Church Music

This is interesting.

The Antiphon is the Proper for Compline set by the editor of the New Living Parish Hymn book, John de Luca. It is a lovely little song that would be useful on it’s own in other circumstances.

The verses are based on the Canticle of Simeon from Luke 2:29-32, the Nunc Dimmitis and set to Plainsong: Mode viii.

This is just the antiphon:

This is an Epiphany hymn with a text by William Chatterton Dix set to DIX by Conrad Kochner. There are variations in the text and I have posted the version in the New Living Parish Hymn Book.

By the way, Liturgy Share is great for traditional hymnody like this. For this song, for example, there is music for organ, the choir and even the chords for people who need them (like me). It is a vast resource of scholarship and hard work that is most useful.

I blogged this song many years ago with a frankly bizarre backing – this one is much more normal:

1. As with gladness men of old
   Did the guiding star behold,
   As with joy they hailed its light,
   Leading onward, beaming bright,
   So, most gracious Lord, may we
   Ever more be led to thee.
2. As with joyful steps they sped,
   To that lowly manger bed,
   There to bend the knee before
   Him whom Heav’n and Earth adore;
   So may we with willing feet
   Ever seek thy mercy seat.
3. As they offered gifts most rare
   At that manger rude and bare;
   So may we with holy joy,
   Pure and free from sin’s alloy,
   All our costliest treasures bring,
   Christ, to thee, our heav’nly King.
4. Holy Jesus, ev’ry day
   Keep us in the narrow way;
   And when earthly things are past,
   Bring our ransomed souls at last
   Where they need no star to guide,
   Where no clouds thy glory hide.
5. In the heav’nly country bright,
   Need they no created light;
   Thou its light, its joy, its crown,
   Thou its sun, which goes not down;
   There for ever may we sing
   Alleluias to our King.

This is the William Henry Monk arrangement, also used in this hymnal:

I am finding Youtube clips that say they have lyrics for congregations, the intent being to project them playing and have the assembly sing along. Not ideal as it discourages participation, but understandable.

These clips vary from slow to breakneck, but I don’t think you want to drag this one.

John de Luca, the editor of the New Living Parish Hymn Book, informed us that this was a Languedoc Noel – a regional traditional French carol – translated by James Chadwick and set to LES ANGES DANS NOS CAMPAGNES. It’s a carol we always use with our usual guitar only backing and it works fine.

The backing I did when I covered it in AOV 2 all those years ago was not entirely serious. This one is BIAB fake organ and a little more traditional.

1 Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

2 Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
Say what may the tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

Refrain

3 Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ, the Lord, the newborn King.

Refrain

This is a pretty typical arragement and the one here differs only slightly.

Looking at the chords given, and considering this is not a John de Luca arrangement, there are still some differences from those in AOV. Guitarists are all playing this one capo 3 in D anyway, but there are some interesting options chosen.

This is a Holy Thursday text by Frederick Pratt Green set to O WALY WALY.

I previously blogged this in 2012 from my tattered collection of loose miscellaneous songs used at my then parish.

This is another song where John de Luca provided his own arrangement. I note variation on lengths of notes between arrangements, which is the bain of traditional songs.

This is a good excuse to have another go at a backing:

1 An Upper Room did our Lord prepare
For those he loved until the end:
And his disciples still gather there
To celebrate their Risen Friend.

2 A lasting gift Jesus gave his own:
To share his bread, his loving cup.
Whatever burdens may bow us down,
He by his Cross shall lift us up.

3 And after Supper he washed their feet,
For service, too, is sacrament.
In him our joy shall be made complete —
Sent out to serve, as he was sent.

4 No end there is! We depart in peace.
He loves beyond the uttermost:
In every room in our Father’s house
He will be there, as Lord and Host.

This is a very well known hymn By John Newton set to NEW BRITAIN.

I blogged it fifteen years ago when covering AOV. In this hymnal only four verses have been selected. It is another hymn for which John de Luca provided his own arrangement, which is somewhat different to others I have seen. He has more interesting chords and includes the triplets that many people sing anyway.

Last time the backing was folk styled, but this time it is just organ by BIAB influenced by his arrangement.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T’was grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace, my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

This is not his arrangement but seems the most commonly used one..

This is a song of praise, ascension and of the Eucharist, with a text by William Chatterton Dix and set to the old favourite HYFRYDOL by Rowland Pritchard.

The text here is quite different from the one I blogged in AOV many years ago – yes AOV has some traditional hymnody. Verses are missing, verses are added, exclamation marks replaced and choices were made. I’m not sure why the Trinitarian verse didn’t make into this hymnal.

I had another crack at an organ backing:

Alleluia, sing to Jesus!
His the sceptre, his the throne;
Alleluia, his the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark, The songs of peaceful Sion
Thunder like a mighty flood.
Jesus out of every nation
Has redeemed us by his blood.

Alleluia, not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia, he is near us;
Faith believes, nor questions how;
Though the cloud from sight received him,
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget his promise,
“I am with you evermore”?

Alleluia, Bread of Angels,
Thou on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia, here the sinful
Flee to you from day to day;
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, plead for me,
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia, King eternal,
You the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia, born of Mary,
Earth your footstool, heaven your throne:
You, within the veil, have entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest:
You on earth both priest and victim
In the Eucharistic feast.

This is Donald Fishel‘s song, “Alleluia No.1”, which I covered in AOV fifteen years ago on this blog.

I found this in depth analysis from an organist’s perspective, which lead me to this further article on the song. The main thing with this one is not to do it slowly and turn it into a dirge.

The sheet music can be purchased at OCP.

John de Luca’s arrangement adds some colour to the chords.

I made a new organ based BIAB backing:

Refrain
Alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the risen Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Give praise to his name.

1. Jesus is Lord of all the earth;
   He is the king of creation.
2. Spread the good news o’er all the earth:
   Jesus has died and has risen.
3. We have been crucified with Christ;
   Now we shall live forever.
4. God has proclaimed the just reward
   Life for all men, alleluia!
5. Come, let us praise the living God;
   Joyfully sing to our Saviour.

This is a vigorous take on Psalm 99 (100) by Lucien Deiss. I looked at it in AOV about fifteen years ago.

It is an old WLP copyright and you can still buy the sheet music at GIA for $0.80. John de Luca notes that he slightly adapted the antiphon to better suit SATB, but I can’t see major changes except the excellent idea of dropping the key from Bb to Ab.

The text is here.

My backing is more fake BIAB church organ.

This is actually a song called “Christmas Bush For His Adorning”, but everything in this collection is on a first line basis.

It’s another of the Five Australian Christmas songs set by William G. James with a text by John Wheeler. Don’t you just love a carol that says “golden weather” instead of winter and snow.

The text is here and the sheet music there.

I’m not sure my backing is quite “brightly” enough.

I find it interesting to see what John de Luca did with Folk Mass material. I suppose he must have looked at three chord wonders and realised they need something more for an organist to get stuck into.

This is a Sebastian Temple song that I blogged in the Praise to God Parish Hymn Book. Chris W reminded me it was in this collection too. It has a fair old range so it’s out of my league to sing.

The text is here. This is Mary’s area, so see what she had to say at Godsongs.

It seems de Luca thought it deficient in chords so he added a whole lot more. I assume the PTG version was just taken from the original:

I made a backing with the extra chords but still in folk style:

This is the orginal that goes from folk to barbershop: