Church Music

There I was bemoaning the lack of a collection of songs from Patricia Smith and it turns out there is one. It is a collection songs with actions for children and this is the title track. You’ll have to buy the book to get the actions.

I know I have said this before, but the Catholic school system is the most functional part of the Catholic church in Australia and the talent often starts there and then makes music for the whole church. This is possibly because people who work in schools are paid (poorly, but paid), whereas 99.9% of music in Australian Catholic churches is amateur.

The book is available at Willow, where there is a snippet of this song. The sheet music is also available in many forms.

I made a backing. I fiddled with her chords a little bit.

Don’t just stand there dance and sing!

Praise the Lord with dancing!

Don’t just stand there dance and sing!

Praise the Lord Most High!

2 … click and clap!

3 … swing and sway!

4 … twist and twirl!

5 … step and stamp!

6 … wriggle and roll!

© 2014 P A Smith. Published by Willow Publishing.

More liturgically useful music from Patricia Smith. This is timely for the upcoming veneration of the cross and the assemblies part is just “Crucem tuam” (“Your Cross”). You can purchase the sheet music for download at Willow.

The full text from Good Friday is apparently:

Crucem tuam adoramus, Domine
et sanctum resurrectionem tuam laudamus, et glorificamus
ecce enim propter lignum venit gaudium in universo mundo.

She puts the rest of it, in English, as the cantors part, although adoring Christ rather than the cross:

We adore you, O Christ, and praise you,

We adore you, O Christ, and praise you,

For by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

My backing does it no favours but the parts are at opposite ends of the stereo spectrum to assist with learning the piece.

© 2019 P A Smith. Published by Willow Publishing.

If I am doing a lot of Patricia Smith songs in this survey of songs in the digital As One Voice at Willow it is because she has a lot of new material that is great. Perhaps we need a collection of sheet music for her online or in print, plus lots of YouTube clips to spread the music.

This one would work well for gathering and its gently syncopated tune is singable for all ages. It is a prayerful psalm asking for healing and mercy with allusions to Psalm 23. The sheet music can purchased at Willow.

There is no music to listen to there, so sing along with my backing to learn it.

1 Come to this house, O Lord, with healing,

Come to this house, O Lord, we pray.

Come to this house and bring forgiveness,

Come to this house and set us free.

Chorus

We are your people, O Lord, we need your loving care.

We are your people, O Lord, then listen to our prayer.

2 Turn to us now, O Lord, with justice,

Turn to us now, O Lord, with peace.

Turn to us now, and show you mercy,

Turn to us now and set us free.

3 Come to our hearts, O Lord, your people

Hunger to see you face to face.

Come to our hearts as you have promised,

Come to our hearts and set us free.

4 We are the ones you lead to pasture,

We are the ones who know your voice.

We are the ones, O Lord, who follow,

We are the ones that you set free.

5 Come to this house, O Lord, have mercy,

Come to this house, O Lord, we pray.

Come to this house do not forsake us,

Come to this house and set us free.

© 2021 P A Smith, Published by Willow Publishing.

This inventive song for Pentecost by Hilary Raimondo has the cantor singing an overlapping line of verses over the assembly’s refrain.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow, where there a snippet of the song to listen to to get the idea. This is one I’d love to hear in a liturgical context.

My backing has the two lines at opposite ends of the stereo spectrum.

All:

Come, Holy Spirit, come, in our hearts;

Kindle in us the fire of your love’

Cantor:

O come, Holy Spirit; Holy Spirit come, and

1 fold us in your love.

2 fill us with your joy.

3 guard us with your peace.

4 grant us patient words.

5 make us kind and good.

6 give us faithful hearts.

7 teach us humble ways.

8 help us to be strong.

© 1998 Hilary Raimondo. Administered by Willow Publishing.

This is a fine song for Christmas by Chris Currie.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.

1 Come and see the humble dwelling;

Come and see the Christ who’s there.

Come and see both Mary and Joseph.

This is Christ our Saviour, Emmanuel.

2 Come and see the shepherds kneeling;

Come and see the three Wise Ones.

Come and see the humble and lowly.

This is Christ our Saviour, Emmanuel.

3 Come and see the young and healthy;

Come and see the old and frail.

Come and see the broken and longing.

This is Christ our Saviour, Emmanuel.

4 Come and see the Saviour dying;

Come and see the promised one.

Come and see the prophet’s vision.

This is Christ our Saviour, Emmanuel.

5 Come and see the new day dawning;

Come and see the Son of God.

Come and see creation adoring.

This is Christ our Saviour, Emmanuel.

© 2022 Chris Currie Published by Willow Publishing.

Patricia Smith has also used the Breastplate of St Patrick as her inspiration along with Matt 5:1-12.

