Church Music

This is aspirational and inspirational hymn from David MacGregor. Think of it as a better take on “Companions on the Journey”.

The sheet music is free at his site where you can hear his version.

I slightly jazzed up the chords (Band in a Box lets you do that) and put pushes in where the melody suggested them in my BIAB backing. Not sure if made things better or too busy.

1. Ever moving on a journey
   Ever travellers on The Way
   Ever open as communities of grace
   Knowing your renewing spirit
   God you call us: faithful be
   The love of Christ has saved us, set us free

Chorus

With a heart for justice
With feet of compassion
uniting with hope in Christ our Lord
witnessing in faith
to the One who calls us
proclaiming Christ in deed and word

2. Ever offering compassion
   Loving neighbour as you love
   Ever serving in the name of Jesus Christ
   Bringing God’s transforming hope for all
   in overflowing joy
   In Christ, the truth the world will not destroy
   With a heart for justice …
3. Ever speaking out for justice
   Ever telling out the truth
   Ever risking Jesus’ way, despite the cost
   Being doers of God’s justice
   Loving, sharing mercy’s heart
   Walking humbly with our God
   How great you are!
   With a heart for justice.

© David MacGregor 2010 Willow Publishing

I’m moving on to another Australian artist now, one David MacGregor. He has many songs published at Willow, so I came across him there. He is a Uniting Church minister from Queensland and has been writing and recording music for many years. Despite living in his neck of the woods for most of my life, I have only come across his work since moving away.

His Together to Celebrate site offers useful suggestions for music, but the highlight is his own songs, for which he puts up the sheet music and audio files, either sung or instrumental backings. He says they are offered as a gift, but obviously need to noted through OneLicence or CCLI if used in services. His style tends folk/country but there are boppy songs for kids and other styles as well. There is a level of sophistication in his music that goes beyond those genres and it is well worth a look.

There is so much there it rivals Michael Herry’s archive for ambition, but I’ll make a start and probably get back to finish it in stages.

This song, inspired by Numbers 9:15-23 would work as a recessional.

1. There’s a song that sounds
   There’s a call – resounds
   Come and follow, hear my voice
   Leave the past behind
   One in heart and mind
   Move with God – in strength, in choice

Know God’s presence, life
Live God’s Spirit power
Be one people, clear in resolve
There’s a charge to keep
There’s a light to shine
There’s a story still to be told.

2. T’ward a promised land
   In God’s grace, we’ll stand
   Tell God’s story fresh in these times
   As the Spirit gives
   We’ve the tools to live
   as redeemed,
   enlivened by Christ.

Charged to serve you well
from the heart, pray tell
Chosen people
purposed in God
We’ve a charge to keep
We’ve a light to shine
There’s a story still to be told.

3. God you call us on
   by your living Word
   Grant us courage all to obey
   Purpose in our steps
   by your Spirit’s breath
   Jesus’ voice and heart for today

Called to be your church
As your face on earth
Grow in Christ wherever we be
We’ve a charge to keep
We’ve a light to shine
for the one who sets us all free

We’ve a charge to keep
We’ve a light to shine
for the one who sets us all free.

David MacGregor
© 2014 Willow Publishing / Inspired by Numbers 9:15-23

This is the last song in the collection Send Us Out by Gen Bryant.

I’ve already blogged it here (with lyrics) from the preview page and a bit of guesswork, but now that I’ve bought the collection I’ve corrected my backing from the sheet music. You can purchase versions of the sheet music for the whole band at Willow.

So this collection is very much worth buying, especially if you are working with young people and it can be used as a resource for reflections.

Entrance:  Holy Spirit Come (Mangan) AOV NG 67

Psalm 103 (McKenna)

Lord, send out your spirit and renew the face of the earth.

Gifts: Holy, Sacred Spirit (Brown)

Communion: Holy Spirit of Fire (Mangan) CWB II 110

Recessional: Send Down the Fire (Haugen) AOV 2/164

I usually play the Vigil so no Sequence but Alstott’s version to “Song of Joy” works if you don’t have one lined up.

