Church Music

This a charming song of the Annunciation from the young people of Proclaim Wildfire Lismore. It was written by Evronia Allan, Eliza Blunn, Ashlinn de Dassel, Jaz Letchford, Daniel Pereira & Laurie Pratt.

The resources including the chords are at their site.

VERSE 1
I was frightened and confused
When the angel spoke the news
That I would be a mother soon
The Son of God within my womb
He said ‘The Lord is with thee’ But how could it be
That my God has chosen me?

CHORUS
So I say ‘yes’ to You
‘Cause I trust in what You’ll do I say yes to You
Cause I know Your word is true
Even when it’s hard to see Your plan for me
Your servant I will be
I say ‘yes’ to You
‘Cause I trust in what You’ll do

TAG
I say ‘yes’ Hmm
I say ‘yes’ Hmm

VERSE 2
The angel said I’m full of grace
And that the Lord is in this space
So I rose and went with haste
To Elizabeth’s place
She told me I am blessed
As the child within her leapt To fulfil what’s coming next

CHORUS

TAG

BRIDGE
My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in my God
He has been mindful of my humble state Generations will call me blessed

CHORUS x2
2025 Proclaim Lismore Wildfire
TAG x2 Allan – Blunn – de Dassel –
Letchford – Pereira – Pratt
All rights reserved by the Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools

This is another song from Proclaim Wildfire Lismore‘s 2025 album, It’s Good to be Alive.

Even more explicitly than the other songs in this collection is urges gratitude and optimism.

This quiet, thoughtful song was written by Ashlinn de Dassel, Jaz Letchford, Daniel Pereira & Laurie Pratt.

The chords and lesson plans are available at their site.

VERSE 1
Lift up you hands and surrender to Jesus
Forget all your worries and stress
Don’t let the sunrise be wasted each morning
Lay all your burdens to rest

CHORUS
And be grateful
For the love He brings
And be grateful
He gives us everything

VERSE 2
Lift up your hands and speak the name Jesus
Remove all the doubts in your mind
Before every sunset let go of your anger
Leave all your ego behind

CHORUS x2

BRIDGE x3
In every season
In the air that I’m breathing
In all that surrounds me
God, You are good. God You are good

OUTRO x2 (second time soft)
I will be grateful
I will be grateful
I will be grateful
God, You are good. God, You are good

2025 Proclaim Lismore Wildfire
de Dassel – Letchford- Pereira – Pratt
All rights reserved by the
Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools

This song by Daniel Pereira & Laurie Prattis is from Proclaim Lismore Wildfire‘s 2025 album, It’s Good to be Alive.

It is a fine ballad for personal reflection, devotions and school use. The chords and lesson plans are their site.

They are a most inspiring group of young people.

CHORUS
I am nothing without You
I am nothing without You
I am nothing without You
I am nothing without You
VERSE 1
Here in this space
I fall at Your feet
And in my surrender
I accept my defeat
Finally I’ve reliased
Only You know the plan
For the rest of my life
I lay it all in Your hands
CHORUS x2
VERSE 2
I’m just a fool
I’ll never understand
How much You love me
And how much You care
So how can I thank You
For all that You’ve done
For all that You’re doing
All the victories You’ve won?
CHORUS x2
BRIDGE 1 x2
You are all I need
You’re my everything
BRIDGE 2
You are all I need (I am nothing without You)
You’re my everything (I am nothing without You)
CHORUS x2
OUTRO x2
You are all I need
You’re my everything
2025 Proclaim Lismore Wildfire
Pereira – Pratt
All rights reserved by the
Diocese of Lismore Catholic School

This is another song from Proclaim Lismore Wildfire’s 2025 album, It’s Good to Be Alive.

It was written by Evronia Allan & Eliza Blunn and is a very lovely song by talented young people.

Get all the supporting material including chords and lesson plans at their site. It finds it’s place for personal reflection and in schools. I’m not sure if it would work liturgically – maybe as a reflection where the readings are reflected in the stories mentioned.

I suspect we need to live in the stories of our tradition and this song looks at that from a young person’s optimistic perspective looking forward. That is humbling for a grumpy old man who looks back too much.

VERSE 1
You parted the waters
You made a way through the sea
No longer slaves
Cause You set Israel free
You provided manna as they sleep
And You did it all for me
VERSE 2
You chose a child
In a war where armies flee
He had no armour,
But a giant he did defeat
It was a victory that no King could see
But You did it all for me
CHORUS
Storyteller, You are
You’ve written miracles and victories,
I can’t wait to see what You’ll make of me
Will You write my story too?
VERSE 3
You went to Capernaum
Met a man who was in need
His servant was suffering
And You listened to his plea
You healed him cause faith was the key
And You did it all for me
VERSE 4
You took the disciples
Made your way across the sea
But a storm was raging
And the boat was filled with fear
But Lord, You told the wind to cease
And You did it all for me
And You did it all for me
CHORUS
BRIDGE x2
If I let You hold the pen
If I let you write the words
Then I know You’ll write me in Your glory
If I let You set the scene
If I let You turn the page
Jesus, You’re the author of my story
VERSE 5
You were persecuted
On the hill at Calvary
Tortured and beaten
And they nailed You to a tree
But that didn’t stop Your victory
And You did it all for me
You did it all for me!
CHORUS
OUTRO
Will You write my story too?
Will You write my story too?

