Some years, as many as 700 entries are submitted to the annual music submission event sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

So while it may appear there are a good number of "winners" chosen for the choir to sing in the Relief Society Music Festival, there are many more worthy pieces written by Mormons, says Diane Bastian, organizer of the event. Some whose songs are chosen for presentation are familiar to the LDS musical scene like Janice Kapp Perry.

Others are trying to break into the LDS market, and still others are simply finding a channel for their musical energy.

"This is my fourth year as an award winner in the Church Music submissions," Rachel Mohlman of the Kennewick Park Ward in Washington, said. "I began 'He is Risen' in early 2008 as I was planning for a student vocal duet recital in the spring. I needed a duet for two of my students but as I arranged it, it got bigger than that."

She ended up asking six women in her ward to sing it for Easter while she accompanied them.

Mohlman is excited to hear it performed by a larger choir with someone else directing it and accompanying it.

"The church music submission provides a great incentive to writers to have the opportunity to hear our works performed," she said.

When President Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave a speech on women discovering and developing their creative natures, Perry believes it struck a responsive chord in the hearts of women everywhere.

"I related to every word he said and could not wait to reread and analyze his remarks," Perry said. "A few months later I learned that my Provo stake was planning a grand cultural night for all the women which would include dance, drama, music of all kinds, art, etc., and I was asked to write a theme song for the evening. I immediately thought of President Uchtdorf's wonderful talk and I based every idea in my song on it. For this occasion, I wrote a somewhat upbeat song and a chorus of about 12 women in our stake sang it at the beginning of the cultural event."

Since Perry wrote the song with an upbeat rhythm and flavor, it isn't a sacrament meeting song but more appropriate for cultural events, Relief Society programs and home evenings.

Daunell Clark has been writing songs with her sister, Sharalen Benson, for about three years. Their songs won awards the first year they sent music in.

"We are both homemakers, not professional musicians," Clark said. "Our collaboration grew out of a desire to strengthen our friendship; to be next-door neighbors despite the fact that we live two hours apart. I was inspired by a story of sisters who shared a fence. They bought a cow together and it helped knit their hearts together. I wanted that type of relationship -- I guess writing music is our "cow." Clark lives in Pleasant Grove in the Battle Creek 7th Ward.

Peggy Moffit's "Out of Small Things" was written for the commemoration of the Relief Society, held in Joseph's Red Brick Store in Nauvoo on March 17, 2009.

"I was asked to write it and had never done both words and music before," Moffit said. "One morning I woke up with the words "Out of small things, great things come to pass" in my mind, and knew that was what the song should be about. One night, the words came to me as I was sitting at the piano during the 'Rendezvous' production in Nauvoo."

Moffit has had several hymns win awards in the church hymn contest, and one children's song.

Kathleen Holyoak of the Arcadia Ward in Scottsdale, Ariz., loves writing Christmas music.

Her music for "A Donkey Brown and Gray" was inspired by the lyrics of Gary Croxall and expresses the steadfast movement of the donkey, carrying the young mother heavy with child and his joyful bray to announce the Savior's holy birth. "It is always gratifying to hear one of my songs performed. That is the biggest reason I enter the annual music submission with the hope that it might be sung and shared in the world," she said.

Chemain Evans from the Cambridge Ward in Spanish Fork created an original women's arrangement of "He Is Risen!"

"I used a bit of syncopation in the second verse to further elevate the energy of the piece," she said.

She has been writing and arranging music since she was a child and has a special love for choral music and beautiful harmonies.

"This is my third contest submission and second award. I hope through this music that the audience will feel my excited gratitude for the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the wonderful gift of immortality extended to all of us," she said.

Tamra Braatz wrote "Rejoice!" after studying "Emma's section" of the Doctrine and Covenants. "The message of lifting up our hearts during this time of hardship seemed important for me to share; my desire is to encourage joy and hope in the hearts of those who sing and hear this piece," she said.

Braatz is the ward music chairperson and choir director in the Lake of the Pines Ward, Auburn California Stake. This is the second year one of her pieces has been selected for presentation.

Lana Osmun lives in the Cedar Hills 13th Ward, Cedar Hills Stake. She submitted a song she wrote for the American Fork West Stake girls camp to go along with the theme "daughter of a king."

"While writing this song, I thought a lot about the years I went to girls camp as a young woman. I remember being at girls camp at the campfire staring up into the heavens, looking at the stars. I think this was a significant time for the growth of my testimony and realizing that Heavenly Father and Jesus were real and that they loved me," she said.

"Be Still, My Soul" came as direct inspiration from Heavenly Father to answer a need for a very special sister in my ward. It was a "hug" from heaven to let this sister know that He is aware of her, as well as all of us, in our trials and struggles," Michelle Willis said.

Willis has had pieces selected for finalist presentation multiple times. She is in the Herriman Utah Rose Canyon Stake in the Rosecrest 1st Ward.

Sally DeFord is not a newcomer to the LDS musical scene either.

The song "This Is How I Know" is part of a longer program narrated by two women, one representing an ancient disciple and one a modern follower of Christ. The two women sing a duet to illustrate how testimony is gained in the same way now as it was anciently.

She lives in the Academy Ward of the Colorado Springs Colorado Stake.
E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com