Church Music

This is short take on Psalm 103 from David MacGregor who has a trove of wonderful music at his website.

The sheet music is there as well.

Bless the Lord, my soul. O bless the Lord my soul.

Bless the Lord, my soul. O praise God’s holy name.

This is only parenthetical to liturgical music, except that technology has impacted that as well.

Hearing “Grow Old With Me” sung by AI John Lennon and Paul McCartney has convinced me that everything is changed. I love it, because only ever having John’s demo of it was cruel, and I hate it because John is not around to approve or not and Paul wasn’t asked.

Technology has changed our field as well. Hymnals are old technology and redundant in a world of projection. Outside the GIA/OCP axis, many artists are basically giving away their sheet music hoping to get something through OneLicence/CCLI – our Spotify. This is unlikely to be sustainable as churches and their money are shrinking and we will eventually choose between packaged non-participatory music and home made – a combination of self written, public domain and freely accessible hymns. The good news is that I don’t think AI itself will impact liturgical music, the bad news is that is only so because there will be no profit in it.

This is a country psalm from David MacGregor based on Psalm 145.

The sheet music is at his site. You can listen to his backing there or listen to mine here.

Refrain

Every day I will bless you Lord
I will praise your name forever
I will praise you, O my God and King
and bless your name forever

1 Great are you, Lord
Great to be praised
Your greatness, unlimited
Generations will praise your works
Your mighty acts forever

2 Lord, you are grace
Your mercy wide
Slow angered and rich in love
Lord your goodness extends to all
Compassion in all you’ve made

David MacGregor
© 2016 Willow Publishing
from Psalm 145

This David MacGregor song bravely takes some Beatitudes and adds in a woe that comes after them, which is rarely addressed in song.

The sheet music is at his website. He does mysterious minor key tunes well.

My backing replaced his hums with BIAB voices.

Blessed be
Blessed be
Those who mourn
Who’ve lost it all
Hungry for more
Who tearful, fall
Blessed be
Blessed be
God’s Kingdom belongs to you all

mmm, mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm-mmm

Blessed be
when you’re cut right down
when you’re tossed right out
slandered around
Abundance comes
Hey, leap, rejoice!
Blessed be
Blessed be
heaven welcomes, with Christ your choice

mmm, mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm-mmm

Trouble awaits
For you well-fed
You laughing now
Weeping’s ahead
Your life of ease
will be no more
Heaven knows
Heaven knows
Heaven knows
what lies in store

mmm, mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm-mmm

Blessed be
Blessed be
Those who mourn
Who’ve lost it all
Hungry for more
Who tearful, fall
Blessed be
Blessed be
God’s Kingdom belongs to you all

mmm, mmm-mmm, mmm-mmm-mmm (x2)

David MacGregor
©️ 2022 Willow Publishing – from Luke 6:17-26

Some of the David MacGregor songs on his site are for children. It is based on Joshua 1:9 and designed for kids to jump up and down a lot. It should be fun.

The sheet music is at his site.

My backing is in dance mode.

O-o-o-o
O-o-o
Be strong and courageous!
O-o-o-o
O-o-o
Be strong and courageous
With our god on our side
We can come out right …
Be strong and courageous!

When it’s tough
When it’s rough
Be strong and courageous
Do not fear
God is near
Be strong and courageous
And when you’re feeling way, way down
Life is like one big, big frown
God is there
God is love
God will help us rise above
Yeah! Yeah!

O-o-o-o
O-o-o
Be strong and courageous
O-o-o-o
O-o-o
Be strong and courageous
With our god on our side
We can come out right …
Be strong and courageous

David MacGregor
© 2019 Willow Publishing

I’m looking at the music at David MacGregor’s site and have come to this song with lovely gentle music by David MacGregor setting words by Craig Mitchell, based on Psalm 27.

The sheet music is available here.

I kept my backing restrained for a change.

1 Be the light that shrouds the twilight
Be the might that holds our fears
Be the home that yearns our dwelling
Be the stone that takes our tears

Chorus

Christ be our light
Whom shall we fear?
Deep in the night
Spirit, draw near

2 Be the cry that whispers mercy
Be the seeker when we hide
Be the taker and the giver
Be the pathway and the guide
Christ be our light …

3 Be the sacrifice that breaks us
Be the shelter in the flood
Be the promise that remakes us
Be the parent who is good
Christ be our light …

Lyrics: Craig Mitchell
Music: David MacGregor
© 2014

This is a new song from David and Dale MacGregor that is seriously good. It is a great choice for Advent this year if you want to plan ahead. There is an apposite air of mystery about the song that is most appealing.

The score is at his website. There is an instrumental in the middle of the song that acts as fanfare for the arrival of Emmanuel.

