This one was also in CWB I, so I covered it there.
It’s a pop song from the sixties by Patrick Appleford. The similarity to “Living Doll” is really only the last few notes of each verse. The text is still here.
I made a new backing because the chords here are different from those in TIS that I used last time.
It is still singable with an organ backing:
I was supposed to post this yesterday but got out of order.
This hymn of humility is a bit of a riddle. The words were written by Notre Dame Sister Mary Xavier (aka Sybil Partridge), but Canon Ernest Wilberforce is also mentioned, possibly for alterations to make it suitable for Anglicans to sing.
It appears she wrote a poem that wound up in Dale Carnegie’s book, “How to Win Friends and Influence people”:
Just for Today
Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.
Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that, “most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
Just for today I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.
Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.
Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.
Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don’t want to do as William James suggests, just for exercise.
Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.
Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurry and indecision.
Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself and relax. In this half hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.
Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.
Whether the hymn or the poem came first I have no idea.
The setting here is PROVIDENCE by Richard Runciman Terry.
Mary at Godsongs notes the multiplicity of altered versions out there and that the original versions mentioned “purgatory’s cleansing fire”.
In Purgatory’s cleansing fire, brief be my stay:
Oh bid me, if today I die, go home today.
The text from this hymnal is below. I’m not sure I will be singing about mortifying my flesh.
I guessed some chords for a backing:
1 Lord, for tomorrow and its needs
I do not pray:
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin
Just for today.2 Let me both diligently work
And duly pray;
Let me be kind in word and deed
Just for today.3 Let me be slow to do my will,
Prompt to obey;
Help me to mortify my flesh,
Just for today.4 Let me no wrong or idle word
Unthinking say:
Set thou a seal upon my lips
Just for today.5 So, for tomorrow and its needs
I do not pray;
But keep and guide me, love me, Lord,
Just for today.
This poem by Richard Baxter, a C17 Puritan minister famously expelled by the Church of England, is set here to the even older tune FARRANT, attributed to Richard Farrant. This is a hymn of humble acceptance that is marvellously, somehow, in a Catholic hymn book.
The text is here inconsistently modernised. There is a note to remind us that “meet” means “worthy”.
I found chords at Hymnary for a backing, though this text seems to be more usually set to anything else.
1 Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve you is my share,
And this thy grace must give.2 If life be long I will be glad
That I may long obey;
If short, yet why should I be sad
To welcome endless day?3 Christ leads me through no darker rooms
Than he went through before;
He that into God’s kingdom comes
Must enter by this door.4 Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet
Thy blessèd face to see:
For if thy work on earth be sweet,
What will thy glory be!5 Then I shall end my sad complaints
And weary, sinful days,
And join with the triumphant saints
That sing my Saviour’s praise.6 My knowledge of that life is small,
The eye of faith is dim;
But ’tis enough that Christ knows all,
And I shall be with Him.
This is a sensible hymn for Christian unity with a text by the ever reliable Brian Wren and here set to HAMPTON POYLE by Peter Cutts, with its cunning cascade of triplets.
The text is at Hope Publishing. If you have Worship 3rd edition it is number 658.
I guessed some chords for a backing.
I found another hymn I’ve never covered before in the New Living Parish Hymn Book.
The words were written by Rowland Hill who was a pioneer in vaccination of all things. The text was altered by Mary L. Duncan at least. In this hymnal there has been a little modernising going on.
It is here set to a C16 tune, ERSCHIENEN IST DER HERRLICH TAG by Nicholas Herman. I’ve seen suggestions that the tune is by J.S. Bach based on an old Latin chant, but usually that means Bach’s harmonisation is so well known that he gets all the credit.
It sounds like a hymn for All Saints.
I found some chords at Hymnary and made a backing:
1 Lo, round the throne, a glorious band,
The saints in countless number stand,
Of every tongue redeemed to God
Arrayed in garments washed in blood. Alleluia!2 Through tribulation great they came;
They bore the cross, despised the shame;
From all their labours now they rest
in God’s eternal glory blest. Alleluia!3 They see their Saviour face to face,
And sing the triumphs of his grace;
Him day and night they ceaseless praise,
To him the loud thanksgiving raise. Alleluia!4 Worthy the Lamb, for sinners slain,
Through endless years to live and reign;
You have redeemed us by your blood,
And made us kings and priests to God. Alleluia!5 O may we tread the sacred road
That saints and holy martyrs trod;
Wage to the end the glorious strife,
And win, like them, the crown of life. Alleluia!
This song of praise is more Protestant hymnody in this Catholic hymnal, with a Charles Wesley text set to HELMSLEY. The editor diplomatically notes that it is a C18 English melody. Hymnary digs deeper:
John Wesley attributed the tune HELMSLEY to Thomas Olivers in Wesley’s 1765 Sacred Melodies with his brother’s text of “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending.” However, Olivers is said to have heard the tune on the street somewhere. Since the first line resembles a tune by violinist and composer Thomas Augustine Arne composed for Thomas and Sally, or The Sailor’s Return in 1761, it is speculated the tune was composed by Arne. Most likely, the tune comes from a 1763 edition Martin Madan’s Collection of Psalms and Hymn Tunes Sung at the Chapel of Lock Hospital. Madan was the chaplain at Lock Hospital.