This is a gentle swung tune with much charm and feeling.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow, where you can view the sample sheet music.

There is no musical preview at Willow of the tune, so my backing might give you the idea.

1 In the hungry and the poor, Christ is beside us,

Those who suffer and endure, Christ is before us,

In the gentle and the weak, in the humble and the meek,

Christ is with us now.

Refrain

Christ in our rising, Christ is our resting,

Christ our beginning, Christ in our giving,

Christ in our keeping, Christ is with us now.

Christ with us.

2 In the merciful and kind, Christ is around us,

Those who seek and those who find, Christ is among us,

In the ones who long for peace, those who mourn and those who weep,

Christ is with us now.

3 In the ones who dwell in shame, Christ on our right hand,

Those who work for justice’ sake, Christ on our left hand,

In the hated and oppressed, those who thirst for righteousness,

Christ is with us now.

4 In the homeless and the lost, Christ is below us,

Those who hope when hope is gone, Christ is above us,

In the broken those in pain, those who give and give again.

Christ is with us now.

© 2020 P A Smith, Published by Willow Publishing.

This is the late Colin Smith‘s stately setting of the Breastplate of St Patrick. The text he uses is adapted by Hugh Sharpe.

The sheet music is available to purchase at Willow, along with sample pages and a snippet to listen to.

This the traditional text:

1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand;
Christ with me where’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.

2 Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined;
Christ control my wayward heart;
Christ abide and ne’er depart.

3 Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern night and day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
Guide and shepherd to the end.

This is the adaptation:

1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand;
Christ with me where’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.

2 Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined;
Christ my strength and shield in strife;
Christ defender of my life.

3 Christ my guide along the way,
Christ my light at cease of day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
Christ my shepherd to the end.

4 Christ my comfort when I rest,

Christ beloved and welcome guest;

Christ abide and n’er depart,

Christ live always in my heart.

Amen

Music © 2002 Colin D. Smith Published by Willow Publishing.

How wonderful, another song from David Macgregor, a Uniting Church minister from Brisbane, who I really should have a good look at. He has lots of songs at his website.

This prayer for peace can be purchased at Willow, where there is a snippet to listen to and sample sheet music. He suggests substituting “Be our…” for “Bring your” when appropriate. This is a really lovely tune.

I made a backing to help people learn it. Although the UCA music site says he is on CCLI, that must be for protestant consumption as he is on One Licence as well.

1 Bring your peace, Lord. Bring your peace, Lord.

Bring your peace, O Lord, peace again.

Peace in the hard times, peace in the pain.

Bring your peace, O Lord, peace again.

2 Bring your hope, Lord. Bring your hope, Lord.

Bring your hope, O Lord, hope again.

Hope in the hard times, hope in the pain.

Bring your hope, O Lord, hope again.

3 Bring your love, Lord. Bring your love, Lord.

Bring your love, O Lord, love again.

Love in the hard times, love in the pain.

Bring your love, O Lord, love again.

4 Bring your life, Lord. Bring your life, Lord.

Bring your life, O Lord, life again.

Life in the times, life in the pain.

Bring your life, O Lord, life again.

© 2015 David MacGregor Willow Publishing.

Going through songs I have yet to cover in the Willow Digital archive (As One Voice), I found I have never looked at Peter Grant‘s take on the Beatitudes.

The sheet music can be purchased in three convenient iterations at Willow. There is a tasty instrumental snippet there to hear as well. Peter is wise enough to keep the text as close to the original as possible. In Australia, the Peter Kearney hymn is the one commonly used, but this simple direct take is worthy of consideration.

My backing is less delicate than his.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek and the gentle, they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who mourn, comfort will surely be theirs.

Blessed are the hungry and thirsting for right, they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.

Blesses are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

© 2015 Peter Grant. Published by Willow Publishing

Continuing with some more songs from Willow (As One Voice), that are available for digital download, is another of Patricia Smith‘s songs. It is a gentle chant of reflection with many applications.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.

There is no sample sound there but my backing might give you an idea.

1 Be still, be still, I am here.

Be still, be still, I am God.

Be still, be still, and rest in me.

Be still, be still, you are mine.

2 And hear, and hear, my words for you.

And hear, and hear, that I am God.

And hear, and hear, and take my words to heart.

Be still, be still, you are mine.

3 And know, and know, the peace I give.

And know, and know, that I am God.

And know, and know, that you are loved.

Be still, be still, you are mine.

4 Give thanks, give thanks, with grateful heart.

Give thanks, give thanks, for I am God.

Give thanks, give thanks, in every time and place.

Be still, be still, you are mine

Be still.

Be still.

© 2021 P A Smith. Published by Willow Publications.