2025 Proclaim Lismore Wildfire
Allan – Blunn
All rights reserved by the
Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools

I think I need a short break from traditional hymnody. I will get back to it.

Coming back to the present time and songs written in Australia, it is always good to see what the youth group in Lismore is up to. Lismore Diocese is in the North of NSW in Australia and is known for the effort they put into supporting the Catholic youth there, especially with their own music.

They provide lesson plans for each song at their site, where the chords are also available. The songs are free to use.

They don’t often have more than chord charts, but that is all their target audience need I suspect. Without at least a melody line chart, I won’t be making my own backings, but you can sing along with their Youtube clip to learn the song.

This song is the title track from their 2025 album. It was written by Evronia Allan, Eliza Blunn, Ashlinn de Dassel, Jaz Letchford, Alex Pereira, Daniel Pereira and Laurie Pratt.

It is a song of praise and thanksgiving and it is great to sing of our need to be grateful.

VERSE 1
As we walk on this journey
We grow and change
His love is the reason
For every step we take
VERSE 2
Everyday is a blessing
His love remains the same
We’ll live every moment
With a joy we can’t contain
PRE CHORUS
We won’t be shaken
Cause with our God we thrive
He’s never changing
Oh
CHORUS 1
It’s good to be alive Oh
It’s good to be alive
VERSE 3
In all of our weakness
His joy is our strength
So we’ll keep on praying
Proclaim His holy name
PRE CHORUS
CHORUS 2
It’s good to be alive Oh
It’s good to be alive Oh
It’s good to be alive Oh
It’s good to be alive
BRIDGE X2
Lord, I thank You for Your goodness everyday
And I thank You for the blessing of Your grace
CHORUS 2

2025 Proclaim Lismore Wildfire
Allan – Blunn – de Dassel – Letchford –
Pereira – Pereira – Pratt
All rights reserved by the
Diocese of Lismore Catholic Schools

I really didn’t spend much time on Christmas Carols when I came to them when doing the As One Voice hymn books all those years ago, and my backings were… ahem – interesting.

This is of course a Christmas staple and it will be sung at Christmas liturgies every year or there will be trouble.

The text is another from Charles Wesley – with some “alt” going on – who is nothing if not prolific. Is there a fix for rhyming “behold him come” with “the Virgin’s womb”? There are many better rhymes for “Virgin’s womb” my favourite being “nom de plume”.

The setting is by Felix Mendelsshon-Bartholdy and is called MENDELSSON. Here it is noted to have been adapted by William Hayman Cummings.

I used this chance to do a more traditional backing with the fake BIAB organ.

1 Hark! the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”

2 Christ, by highest heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

[Refrain]

3 Hail, the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Ris’n with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that we no more may die,
Born to raise us from the earth,
Born to give us second birth.

[Refrain]

I has been done in just about every style by just about everybody – here is a small selection:

This one is also in CWB II, but as “Hark! a Herald Voice is Calling” and I blogged it here.

It is an Advent hymn with the text being Edward Caswell‘s translation of an ancient Latin hymn. Compared to yesterday’s cryptic crossword of a text, this one is perfectly clear. There are a lot of variations in the text and the one below is what is in the NLPHB.

It is here set to MERTON by William Henry Monk.

I had another go a backing track of fake BIAB organ:

1. Hark! a herald voice is sounding;
“Christ is nigh!” it seems to say;
“Cast away the dreams of darkness,
O ye children of the day!”

2. Startled by the solemn warning,
Let the Earth-bound soul arise;
Christ, her sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.

3. Lo! The Lamb so long-expected
Comes with pardon down from heaven;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiven.

4. So when next he comes with glory,
Shrouding all the earth in fear,
May he then as our defender
On the clouds of heaven appear.

5. Honour, glory, virtue, merit,
To the Father and the Son,
With the co-eternal Spirit
While eternal ages run.

This is another hymn set to AVE VIRGO VIRGINUM, but this is a new text to me.

That said it is very old: a translation of a C13 text by John Peckham, Archbishop of Canterbury – when they were still good Catholics – and translated by Ronald Knox only a century or so ago.

There is more variation than usual in the texts I have found and I have firstly given the words from this hymnal below. These lyrics are rather more convoluted than most hymn texts and require so much analysis to divine its meaning (something Eucharistic), that it hard to see how it can succeed as a hymn. Maybe it made more sense in Latin.

Nonetheless, I had yet another go at the tune and I think each time the organ backing is a little less annoying:

1 Hail, true Victim, life and light unto sinners lending;

Every older form and rite has in thee it’s ending.

Spotless in the Father’s sight evermore ascending,

Holy Church in bitter fight evermore befriending.

