Church Music

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

I covered this C19 hymn in a desultory fashion once before here, but since my home parish is now Star of the Sea, George Town, Tasmania, I really should do a bit more. We are near the Bell Bay port and many seafarers pass us by and have done so for many years, so here is a prayer for those wanderers.

John Lingard’s text was inspired by the chant Ave Maria Stella. It is set to STELLA by Henri Freidrich Hemy, a gentleman who failed to make his way in Australia in the 1850s and had to settle for a return to England and fame as a musician.

I’m sure this song has more YouTube clips than any other hymn – I have a selection below.

This hymnal has John de Luca’s arrangement, but alas this backing I made is still just my fake BIAB organ.

1 Hail, Queen of heav’n, the ocean star,
Guide of the wand’rer here below:
Thrown on life’s surge, we claim thy care
Save us from peril and from woe.
Mother of Christ, Star of the sea,
Pray for the wand’rer, pray for me.

2 O gentle, chaste, and spotless maid,
We sinners make our prayers through thee;
Remind thy Son that He has paid
The price of our iniquity.
Virgin most pure, star of the sea,
Pray for the sinner, pray for me.

3 Sojourners in this vale of tears,
To thee, blest advocate, we cry;
Pity our sorrows, calm our fears,
And sooth with hope our misery.
Refuge in grief, star of the sea,
Pray for the mourner, pray for me.

4 And while to him who reign above,
In Godhead one, in Persons Three,
The source of life, of grace, of love,
Homage we pay on bended knee;
Do thou, bright Queen, star of the sea,
Pray for thy children, pray for me.

Goodness, this sheet music is in Eb – de Luca sensibly brought it down to C – thanks be to God.

As editor of the New Living Parish Hymn Book, John de Luca sparingly used the opportunity to put his own compositions in the hymn book.

This is his setting of the Hail Mary.

I made two backings but his work deserves better:

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb: Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

His setting is exceptionally put of print so here is the sheet music. I’d be intrigued at any organist’s comments on their late colleague’s work.

‘

Going through John de Luca’s New Living Parish Hymn Book is an introduction to me of some traditional Catholic Hymns that I have never come across before.

This one is a Lenten Eucharistic hymn with a C18 Italian text by St. Alphonsus Liguori (Viva! Viva! Gesu) translated by Frederick William Faber (C19) and here set to INNSBRUCK by Heinrich Isaac, a very old tune − early C16!

Godsongs has commentary.

My backing is more fake BIAB organ using made up chords derived from the organ music.

1 Hail! Jesus, hail! who for my sake

Frail flesh from Mary’s womb did take,

And shed you blood for me:

Oh, blessed be my Saviour’s blood,

My life, my light, my only good,

To all eternity.

2 To endless ages let us praise

The precious blood, whose price could raise

The world from wrath and sin;

Whose streams our inward thirst appease

And heal the sinner’s worst disease,

If he but bathe therein.

3 O, sweetest blood that can implore

Pardon of God, and heaven restore,

The heav’n which sin had lost;

While Abel’s blood for vengeance pleads,

What Jesus shed still intercedes

For those who wrong Him most.

4 Oh, to be numbered with the throng

Of those who chant the angel’s song,

And at the Lamb’s feast sing:

The multitude of those washed clean

In Jesus’s blood, a host unseen,

Yet closest to the King.

5 Ah, there is joy amid the saints,

And hell’s despairing courage faints,

When this sweet song we raise:

Oh, louder, then, and louder still,

Earth with one mighty chorus fill,

Earth with one mighty chorus fill,

The precious blood to praise!

Some proper organ:

This is a curiously affecting old Eucharist hymn that was quite new to me. It has special resonance for Holy Thursday.

The text is by St Thomas Aquinas as translated by Ronald Knox and it is set to SACRIS SOLEMNIS, a Downside melody.

Godsongs has some background here.

I made up chords based on the sheet music and made a backing:

1 Greet we this mystery yearly returning;
Still does its history set our hearts burning;
Gone are the former things, all shall be new again,
Thoughts, words, actions be true again.

2 Christ in the sight of his brethren reclining
On that last night of his, gave them for dining
Bread where no leaven was, lamb that was slain for them,
So did Moses ordain for them.

3 Thence this unaltering sacrifice fioweth;
Still his unfaltering grace he bestoweth
Where priests do consecrate, worthily taking it,
Then to Christians breaking it.

4 Man makes repast in this banquet supernal;
Shadows fade fast in this sunlight eternal;
Wondrous our heritage, Lord, in receiving thee,
Earth’s poor slaves — yet believing thee.

5 O gracious Trinity, fill, we implore thee,
With thy Divinity hearts that adore thee;
Dwelling in light, to that light bring us home again,
From thy paths ne’er to roam again.