Church Music

I’ll do a few more of David MacGregor‘s songs before looking elsewhere for a while.

He has a few Christmas songs, this one going back to 2006. Some of the others are more for children, but this one is an all ages treat.

The sheet music is at his website, where you can also hear their version.

I got to use the tubular bells in BIAB.

Ring those bells
lift your voice
let creation’s heart rejoice
God has come,
with us dwells
Celebrate Emmanuel!

Born to live
born to die
born to hear our wayward cry
born to point us
back to God
born to us –
God’s living Word ring those bells …

Angels sing
shepherds praise
earth and heaven’s voices raised
Christ has come
in lowly grace
God for us
in human face. ring those bells …

© David MacGregor 2006

This is another unusual and worthy (and very recent) song from David MacGregor suitable whenever the reading from Ezekiel 37:1-14 matches the liturgy.

The sheet music is at his site.

My backing lets rip with BIAB strings.

Can these bones live?
Can these bones live?
O for God’s breath wind
O to know life again
Can these bones live?

Come from the four winds
Come with your fresh wind, breathe
life in our dying,
spirit reviving
Life once again

“Know I will raise you
Empower, sustain you
Put my breath in you
Put my life in you
Know I am God”

Can these bones live?
Can these bones live?
Spirit, blow freely
lovely and freely
These bones can live!
These bones can live!
These bones can live!

David MacGregor
© 2023 Willow Publishing

This David MacGregor song sounds like it came from a pageant or musical. The music has a Supertramp flavour to it.

The sheet music is at his site. You can also hear his version there.

My backing isn’t as Supertrampy as his.

Can anything good come out of Naz’reth
To make a difference, change it all
Come from such low repute :
A place of scorn, dispute
To make a difference for us all?

Can anything good come out of Naz’reth?
You brought the best from those you called
Jesus, you gave them hope
Jesus, you gave your life
to make a difference for us all.

Blind will see
Captives free
Poor find news so good
Those oppressed
Will be free
You are love, God, good

Can anything good come out of Naz’reth?
(You’re) found Lord too In those so not like us
whose ways are not our own
There too your face is shown
to makes a difference to us all

Can anything good come out of Naz’reth?
Christ sees the good in who we are
The promise gifted there;
brighten the world somewhere
and make a difference to us all

Blind will see
Captives freed
Poor find news so good
Those oppressed
will be free
You are love, God, good

Can anything good come out of Naz’reth?
You call us now God: “come and see.”
O may we hear your call
O may we heed your call
Come make a difference to us
Come make a difference to us
Come make a difference to us all.

David MacGregor
© 2012 Willow publishing

I’ve already done the lovely “Bring Your Peace, Lord” here, so I can move on alphabetically to this song from David MacGregor‘s amazing archive of music.

This is an unusual chant based on Psalm 42:8 that could be sung a capella. The sheet music is at his site.

My BIAB backing went a bit Indian I’m afraid.

By day the Lord commands his love

By day the Lord commands his love

By day the Lord commands his love

By night … his song … is with me 

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