After a refreshing sojourn with songs from the Iona Community, it is time to return to Australian music. I have covered an awful lot of Australian music over many years, especially those collected in As One Voice Vol 1, 2 and Next Generation. I’ve also done Gather Australia and individual collections by esteemed songwriters such as Frank Andersen, Michael Mangan, Brian Boniwell, Leo Watt and Chris DeSilva.
There are those outside the AOV axis, like Emmanuel Worship, that I have barely touched upon, as well as those still being published in As One Voice’s digital platform. I have said repeatedly, a certainly unintended consequence of the excellence of selection of songs in As One Voice was a closure of the canon in many churches, who have not looked for anything new to sing since the 1990s. The death of the printed hymnal has also meant that there are numerous songwriters who would be justly famous, amongst Catholics at least, if there were still printed songbooks in which to be published.
Peter Grant is one of these who deserves more recognition. I have already blogged twelve of his songs (check by searching!) and I will start my return to Australian music with some more of his output. His “Communion Song” was included in As One Voice and “Christ Light Shining in the Darkness” brightened up the stodginess of Catholic Worship Book II. We were using the latter at St Peter’s, Rochedale before I moved to Tasmania and, while I am introducing new music cautiously down here, it will be a priority to add to the repertoire.
“Look to the Shepherd” would have been great for last Sunday (sorry) if you have done all your shepherd songs to death. It takes some guts to do yet another setting of Psalm 23, but he also was inspired by Isaiah 40:11.
The tune is all that we have come to expect from Peter. I love the held notes in the second last line of each verse.
The sheet music can be purchased at Willow. Sometimes they don’t give enough of an idea of the tune in the preview, but in this case there is a lovely understated instrumental to listen to and a enough of a sample of the sheet music to get the idea. It would be better to have a sung snippet if that was feasible, and better yet if a church that was using this song could post it on YouTube. It would be a great aid to practice, as Chris suggested recently.
Despite the perfectly acceptable instrumental at Willow I made my own BIAB backing.
Refrain
Look to the Shepherd to lead you back home;
Follow his footsteps to safety.
Rest in his arms if your lost and alone.
Follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus.
1 He is like a shepherd feeding his flock,
And gathering lambs in his arms.
He is longing to hold you close to his heart;
He is calling you home.
2 With the Lord, your shepherd you will not want;
In pastures of green you will lie.
He will lead you to waters so still and so clear
To refresh your tired soul.
3 From the Lord your shepherd you will not stray;
He keeps constant guard on his flock.
Surely goodness and kindness will follow your life
When you dwell with the Lord.
© 2016 Peter Grant