Comments for Church Music https://www.sixmaddens.org Blogging Catholic Liturgical Music Sat, 18 Jul 2026 20:55:20 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Music for the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A 18th/19th July by Ryan https://www.sixmaddens.org/music-for-the-sixteenth-week-in-ordinary-time-year-a-18th-19th-july/#comment-88747 Sat, 18 Jul 2026 20:55:20 +0000 https://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=21539#comment-88747 Gathering: There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy (Faber; IN BABILONE)
Mass Parts: Mass of St. Ann (Bolduc)
Psalm: Lord, You Are Good and Forgiving (Alonso – The Lyric Psalter)
Gifts: Unless a Grain of Wheat (Farrell)
Communion: One Love Released (Frenzel/Keil)
Closing: At the Name of Jesus (Walker/Noel)

]]> Comment on Hark! the Herald Angels Sing NLPHB 85 by Chris Wroblewski https://www.sixmaddens.org/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-nlphb-85/#comment-88732 Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:49:06 +0000 https://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=21829#comment-88732 Wesley published this as “Hark How All the Welkin Rings” (where welkin means “heavens” or “sky”), but it didn’t find much usage at the time. Thank goodness for “Alt” and the glorious tune! For hymn nerds, see https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/hark-the-herald-angels

]]> Comment on Anthem by maddg https://www.sixmaddens.org/anthem/#comment-88722 Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:33:06 +0000 http://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=2531#comment-88722 In reply to Arthur Parker.

G’Day Arthur

In haven’t sung it for years, but I wouldn’t try with an organ backing, it is a guitar song.

… and I wouldn’t go too fast.
This clip from the wonderful Chris Brunelle is about right:
https://youtu.be/SpAaj0GMtOI?si=Riyg36PS8p_5j-h6

cheers

Geoff

]]> Comment on Anthem by Arthur Parker https://www.sixmaddens.org/anthem/#comment-88721 Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:24:44 +0000 http://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=2531#comment-88721 Very tough rhythmicaly. Any advice about how sing it?

]]> Comment on Music for the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time Year A 11th/12th July 2026 by Ryan https://www.sixmaddens.org/music-for-the-fifteenth-week-in-ordinary-time-year-a-11th-12th-july-2026/#comment-88672 Sun, 12 Jul 2026 01:15:33 +0000 https://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=21537#comment-88672 Gathering: We Belong to You (Thomson/Thomson)
Mass Parts: Mass of St. Ann (Bolduc)
Psalm: The Seed That Falls on Good Ground (Alonso – The Lyric Psalter)
Gifts: Seed, Scattered and Sown (Feiten)
Communion: God’s Holy Gifts (Schutte)
Closing: Sent Forth By God’s Blessing (Westendorf; ASH GROVE)

]]> Comment on With All I Am SAS 1/212 by maddg https://www.sixmaddens.org/with-all-i-am-sas-1212/#comment-88641 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 21:37:32 +0000 http://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=5285#comment-88641 In reply to Rachel Hamilton.

G’Day Rachel

Quite often songs in Spirit and Song are OCP copyrights and available as a single sheet. This song however has its copyright retained by the authors and so OCP won’t provide that.

If you can find the songwriters, they can usually help out.

The book you link to appears to be just the words, so you might want to look for a second hand music copy.

OCP does sell Spirit and Song still :
https://www.ocp.org/en-us/hymnals/678/spirit-and-song

I’d check with them to make sure the single volume contains the song you are after. You might get way with the cheaper small format guitar version if you only needs chords and melody line.

best of luck

Geoff

]]> Comment on With All I Am SAS 1/212 by Rachel Hamilton https://www.sixmaddens.org/with-all-i-am-sas-1212/#comment-88635 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:21:27 +0000 http://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=5285#comment-88635 Where can I find sheet music for this song? I’ve loved it ever since the cantor sang it at my First Holy Communion 20 years ago, and I’d love to learn how to play it on piano.

I found Spirit and Song Volume 1 here… would this book have the sheet music in it?
https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Song-Volumes-Texts-Prayer/dp/1579921329

]]> Comment on God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman NLPHB 73 by maddg https://www.sixmaddens.org/god-rest-ye-merry-gentleman-nlphb-73/#comment-88621 Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:58:48 +0000 https://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=21762#comment-88621 In reply to Chris Wroblewski.

Good God man, you have to draw the line somewhere!

I can’t think of a rewrite of the title line that retains the original sense without gross destruction.

Another option is a complete rewrite by John Bell that I blogged here:
https://www.sixmaddens.org/god-bless-us-and-disturb-us-from-heaven-shall-not-wait/

eg

God Bless us and disturb us
As we celebrate this feast
When Christ who was the highest
Came to earth to be the least
Lest we confine to Satan’s power
Those for whom joy has ceased.
…

Where Christian folk detach ourselves
From following the cross
By spotlighting the cradle
As if that was all there was
Where who gets what at Christmas
Turns our minds from grace to dross

etc

Geoff

]]> Comment on God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman NLPHB 73 by Chris Wroblewski https://www.sixmaddens.org/god-rest-ye-merry-gentleman-nlphb-73/#comment-88617 Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:11:05 +0000 https://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=21762#comment-88617 As a young man, I remember singing this as “God Rest Ye Merry, People All”, probably at a Carols by Candlelight celebration. I wish I didn’t!

In principle, I don’t object to modernized lyrics. When a decent poet is involved, the average singer will not know that changes have been because the text remains stylistically the same and words that don’t belong in that time period, (such as humankind, and “people all”), aren’t included. The version I sang wasn’t in this category.

By the way: the venerable Cliff Richard seems to be missing from your videos above!

]]> Comment on Come to Me (AOV 1/37) by Donna Durkee https://www.sixmaddens.org/come-to-me-aov-137/#comment-88608 Sun, 05 Jul 2026 17:41:38 +0000 http://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=1041#comment-88608 Today’s Gospel reading inspired me to look for the song of “Come to Me” and found you. Thank you, God bless you!

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