From a well respected Australian composer of many years in Brian Boniwell, I will turn to one of our great younger songwriters, Beth Doherty.
She is a journalist and songwriter whose involvment in matters of social justice has greatly formed her art. I have blogged her songs, “All the Hungry Come” and “Gardens” already.
At the APMN conference I was lucky enough to get a hard copy of her book, An Attitude of Beatitude, in the form of the resource book. It is available in many formats at Willow, I’d suggest the resource bundle for value for money.
My book has the sheet music, lyrics with commentary and group activities for school or parish based on the Beatitudes and using her songs as a resource.
She notes that “For Blessings Will Come” brings the Beatitudes forward to today’s issues globally and locally where the marginalised face struggle. It has liturgical uses when the verses come up in the readings and would be a song for looking at Eucharist from a different angle.
Listen to her song:
I made a backing:
There is a hint of “Rock and Roll I Gave You the Best Years of My Life” in the verse but I think she is too young to have heard that one. This is one of the easier ones of hers to play, as there is little syncopation and easy chords.
Since you can hear her sing her lyrics, and I’d like to encourage people to buy a copy of her music for their parish or themselves, I’m not putting up the lyrics here this time.