From Let the people sing: hymn tunes in perspective by Paul Westermeyer, 2005, GIA Publications, Inc.
In other words, as is very commonly the case, sacred music is derived from the popular music of the day. I must admit this hymn was unfamilar to me. Rhyming “body bears” with worshipers” is bold, I must say, but mayhap the accent was different in the 1700s.
There is a fair bit of “alt” going on but this is the text from this hymnal.
- Lo! he comes with clouds descending,
Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending,
Swell the triumph of his train!
Alleluia,
Alleluia,
Alleluia!
God appears on earth to reign.- Every eye shall now behold him
Robed in awesome majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold him,
Pierced and nailed him to the tree,
Deeply wailing,
Deeply wailing,
Deeply wailing
Shall the true Messiah see.- Those dear tokens of his passion
Still his dazzling body bears;
Cause of endless exultation
To his ransomed worshipers:
With what rapture,
With what rapture,
With what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!- Yea, Amen! let all adore thee,
High on thine eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for thine own.
Alleluia,
Alleluia,
Alleluia,
Alleluia! come, Lord, come!
This is Gelineau Psalm 41 (42), whose freely sung text is no friend of Band in a Box. It also has a use in funerals. It is the original Grail text.
I made backing for the antiphon at least:
My soul is thirsting for the Lord: when shall I see him face to face?
This is delightful:
This is a hymn by an actual Australian, in this case Richard Connolly who wrote both the words and the music. This is dated 1971, so his usual text writer James McAuley was still alive at that stage, but Connolly did do his own lyrics at times.
This appears to be intended to introduce the Liturgy of the Word, but in these days of always doing as we are told it wouldn’t be allowed. Otherwise it is a song of praise to God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. If used in Lent the alleluias in the refrain are replaced with, “Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.”
I made up chords for a backing, which only does three verses but will give you the idea. The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.
Refrain
Alleluia x3
1 Light of our darkness, Word of God,
Sent to illumine our earthly night,
You we salute with singing hearts,
Bathed in the splendour of your light.
2 Sword that can pierce the inmost soul,
Stripping whatever thoughts are there,
Cut to the marrow of our minds,
Enter our hearts and lay them bear.
3 Vessel of God’s abundant life,
Bearer of truth that sets us free
Breaking the deadly grasp of sin,
Work in our hearts your mystery.
4 Word that has overcome the world,
Seed of immortal destiny,
Grow in our hearts that we may live
Sharing your deathles victory.
* 13/10/26
Gio sent some better chords and it’s all four verses now, otherwise the same debateable BIAB sounds.
While I am finding the occasional Australian hymn in the New Living Parish Hymn Book, I am more finding the sort of hymns still being suggested to be played in the 1980s in Australian Catholic churches.
I’ve done this rather militaristic hymn before here and also Shirley Erena Murray’s thoughtful rewrite. (The text for that is at Hope.)
The text here is Michael Newbolt‘s revision of George Kitchin‘s original words and set to CRUCIFER by Sydney Nicholson. The verse modulates up from C to D, which allows for the big return to the chorus.
I have seen many variants in the text with many different verses – up to twelve in all – the words below are from this hymnal.
I made a more stirring organ backing on BIAB:
Refrain:
Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore his sacred name.
- Come, people, follow where our captain trod,
Our King victorious, Christ the Son of God:- Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine:- Each newborn soldier of the Crucified bears
On his brow the seal of him who died:- From north and south, from east and west they raise
In growing unison their song of praise:- O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As thou hast promised, draw us unto thee:- From farthest regions let them homage bring,
And on his cross adore their Saviour King:- So shall our song of triumph ever be:
“Praise to the Crucified for victory”.
A suitably victorious Anglican version:
Catholics are more modest:
The congregational choir and assembly are great, as is their organist:
Presbyterian:
Evangelical:
I think the Anglicans win for the most triumphalist version – brass seems the kicker for this one.
I haven’t seen a hymnal with a Christian warfare section before:
This is described here as a “Negro Spiritual”, as arranged by Sister Luanne Durst, but then then the hymnal says it is from The Australian Hymn Book where it is noted to be arranged by Charles Cleal.
I’m not sure we should be singing spirituals in Australia. Maybe if your pianist can handle the style and the assembly sings it well enough, it’s OK, but syncopation frequently defeats us and for most of us it isn’t our culture.
Interestingly the AHB suggests “other verses may be suggested by the congregation.” I can just imagine the spirit taking a Catholic parishioner who then starts extemporising mid song.
My backing is more 12/8 than 4/4.
1 Let us break bread together with the Lord!
Let us break bread together with the Lord!Refrain:
As we travel through this land,
all God’s children hand in hand,
Lord, fill all our living with your life.2 Let us drink wine together with the Lord!
Let us drink wine together with the Lord!3 Let us sing songs together with the Lord!
Let us sing songs together with the Lord!4 Let us all work together for the Lord!
Let us all work together for the Lord!
These would seem to be the more common lyrics:
- Let us break bread together on our knees.
Let us break bread together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.- Let us drink the cup together on our knees.
Let us drink the cup together on our knees.- Let us praise God together on our knees.
Let us praise God together on our knees.
