Music
This video is a nearly 10-minute choral worship performance featuring an “African Medley” arrangement of the popular hymn “10,000 Reasons.” Gathering a thousand singers to sing this arrangement is Chef’s kiss. The addition of the Bola Yesu song from Sunmisola Agbebi in the middle is a stroke of musical genius.
Key highlights and structural moments from the performance:
- The Classic Chorus : The medley opens with the familiar lyrics of the song, singing, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul… the sun comes up, it’s a new day.”
- A Unique Spoken Prayer: Rather than strictly following the standard hymn structure, this arrangement includes a distinct, beautiful spoken-word segment. The spoken word segment uses the melody of Bola from Sunmisola Agbebi ooh oh oh. Part of the wording from the spoken word performance is given by a male choir member:
“Lord your mercy is so great that you humble your might to love me. You lavish your gifts on me day after day. Though I am so sinful.
A lady continues:
The gentle touch of your grace multiplies a millionfold my subtle thanks and praises. Oh bless the Lord my soul, for 10,000 reasons and more…”*
Then the choir joins in with the verse, led by the male voices and the ladies joining with the descant.
🎶 And on that day when my strength is failing,the end draws near and my time has come, Still my Soul will sing your praise unending, Ten Thousand years and then Forever more
After this they transition to the words of the refrain of Bola from Sunmisola Agbebi.
eeh eeh, eeeh eeeh Aye mi b’ola fun o Jesu (My life will honor you Jesus) Emi mi fi ogo fun o Jesu (My spirit will give You glory, Jesus) (Repeat)
(lyrics here from African Gospel Lyrics)
Then transition to one of the local languages of Nigeria, which unfortunately I don’t know what language it is not being able to identify it, but it uses Eze for king.
At 5:14 the bass singers take us on an adventure that sounds heavenly as we come back to a twist on the chorus.
Bless the Lord, O my soul
Before different singers take turns singing ‘Bless the Lord oh my soul, worship his holy name’ with the choir vocalizing in the background and the bass singers continue their refrain. So many parts blend together. Definitely recommend headphones for this. At 6:17 there is a short instrumental and the full choir joins in for
‘bless the Lord oh my soul …’
- Choral Adoration: Then The latter half of the video transitions into an extended period of layered choral worship, repeating the core refrain (“I worship your holy name”) and fading into a powerful, meditative instrumental and vocal close.
The Visuals & Atmosphere:
- The Choir: True to its name, the video features a massive choir packed into a large auditorium or church setting. Every member of the choir is uniformly dressed in blue t-shirts, creating a beautiful sea of blue.
- The Lighting: The stage and audience area are bathed in deep, atmospheric blue and purple lighting, punctuated by bright stage spotlights that give the performance a very reverent and majestic feel.
- The Conductor: Emre Matthew, the conductor and arranger, is frequently shown directing the choir with immense passion. He is wearing a blue suit jacket over a white shirt with blue jeans.
- The Instruments: While the focus is heavily on the layered vocals, you can see musicians playing a keyboard and traditional African drums (like congas/djembes), which drive the rhythmic “African Medley” style of the arrangement.
- The Emotion: The camera beautifully captures close-ups of individual singers expressing deep joy and emotion. You see many choir members with their eyes closed, hands raised, swaying, and smiling brightly as they sing.
Key Moments:
- The Spoken Word: The camera focuses on a male soloist in the choir who passionately delivers the spoken prayer section (“Lord your mercy is so great…“).
- The Climax & Joy: As the song builds, the energy of the choir visibly increases. By the end of the performance, the entire room is smiling, swaying, and singing in full, joyful unison.
- The Credits: The video concludes with a sweeping credits roll against a black screen, highlighting the massive effort behind this production. It lists the directors, producers, sound engineers, and every single singer categorized by their vocal parts (Soprano 1 & 2, Alto 1 & 2, Tenor 1 & 2, Bass 1 & 2).
It is a deeply moving performance that blends traditional hymn structure with a vibrant, rhythmic African choral arrangement.
This video is a nearly 10-minute choral worship performance featuring an “African Medley” arrangement of the popular hymn “10,000 Reasons.” Gathering a thousand singers to sing this arrangement is Chef’s kiss. The addition of the Bola Yesu song from Sunmisola Agbebi in the middle is a stroke of musical genius.
Key highlights and structural moments from the performance:
- The Classic Chorus : The medley opens with the familiar lyrics of the song, singing, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul… the sun comes up, it’s a new day.”
- A Unique Spoken Prayer: Rather than strictly following the standard hymn structure, this arrangement includes a distinct, beautiful spoken-word segment. The spoken word segment uses the melody of Bola from Sunmisola Agbebi ooh oh oh. Part of the wording from the spoken word performance is given by a male choir member:
“Lord your mercy is so great that you humble your might to love me. You lavish your gifts on me day after day. Though I am so sinful.
A lady continues:
The gentle touch of your grace multiplies a millionfold my subtle thanks and praises. Oh bless the Lord my soul, for 10,000 reasons and more…”*
Then the choir joins in with the verse, led by the male voices and the ladies joining with the descant.
