Description
Tenderly the accompaniment partners with the lilting vocal line, making this song by Marilyn Fightmaster even more memorable. Note the arching melodic phrases, they flow with a natural ease. The text states that through good times as well as bad, ‘Jesus cares [for me]’, ‘He loves me just the way I am’. In spite of all our imperfections, Christ loves and cares for us – what a marvelous assurance for children and adults alike.

The optional two-part divisi on the last three measures imparts warmth; enlist a few voices to work the ending passage.

Editor's Notes
As rehearsal on this anthem progresses, make sure there is a break after each ‘Jesus cares’ for a quick breath. This will ensure that the two measure phrases work together as both text and tune. Spend time discussing the contrasts of the text: sad / glad, joy / pain, even when I’m lonely, even when I’m angry. Lastly, work the intervals well; larger than just 2nds and 3rds, the intervals must be precise and sung in tune, with the children making the proper shifts utilizing head tones.

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