2 Hail true Manna from the sky, Israel never knew thee;

Pilgrims, for the day’s supply, daily homage do thee.

When our souls in sickness lie, yields that sickness to thee;

Christians, when they come to die, live immortal through thee.

3 Hail, Christ’s Body, gift he made, his own death forshowing,

(Godhead under earthly shade like a jewel glowing);

Sacred mem’ries, ne’er to fade, on his Church bestowing,

When to earth farewell he bade, to his passion going.

4 Plead, true Victim, in our stead to the Father crying,

Thou, thy children’s daily bread, daily health supplying.

Banquet for the exile spread, grant us life undying;

May our love from thine be fed, self and sense denying!

This is another commonly sited text:

1 Hail, true Victim, life and light
Unto sinners lending,
Ev’ry older form and rite
Hath in Thee it’s ending.
Spotless in the Father’s sight,
Evermore ascending,
Holy Church in bitter fight
Evermore befriending.

2 Jesus, truly in this place,
God and man resideth;
Him no shadow doth replace,
Him no rent divideth.
Very flesh, although His face,
Glorified, He hideth;
Garnered in this little space
All of Christ abideth.

3 Plead, true Victim, in our stead,
To the Father crying,
Thou, Thy children’s daily bread,
Daily health supplying;
Banquet for the exile spread,
Grant us life undying:
May our love from Thine be fed,
Self and sense denying!

The New Living Parish Hymn Book from 1987 compiled and edited by John de Luca, is a collection of mostly traditional hymnary in use in Australian Catholic Church of that era, with many of de Luca’s own arrangements. They are especially of interest when he takes folk mass era hymns and gives them a more musical gloss. This is not one of those.

Even the traditional hymns I have already covered are worth another look, to give them better backings and some more background information.

I looked at this more than ten years ago from one of the music selections posted by Ryan, and he is still sending song lists after all these years, that give looking for song suggestions on this site a greater breadth.

Exemplifying the use of Protestant Hymnody by the Catholic Church when vernacular liturgy arrived, this is a text by Charles Wesley, here set to LLANFAIR by Welsh composer Robert Williams. It is even in CWB II.

It is a hymn for the Ascension. The text below is that found in this hymnal – many variants exist.

I did a better fake organ BIAB backing:

1 Hail the day that sees him rise, Alleluia!

To his throne above the skies. Alleluia!

Christ, awhile to mortals giv’n, Alleluia!

Reascends his native heaven. Alleluia!

2 There for him high triumph waits; Alleluia!

Lift your heads, eternal gates; Alleluia!

He has conquered death and sin; Alleluia!

Take the King of glory in. Alleluia!

3 Highest heav’n its Lord receives, Alleluia!

Yet he loves the earth he leaves; Alleluia!

Though returning to his throne, Alleluia!

Still he calls us all his own. Alleluia!

4 See, he lifts his hands above; Alleluia!

See, he shows the prints of love: Alleluia!

Hark, his gracious lips bestow, Alleluia!

Blessing on his Church below. Alleluia!

5 Still for us he intercedes, Alleluia!

His prevailing death he pleads, Alleluia!

Near himself prepares our place, Alleluia!

He the first-fruits of our race. Alleluia!

6 There we shall with thee remain, Alleluia!

Partners of thine endless reign; Alleluia!

There thy face unclouded see, Alleluia!

find our heaven of heavens in thee. Alleluia!

When I looked at this hymn previously, I made the mistake of thinking the setting I knew was the one all Catholics knew. Luckily, Mary at Godsongs let me know the wider picture.

Still, the New Living Parish Hymn Book selected REX as well, and so did The Australian Hymn Book, Together in Song and Gather Australia, so maybe it is at least the one used more in Australia.

The text is by Patrick Brennan (with a little bit of “alt” going on) and the setting, REX, is by William Henry Grattan Flood. It is a natural hymn for Christ the King. The text below is what is printed in the NLPHB.

It is also commonly set to ST GEORGE’S WINDSOR by George Elvey and KING DIVINE by C.W. Rigby.

Chris at Liturgy Share has many resources for this hymn.

My fake BIAB organ backing is a little tidier this time:

1 Hail Redeemer, King divine!
Priest and Lamb, the throne is thine,
King, whose reign shall never cease,
Prince of everlasting peace.

Refrain

Angels, saints and nations sing :
“Praise be Jesus Christ our King;
Lord of life, earth, sky and sea,
King of love on Calvary”.

2 King, whose name creation thrills,
Rule our hearts, our minds, our wills,
Till in peace, each nation rings
With thy praises, King of kings.

Refrain

3 King most holy, King of truth,
Raise the lowly, guide the youth;
Christ thou King of glory bright,
Be to us eternal light.

Refrain

4 Shepherd-king, o’er mountains steep,
Homeward bring the wandering sheep;
Shelter in one royal fold
states and kingdoms new and old.

Refrain

REX

ST GEORGE’S WINDSOR

KING DIVINE