🎶 And on that day when my strength is failing,the end draws near and my time has come, Still my Soul will sing your praise unending, Ten Thousand years and then Forever more
After this they transition to the words of the refrain of Bola from Sunmisola Agbebi.
eeh eeh, eeeh eeeh Aye mi b’ola fun o Jesu (My life will honor you Jesus) Emi mi fi ogo fun o Jesu (My spirit will give You glory, Jesus) (Repeat)
(lyrics here from African Gospel Lyrics)
Then transition to one of the local languages of Nigeria, which unfortunately I don’t know what language it is not being able to identify it, but it uses Eze for king.
At 5:14 the bass singers take us on an adventure that sounds heavenly as we come back to a twist on the chorus.
Bless the Lord, O my soul
Before different singers take turns singing ‘Bless the Lord oh my soul, worship his holy name’ with the choir vocalizing in the background and the bass singers continue their refrain. So many parts blend together. Definitely recommend headphones for this. At 6:17 there is a short instrumental and the full choir joins in for
‘bless the Lord oh my soul …’
- Choral Adoration: Then The latter half of the video transitions into an extended period of layered choral worship, repeating the core refrain (“I worship your holy name”) and fading into a powerful, meditative instrumental and vocal close.
The Visuals & Atmosphere:
- The Choir: True to its name, the video features a massive choir packed into a large auditorium or church setting. Every member of the choir is uniformly dressed in blue t-shirts, creating a beautiful sea of blue.
- The Lighting: The stage and audience area are bathed in deep, atmospheric blue and purple lighting, punctuated by bright stage spotlights that give the performance a very reverent and majestic feel.
- The Conductor: Emre Matthew, the conductor and arranger, is frequently shown directing the choir with immense passion. He is wearing a blue suit jacket over a white shirt with blue jeans.
- The Instruments: While the focus is heavily on the layered vocals, you can see musicians playing a keyboard and traditional African drums (like congas/djembes), which drive the rhythmic “African Medley” style of the arrangement.
- The Emotion: The camera beautifully captures close-ups of individual singers expressing deep joy and emotion. You see many choir members with their eyes closed, hands raised, swaying, and smiling brightly as they sing.
Key Moments:
- The Spoken Word: The camera focuses on a male soloist in the choir who passionately delivers the spoken prayer section (“Lord your mercy is so great…“).
- The Climax & Joy: As the song builds, the energy of the choir visibly increases. By the end of the performance, the entire room is smiling, swaying, and singing in full, joyful unison.
- The Credits: The video concludes with a sweeping credits roll against a black screen, highlighting the massive effort behind this production. It lists the directors, producers, sound engineers, and every single singer categorized by their vocal parts (Soprano 1 & 2, Alto 1 & 2, Tenor 1 & 2, Bass 1 & 2).
It is a deeply moving performance that blends traditional hymn structure with a vibrant, rhythmic African choral arrangement.
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord, Oh My Soul) (African Medley) Voice of a Thousand by Emre Matthew
March 31, 2026
Based on the lyrics and the spoken exhortation in the video for Victoria Orenze’s “Covenant Keeping God” here are the scripture references that inspire the song:
- Psalm 91: This chapter is explicitly referenced on-screen in the video around the [03:09] mark. The spoken exhortation directly quotes several verses from it, including:
- Psalm 91:11-12: “He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, you will not dash your foot against a stone.”
- Psalm 91:16: “With long life, He will satisfy you.”
- Psalm 121:6: The recurring lyric and spoken verse, “The sun won’t smite me, and the moon it will not hurt me,” is a direct quote from this passage.
- Isaiah 43:2: The lyric “The flood won’t sweep me” is rooted in this verse: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.”
- Hebrews 13:5 / Deuteronomy 31:6: The lyrics “You will never leave me, You said that you won’t forsake me” are based on these promises where God assures His people that He will never leave nor forsake them.
- Hebrews 6:19: The lyric “The Lord is my Anchor” refers to this verse, which describes God’s promise and our hope in Him as “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
- Deuteronomy 7:9: The overarching theme and title of the song, “Yahweh, the covenant keeping God,” directly reflects this scripture: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him…“
Based on the lyrics and the spoken exhortation in the video for Victoria Orenze’s “Covenant Keeping God” here are the scripture references that inspire the song:
- Psalm 91: This chapter is explicitly referenced on-screen in the video around the [03:09] mark. The spoken exhortation directly quotes several verses from it, including:
- Psalm 91:11-12: “He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, you will not dash your foot against a stone.”
- Psalm 91:16: “With long life, He will satisfy you.”
- Psalm 121:6: The recurring lyric and spoken verse, “The sun won’t smite me, and the moon it will not hurt me,” is a direct quote from this passage.
- Isaiah 43:2: The lyric “The flood won’t sweep me” is rooted in this verse: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.”
- Hebrews 13:5 / Deuteronomy 31:6: The lyrics “You will never leave me, You said that you won’t forsake me” are based on these promises where God assures His people that He will never leave nor forsake them.
- Hebrews 6:19: The lyric “The Lord is my Anchor” refers to this verse, which describes God’s promise and our hope in Him as “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
- Deuteronomy 7:9: The overarching theme and title of the song, “Yahweh, the covenant keeping God,” directly reflects this scripture: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him…“
Victoria Orenze's "Covenant Keeping God" Scripture References That Inspire the Song
March 18, 2026
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