This is a song very useful for Reconciliation and Lent – I like the text written by Rosamund E. Herklots lots.
I have blogged two setting of this before. CWB II went with BELMONT, which I covered here. Gather 3rd ed used a more common setting, DETROIT and I looked at that here.
CWB I used ST NICHOLAS, which is at least noted at Hymnary as an uncommon setting for this text. This time CWB II has gone for the outlier because, while BELMONT is a common hymn tune, using it for this text appears rare.
Liturgyshare has sheet music and resources for all these setting and throws in TALLIS’ ORDINAL for good measure.
I got chords from TIS and bass suggestion from Hymnary for my fake BIAB organ backing.
1. ‘Forgive our sins as we forgive,’
you taught us, Lord, to pray,
but you alone can grant us grace
to live the words we say.2. How can your pardon reach and bless
the unforgiving heart,
that broods on wrongs and will not let
old bitterness depart?3. In blazing light your cross reveals
the truth we dimly knew:
what trivial debts are owed to us,
how great our debt to you!4. Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls,
and bid resentment cease;
then, bound to all in bonds of love,
our lives will spread your peace.
Both hymn tunes could be used in different contexts – ST NICHOLAS is a lovely penitential depresso one for lent with the hint of joy in the third line – Very much like God of Mercy and Compassion (warning- they become a dirge when played too slow and become VERY sorrowful)
As for BELMONT – it’s one of those stock hymn tunes that everyone knows, and like HYFRYDOL, can be put onto almost any hymn. It’s very Lowell Mason/Methodist Mission so it always sounds familiar. The tune has it’s place in the Living Parish Hymn book as 130, “My God, accept my heart this day”.
CWB1 seems to have decent tune matching and dodgy editing, and CWB2 is mostly the opposite.
I think its fair to say that back in the 80s Australia didn’t look to the US culturally quite as much as it does now, and so I believe the editors of CWB1 have primarily looked at the original Australian Hymn Book and UK hymnals for hymn tune selection. Hymnary.org is primarily an American database, and it doesn’t contain info on any major Catholic hymnals outside of America that I can see. Also, unfortunately, whoever entered data for the Australian Hymn Book (which is included) did not include hymn tune information.
I just make this observation because I believe that CWB1 tune selections are not quite as left field as first appears. From this and recent posts:
SAINT NICHOLAS is associated with Forgive Our Sins, as We Forgive in the Australian Hymn Book. Back in the those days, I can recall that ecunemism was less of a dirty word than it seems to have become now, so I choosing tunes in common was probably a good idea. AHB includes a Catholic supplement, but I don’t know that many Catholic churches used this book at the time.
Faith of Our Fathers is associated with SAWSTON in the “Hymnal of St Pius X” (1952, Melbourne), New Living Parish Hymn Book and others.
Easter Glory Fills the Sky is associated with GWALCHMAI in the Australian Hymn Book and Gather Australia. I believe it is alse the tune selected by the writer of the hymn back in 1969 and is still listed with it by OCP.
Copies of the original Australian Hymn Book appear to be readily available on ebay, and is included in a database of UK hymnals (with a very user unfriendly system for finding hymn tune associations) which can be found at hymnquest.com. It is indexes “With One Voice [Australian Hymn Book]”.
That makes sense, Chris.
I was thinking that the choices may have indicated a more insular culture in the Australian Catholic church in the past with a small base of expertise making for more individual selections, that may have smoothed out over the years when CWB II rolled around.
The other issue is that, once selected, the tune choices would have become canon for churches using CWB and odd for those using say Gather, for example.
I have certainly noticed the very individual hands at work, often with good effect, in the New Living Parish Hymn Book and the Praise to God parish hymn book.
While other Australian hymn books are hard to find the Australian Hymn Book pops up a lot in second hand sources. When I could go the Lifeline sales in Brisbane, there was always enough AHBs to supply a new congregation if you wanted them. It is an interesting world to live in when despite falling participation in all denominations, ecumenism somehow is less a good idea. Common tunes are a great idea. Protestant hymn tunes were rebadged with Latin names and claimed as Catholic and vice versa. For modern hymns CCLI vs OneLicence are successfully preventing crossover even where theological differences are absent.
I made these backings sometime ago and I am kicking myself for not going to your website more – it would have saved me some work.
Geoff
I think Ecumenism is less popular because it seems to have been applied incorrectly and perhaps overdone. I have noticed the human tendency to overreact and overcompensate when they notice something wrong.
Hymn tunes are the perfect way to do it well (hymn texts may need to be reviewed and unfortunately edited to better represent Catholic Theology)
One example is Be Thou My Vision, where the last verse mentions victory won (I’ve always interpereted as death) in protestant hymn books, but older Catholic hymnals refer to it as Battle is done.
Alas, singing is praying twice, and the power of music, and I think in hymns, so the slight difference is magnified.