Church Music

There are new Lectionaries that have either arrived or are coming for the English speaking Catholic world.

England has theirs already using the ESV-CE translation for the readings, the USA is going with the Catholic American Bible (natch) when they get around to it and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand will use the the RNJB at some stage, because why not?

So we either get the Vatican making lousy decisions for the whole English speaking world or we get lots of different decisions for different areas to cause confusion.

Regarding psalms there appears more unity in that everyone is moving to “The Abbey Psalms and Canticles” otherwise known as the Revised, Revised Grail. Australia will use the ICEL responses but I’m struggling to find what other jurisdictions are doing with their responses, it appears that they won’t be using the ICEL responses I think.

There is little between them all, but it means the psalms for Australia will have two copyrights, ICEL for the responses and the holder of the copyright for “The Abbey Psalms.” That was the abbey who sold it to GIA who sold it to the USCCB.

There are some who think that copyright over psalms is evil and have posted the whole thing on the internet. They suggest it should be under a creative commons licence and that is something the USCCB could do if they wanted to.

This is all annoying me because I’m looking at the third volume of Paul Mason’s excellent psalms. All his volumes use ICEL (First 1981, 2nd and beyond 1997) responses. For verses, the first one used 1963 Grail, the second, 2010 Revised Grail and the third 2018 Revised, Revised Grail. This all makes my brain hurt and you wonder why anyone writes psalms with the confusion causing delays and limiting sales to smaller areas.

Blame Mary for this one.

In the context of church songs that may have become country standards, she directed us to this song by Fr. Eamonn (Eddie) Bheartla Ó Connaighle. It is a proper Irish folk song.

The background for this is all at Godsongs naturally.

I love the version by John Beag Ó Flatharta, but I can’t see it working at our local church, except perhaps during the local Tamar Valley Folk Festival each January.

Godsongs has a link to the guitar chords and lyrics. There is also some sheet music there that is just wrong, both unsuccessfully trying to put an Irish lilt to the tune and also with many incorrect notes.

My backing is in E like the version above and I’ve made what corrections I could but I don’t vouch for their accuracy. I put a BIAB instrumental verse after the chorus.

This brings up the idea of what music can be sacred. Historically, sacred music was generally secular before it was taken up by the church, usually after enough of an interval so that the secular roots of the music have been forgotten. It is temporal, cultural and responds to the available technology. An enclosed community is ideal for chant. An organ is ideal for the long reverberation of a cathedral. A piano is great to support an assembly, as in good hands it gives melody, harmony, and percussion support. A voice plus guitar will work for small assemblies unamplified and large ones amplified. A voice plus a backing is better than listening to a CD or tape. All can be sacred if they arise from a worshipping community.

The Catholic church has a big problem in not being self conscious enough to notice the relativistic nature of its worship over centuries and cultures and the organic adaptations that are made adapting to technology, equipment, time, place and changing patterns of human thought and belief.

The style is irrevelant except that it needs to not cause problems with the liturgical flow of the mass. Since style is linked to instrumental accompaniment, each will have its achilles heel. For example, an overbearing organ that goes on too long or drowns out the assembly isn’t helpful. A drummer who hasn’t learned to play quietly or know when not to play at all has things to learn. Over amplified voices and instruments that discourage the assembly from participation must be avoided. The style may not be a problem but the sound system may well be.

Just because I don’t associate a certain style with being sacred doesn’t mean a particular assembly won’t find it exactly what is needed for their expression of faith. I could go on…

A singer at our church faced with weeks with an absence of musicians, has occasionally used the MyMIDI program and MIDI files to lead the singing at mass. She tells me it is much better if someone else presses the buttons and I agree, it takes at least two to use backings without getting frazelled – one singing and one wrangling technology.

I supply her with backings, so when she asked for this song last year, I had to make one because I’ve never blogged it.

“Receive the Power” was written for WYDSYD 2008. Some of my children attended and did not enjoy it at all, which may have soured me for this song and have some recollection of trying to sing it at church at the time and not liking it. It was written by Guy Sebastian and Gary Pinto and perhaps after all this time I should give it another go. I’m sure it was a better time for many people and the song will have positive resonances for many.

We played it at a Lent planning meeting the other night looking forward to Pentecost and one of our number fixed it’s major problem by playing it in Eb instead of C but then down the octave – ie capo 3 for lazy guitarists. This song was written for performance by a skilled singer – Guy Sebastian – not for an assembly unless the key is ratcheted down an awful lot.

Mary at Godsongs has more background.

The sheet music is here.

I made a backing using simple BIAB midi sounds to make the MIDI file (here made into an MP3). I reduced the lengthy introduction.

… and one the usual way with a more recent BIAB style using real tracks.

1 Every nation, every tribe,
come together to worship You.
In Your presence we delight,
we will follow to the ends of the earth.

Chorus
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Receive the Power, from the Holy Spirit!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Receive the Power to be a light unto the world!

2 As Your Spirit calls to rise
we will answer and do Your Will.
We’ll forever testify
of Your mercy and unfailing love.

Chorus

Bridge
Lamb of God, we worship You,
Holy One, we worship You,
Bread of Life, we worship You,
Emmanuel, we worship You.
Lamb of God, we worship You,
Holy One, we worship You,
Bread of Life, we worship You,
Emmanuel, we will sing forever.

Chorus

This apparently well known song was new to me when it was suggested at a meeting about music for Lent.