I had fun with this backing.

1. At the turning point of time
   At the turning point of time
   You came close, from heaven’s home
   You disturbed our wayward roam
   at the turning point of time
2. In our hearts, you longed a home
   We, your love, as child, your own
   In this world you made your home
   all our yearnings, sighs and groans
   In our hearts, you longed a home

Instrumental

bridge:
At the turning
At the turning
At the turning
At the turning

(repeat)

3. Christ, Emmanuel, draw near
   Saving grace come close, be here
   Spirit-presence, calm our fears
   Be the hopes of all the years
   Emmanuel, draw near

Christ, Emmanuel, draw near
Saving grace come close, be here
Spirit-presence, calm our fears
Be the hopes of all the years
Emmanuel, draw near
Emmanuel draw near.

David & Dale MacGregor
© 2022 Willow Publishing

David MacGregor has some songs that are quite country styled and this is one of them. He wrote this one with Dale MacGregor, who I am assuming is his wife and vocalist.

It is in the voice of Jesus in a country/folk idiom if that is useful. There is something wonderful about the lyric, “build wider tables”.

The sheet music is available at his site. There is a backing he has recorded there, as well as a vocal version.

I made a backing too.

“Hear what I’m sayin’ and
Hear what I’m prayin’
Go, love one another
as I have loved
Love in the caring
Forgiving, forbearing
Love ever-giving”
the love from You.

So come together
Yes, come together
Come, love together
Arms open wide

Break down the borders and
Build wider tables and
Reach out your arms
stretch them open wide

“Hear what I’m sayin and
Hear what I’m prayin
You are my disciples
When known by love
Each time you welcome
a sister, a brother
You welcome the One
whose life is Love”

So come together
Yes, come together
Come, love together
Arms open wide

Break down the borders and
Build wider tables and
Reach out your arms
stretch them open wide

So come together
Yes, come together
Come, love together
Arms open wide

Break down the borders and
Build wider tables and
Reach out your arms
stretch them open wide
Reach out your arms
stretch them open wide.

David & Dale MacGregor
© 2019 Willow Publishing

I’m still only in the A’s of this remarkable archive of songs that David MacGregor has made freely available. This is a fine modern psalm of praise he has written.

The sheet music and his backing track are at his website.

I made a backing too.

1. The ocean, the rocks join together
   The sunrise reminds you make new
   The colours of desert amaze me
   Your presence, all that is you!
   Mountain peaks soar as the snow falls
   Flowers bloom beauty profound
   and there in creation’s fresh glory
   you’re waiting again to be found

“You are amazing.”
“You are amazing.”
You’re the God of all wonders
Of beauty, surprise beyond words
God. come surround me
God love me, inspire me
You are amazing
You are wonder
You are God

2. There’s a lesson to learn in the contrast
   The palms still survive desert sands
   Waters flow free in the canyons
   the cool and the hard hand in hand
   Colours of fall – season’s rainbow
   Red rocks rise high from the plains
   And I’m overcome God in wonder
   Creation cries “Glory” again.

“You are amazing.”
“You are amazing.”
You’re the God of all wonders
Of beauty, surprise beyond words
God. come surround me
God love me, inspire me
You are amazing
You are wonder
You are God
… You are amazing
You are wonder
You are God
You are God

David MacGregor © 2018 Willow Publishing

Looking at the sheer number of great songs David MacGregor has on his website, I don’t think I will be able to do more than A-C in this series. I sure I will get back to the rest in the future.

This song is in the great tradition of Shirley Murray and John Bell, with a strong social justice theme. It is a minor key, with clever touches in the tune. I particularly like his triplets over changing intervals.

The sheet music and his backing MP3 are at his website.

That didn’t stop me making my own backing. I changed a couple of chords in the second last bar of the verse where the G and F notes go against an A chord, which was too much for me and I put in the less brave Gm and F. On the other hand I found a suitably bleak jazz piano style.

Am I free to share my faith,

while another’s pained, defaced;

best intentions left disgraced?

Where have we come?

What’s the world we dare to be?

What’s it mean: “diversity”?

How be kind, yet disagree responsibly?

Love is patient, Love is kind

Keeps our neighbour close, in mind.

Seeks always for common ground.

Believes that hope can still be found.

       O where,  O where, O where … is love?

Come, lets search: what’s fair and just.

Care for all: a right, a must.

Sharing tolerance and trust.

All safe to love/be

Time to find some space for grace.

Look into one’s heart, one’s face.

Fear one day, we pray replaced,

transformed by love.

Love is patient …

May love always triumph law.

All we say build up, restore.

Point to the One who offers more.

whose name is Love.

Love is patient …

David MacGregor © 2019 Willow Publishing

This clip says vocal, but there isn’t one.