1) and Bread of Angels (Psalm 78:25), as well as original work blended with unique arrangements of Amazing Grace, The Doxology (a piece titled For a Lifetime Blessings Flow), Pachelbel’s Canon in D, and Bach’s Air on G String. Some Oswald Chambers thoughts that really spoke to me this week are, “Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. I must maintain an adventurous attitude toward God, despite any potential personal risk. The secret of walking by faith is showing no concern for the uncertainties that lie ahead.” April 12, 2011 – Imaginary Road Studio Day 2. Started through the Psalms this morning before my first day in the studio. Finished recording three songs today: 1) Always in Blossom (Psalm 1 . . . you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month. Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom), 2) Across the Skies, featuring interpretations on Pachelbel’s Canon in D (Psalm 19 . . . God’s glory is on tour in the skies, His Word vaults across the skies), and 3) Bread of Angels (Psalm 78 . . . They ate the bread of the mighty angels; he sent them all the food they could eat). Tired and ready for rest. Grateful for life’s blessings and looking forward to tomorrow. April 14, 2011 – Imaginary Road Studio Day 4. Today stretched me out of my comfort zone, as producer Will Ackerman and engineer Corin Nelsen challenged and guided me. Two pieces I knew I wanted to record both required more composing in a search of music that would be unique. The first was Chopin’s Prelude in E Minor. This piece expresses the shedding of tears during life’s moments of sadness. It is set between original opening and closing phrases inspired by a passage in the book of Job to represent hope. The second was the hymn Amazing Grace, which is interwoven with an original melody called World of Wonders after Psalm 98:1. It took several hours to discover the final outcome. We finished the day recording the angelic vocal colors of Noah Wilding to accompany World of Wonders as well as Bread of Angels. April 15, 2011 – Imaginary Road Studio Day 5. It was a beautiful clear, cool, blue sky day in Vermont. Today was another new experience, stretching my composing to be more improvisational. This happened with two pieces recorded today…the title track A Thousand Years that interweaves original music inspired by Psalm 90:4 with Mozart’s famous Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star melody and the hymn It Is Well With My Soul, and a unique combination of J.S. Bach’s Air on G with the hymn Holy, Holy, Holy. We also listened back and were powerfully moved by the vocals that are being mixed with Amazing Grace / World of Wonders and Bread of Angels. April 20, 2011 – Imaginary Road Studio Day 9. The 9th and final day of this adventure was spent mixing tracks in the studio. The variety, beauty and emotion of this new music is rich and soothing. I am just beginning to be able to listen from a perspective that is outside the studio, where piano, vocals, English horn and guitar were all recorded. Here are the 12 tentative track names…Across the Skies, World Of Wonders, Vive La Joye, A Thousand Years, Hymn To Bach, Bread of Angels, For A Lifetime Blessings Flow, Always in Blossom, Be Still My Soul, Shedding Tears With Chopin, Prelude in C and Alleluias Dancing. Six of the greatest classical composers and seven famous hymns are represented in the arrangements, which interweave original composing throughout. Next week the CD mastering will be completed, then music samples can be put up on the website while CDs are being manufactured for the May 20th official release.