Entrance: All the Ends of the Earth (Dufford) AOV 1/76)

Psalm 46 (McKenna)

God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:

A blare of trumpets for the Lord.

Gifts: O Sacred Flame (Marshall)

Communion: Christ Light, Shining in the Darkness (Grant) CWBII 468

Recessional:  Holy Spirit Come (Mangan) AOV NG 67

This is an older Gen Bryant song from the collection Send Us Out, about following the call of Christ.

The sheet music for all the band is at Willow, and you can hear a snippet of what it is meant to sound like there.

My backing has a less delicate touch than her music.

1 They say your love conquered the grave.

They say you came to earth to save.

You said: I can make your darkness bright.

Come follow me and I will be your light.

Come follow me and I will be your light.

2 They say you are the three in one.

I know my journeys just begun.

You said: I’m the way the truth the life.

Come follow me, leave all your cares behind.

Come follow me, leaving all your cares behind.

Oh weh-oh x4

3 They say you’ve heard that beat of mine.

I know I’ve been searching to find.

You said: leave your bags and fears behind.

Come follow me, a life of love divine.

Come follow me, a life of love divine.

Oh weh-oh x8

Coda

They say your love conquered the grave.

They say you came to earth to save.

You said: I can make your darkness bright.

I’m gonna follow you a life of love divine.

I’m gonna follow you a life of love divine.

I’m gonna follow you a life of love divine.

© 2013 Gen Bryant Published by Willow Publishing.

It looks like the quieter songs from Gen Bryant are sung prayers from a place of despair and speak to the need for acceptance of God’s love and plan. This makes them good talking points for a teenage audience.

This is another song of that nature from her collection Send Us Out. It would need to be a solo I think.

The text is at her site.

Once again Willow has provided specific sheet music for each member of the band.

My backing is made on BIAB from the piano sheet music in the whole collection. I currently use two BIAB setups. I have kept the 2021 version because I have that set up with J Bridge so I can use 32bit VST plugins for the melody lines. This backing was done on the 2023 setup where I am still getting used to the 64bit plugins. The guitar is a great example of how real the digitised backings in BIAB sound.

I have a few left from Gen Bryant’s Send Us Out collection and am enjoying the new songs that I haven’t heard before.

This is another quiet reflective sung prayer from her about hearing God’s call.

The sheet music for the whole band is at Willow.

The text is at her site.

My backing is just BIAB piano under the melody.

She has had this one for a while. She was still Genevieve then.

This is a prayer to God for when we feel far away by Gen Bryant. It is from the collection Send Us Out, where they suggest the parable of the prodigal son as a relevant scripture, which sounds about right.

There is sheet music for everyone in the band at Willow. The text is at her site.

My version is typical pads lead to guitar and the drums kick in for a slow burn p&w backing.

Her version keeps it more simple and her vocal has a Cranberries vibe.

This is a sung prayer for times of trouble, looking for guidance from God. It is by Gen Bryant and from her collection Send Us Out that I have been looking through.

It a gentle thoughtful piece for reflection.

It can bought as sheet music for many instruments at Willow.

This is my backing made on BIAB.

1 Speak into my darkness, speak into my soul.

When I’m overwhelmed and I have lost control.

Will you be the light that guides the way before me?

So, out of the shadows, I know I will stand strong.

Prechorus

Oh, I need your light. I need your peace.

So dwell within my heart so I may see.

Oh, I need your light. I need your peace.

So dwell within my heart so I may see.

Chorus

You are the light within me.

You’re showing me the way.

Help me to shine brighter.

Help me to shine brighter.

You are the light within me.

You’re showing me the way.

Help me to shine brighter

For the world surrounding me.

2 Fill me with compassion, fill me with belief.

I pray that I’m the first to love when others fail to see.

I will walk beside you if you will trust in me.

I will be the light you need if you will believe.

Prechorus

Chorus

© 2020 Gen Bryant. Published by Willow Publishing.