I found sheet music, which attributes this song to Mary Kirkbride and Marylou Locke, but hymnary adds Peter West to the list of songwriters and notes he has the copyright. Odd.

The tune is a bit fiddly and I note many singers have smoothed out the barbs.

Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock,
His work is perfect and all His ways are just.
Ascribe greatness to our God, the Rock,
His work is perfect and all His ways are just.

A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Good and upright is He;
A God of faithfulness and without injustice,
Good and upright is He.

Don Moen rearranged it:

Speaking of copyright disasters (see yesterday), Gio has been fossicking in the bowels of his church and found many treasures from long ago, including a hymn book called Festive People.

He has scanned it for us.

In amongst songs of all sorts and provenances is this one by Paul Keyte and Gerald Crooks, which he has kindly put into sheet music for us.

He also made a MIDI, which is above and beyond…

That didn’t stop me making my own backing:

1 When I behold your works, O Lord,

The moon and stars above.

I wonder why you care for me

And show me all your love.

2 What is this care you show for man

That all these gifts surround him.

You’ve made him little less than God

And with your glory crowned him.

Bridge

And thus we too would come to you

And offer what we can.

Together with this bread and wine

The lowly gifts of man.

3 And as this bread and wine is changed

To make them one with you,

So change our hearts and let your blood

Our very souls bedew.

If a was a crochety, pedantic old cuss, I would rewrite this song thusly:

1 When we behold your works, O Lord,

The moon and stars above.

We wonder why you care for us

And show us all your love.

2 What is this care you show for us

That all these gifts surround us.

You’ve made us little less than God

And with your glory crowned us.

Bridge

And so we too would come to you

And offer everything.

Together with this bread and wine

The lowly gifts we bring.

3 And as this bread and wine is changed

To make them one with you,

So change our hearts and let your blood

Our very lives renew.

I fear I will be indulging in more hymnal archeology with this and other hymnals in Gio’s trove so many thanks.

I asked our lovely parish priest if he had any songs he liked for Lent and said to look up a song called “Coming Home”. He has also mentioned a source called With Joyful Lips, so I looked there and, with the help of Youtube to get where it is filed, found it.

It is a song by William J. Kirkpatrick and sounds a country song, which is how another musician at church who actually had heard of it remembered it. Considering it’s age I doubt it was quite as country to start with.

This blog has posted the whole hodge podge that is With Joyful Lips. It looks a copyright disaster but this one is public domain at least.

Hymnary have sheet music. WJL only use the first four stanzas.

1. I’ve wandered far away from God,
   Now I’m coming home;
   The paths of sin too long I’ve trod,
   Lord, I’m coming home.
   Refrain:
   Coming home, coming home,
   Never more to roam,
   Open wide Thine arms of love,
   Lord, I’m coming home.
2. I’ve wasted many precious years,
   Now I’m coming home;
   I now repent with bitter tears,
   Lord, I’m coming home. [Refrain]
3. I’m tired of sin and straying, Lord,
   Now I’m coming home;
   I’ll trust your love, believe your Word,
   Lord, I’m coming home. [Refrain]
4. My soul is sick, my heart is sore,
   Now I’m coming home;
   My strength renew, my hope restore,
   Lord, I’m coming home. [Refrain]
5. My only hope and only plea;
   Now I’m coming home;
   That Jesus died, and died for me;
   Lord, I’m coming home. [Refrain]
6. I need his cleansing blood, I know;
   Now I’m coming home;
   Oh, wash me whiter than the snow;
   Lord, I’m coming home. [Refrain]

I’ve already blogged this song by Gen Bryant, here, and we are using it as a recessional despite being a less than youthful assembly.

I purchased the download of the sheet music collection some time ago from Willow, but was happy to pick up a physical copy at the APMN conference last year.

The collection is available here and the song here.

I made a new backing to celebrate. This is more most worthy Australian Catholic music to support.

This song by Danielle Rose turned up in a liturgy posted by Gio and it is not one I have come across before.

This is a little bit country and is from her album, I Thirst. It was a WLP song that was swallowed up by GIA and is now available at GIA where the text is in their preview. It might work best as a solo. I like the line in the bridge, “This is Christ in distressing disguise.”

My backing is based on the preview and uses some of the piano arrangement for a change.

I’m wondering why so little of this collection is in circulation these days. Nineteen Seventy-eight was pretty late for the folk mass era and a lot of these somgs aren’t really folk anyway. I also suspect WLP was pretty small beer back then, which of course has now been swallowed by GIA anyway.

I shouldn’t call these mass parts redundant really, because Sonrise has written a still usable Gospel Acclamation and a Great Amen.

The words to the Sanctus have, of course, changed and the other acclamations no longer fit liturgically, but some could still be used as chants in other circumstances I suppose.

So here’s to the lived faith and creativity of Jack Miffleton, Ken Meltz, Angel Tucciarone, Donna Friewer, Neil Blunt, Willard F. Jabusch, Lucien Deiss and Sonrise.

Gospel Acclamation (Sonrise)

Holy, Holy, Holy (Miffleton)

Great Amen (Sonrise)

Praise and Glory (Miffleton)

Glory to You (Miffleton)

When We Eat This Bread (Tucciarone)

Lord, By Your Cross (Miffleton)

I’m nearing the end of A Hundredfold: A Contemporary Folk Hymnal from 1978.

This version of Psalm 47 is by Angel Tucciarone and is a joy filled, singable psalm. It is also very out of print.