Church Music

Just like a craft enthusiast who has accumulated more yarn than they can ever use in their remaining life, I suspect I will never finish finding new Catholic songs, even concentrating on Australian artists.

Going through the catalogue at Willow/AOV reminded me about the great Gen Bryant. They sell her collection Send Us Out, which is worth having, especially if you are working in schools. You can also purchase single sheets for various instruments so the whole school band is catered for.

As previously noted, the Catholic school sector is the healthiest part of the the church in Australia, so it is not surprising that so much of the music here comes from people working in schools. That does not mean the songs aren’t usable in a parish setting.

The title track, for example, would work fine as a recessional.

The lyrics are at her site. I made a BIAB backing to sing along with.

She has put up YouTube clips including backing tracks herself.

I’ll close out my latest trawl through the digital archives at As One Voice with a song from David and Dale MacGregor.

This song is a prompt to prayer in the home. I will have to look for more of their songs.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.

I made a backing in BIAB.

We’ve lit a candle

We’ve come together
Though separated
we’re joined in Love
The way illumined
Your Word is opened
We’ve brought thanksgiving
for kindness shown.

We light a candle
For those defenceless
For all so anxious
… who fall apart
who need Love ’s comfort
from deepest sadness
May all their ailing
have healing come

We’ll light a candle
In evening’s window
For all who lead us
through this long storm

Lord bless and guide us

We live in new ways

May love for neighbour
“rhythm” our hearts.

We’ll light a candle
We’ll look in hope for
we are your people
who know your Light
May light there shining
know living radiance
in hearts, hands, hoping
through Christ our Lord

© 2020 Willow Publishing

This is a gentle song of thanksgiving, especially suitable for children from Patricia Smith. I could see the children doing actions for this, but I also think its direct simple message is fine for us adults as well.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.

Sing along with my backing to learn the song:

1 For the work of your hands you created and shaped,

For the wonders that tell of your glory and grace,

For the love that has gathered us here in this place.

Lord, we thank you for all your gifts.

Refrain

And we lift up our hands as we sing you our praise,

And we open our hearts to your goodness and grace,

And we give you out thanks through all of our days.

Lord, we thank you for all your gifts.

2 For Jesus your Son who gave up his life:

And by dying and rising restored us to life:

We are one with him now in the Body of Christ,

Lord, we thank you for all your gifts.

3 For the Spirit of love living deep in our hearts,

Who blesses our gifts and unites us as one,

Giving life to our spirits with the fire of love,

Lord, we thank you for all your gifts.

4 For the gift of our lives, all we have, all we are:

You have formed us and made us your own precious ones.

We are loved beyond time, beyond hope, beyond dreams,

Lord, we thank you for all your gifts.

© 2020 P A Smith. Published by Willow Publishing.

There are still more Patricia Smith songs in the digital archive of As One Voice. This is an unusually contrite song for Eucharist with a special relevance in Lent.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.

Sing along with my backing to learn the song:

1 Lord, who of us can say we have not sinned?

And who of us can cast the first stone?

Our weaknesses you know, O Lord, and still you call us.

Refrain

And so we com to you for healing.

Lord, we come, you set us free.

Lord, we come with hands uplifted.

Lord, we come, and we receive.

2 Thirsting for your love, O Lord we come,

When every other heart is closed.

When every face is turned away, you reach out to us.

3 We stumble in the darkness, O Lord,

Searching for the light of your truth,

Till you open up our eyes and we can see you clearly.

4 When we lose our way you call us home once more,

We long for your forgiveness and peace.

Then your gentle arms, enfold us and you lift us to you.

Erica Marshall’s songs sneak up on you but are always worthwhile. This one, from the AOV digital archive, has various uses in Lent.

You can purchase the sheet music at Willow, where you can hear her version of the song.

For once my backing strips the music down to a more basic sound.

1 In our thirsting we have come, drinking deep of your abundance.

With the water that you give, we will never thirst again.

Springs will freely flow, more than we could know.

With the water you can give, we will never thirst again.

2 In our darkness, we have come, walking into light and beauty.

With the clear sight that you give, we will not be blind again.

Open to the light! Darkness turning bright!

With the light that you can give, we will not be blind again.

3 In our lives, so bound and tight, let us walk into new freedom.

With the new life that you give, we will never die again.

Roll the stone away! We can live today!

With the life that you can give, we will never die again.

© 2007,2015 Erica Marshall. Published by Willow Publishing.

This is another of the wonderful Patricia Smith hymns, this time for Eucharist, from the digital archive of As One Voice. She catalogues many aspects of the meaning of Eucharist.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.

My backing is at 110bpm and may be nothing like what she intended.

1 We gather and remember how you gave your Son to us,

Giving up his life in endless love,

And we bring our thanksgiving, and our worship and our love

As we do this in memory of him.

Refrain

We take and eat this bread, now become his Body,

We take and drink this Cup, given of love.

We gather and remember and his love lives on in us,

As we do this in memory of him.

2 We gather at this table, bringing gifts of bread and wine,

Made holy by the blessing of your Spirit,

And this bread becomes his Body and this wine becomes his Blood,

As we do this in memory of him.

3 We offer in thanksgiving now, this perfect gift of love,

The Body and the Blood of Christ your Son,

And this very gift we offer, you return to us to share,

As we do this in memory of him.

4 As we share in this communion, in the Body of our Lord,

May your Holy Spirit gather us as one,

So that we become one Body and one spirit in your love,

As we do this in memory of him.

5 As we gather as your people, we who share this Bread and Cup,

May we join in this great sacrifice of love,

And be filled with every blessing, every gift of grace and life.

As we do this in memory of him.

© 2020 P A Smith. Published by Willow Publishing.

This is another song from As One Voice for Kids that remains in Willow’s digital archive for purchase. There is also a snippet of the song to listen to there.

It probably is best for children. It is by Elizabeth and Nathaniel Ford.

1 Let there be joy in the house of the Lord.

Let there be praise for the God of all creation.

Let there be singing and shouting,

Thanksgiving and celebration,

Praising the God of all life.

2 Let there be love in the house of the Lord.

Let there be faith in the God of our salvation.

Let there be singing and shouting,

Thanksgiving and celebration,

Praising the God of all life.

© 1998 Elizabeth Ford and Nathaniel Ford. Published by Willow Publishing.

In my survey of songs at As One Voice/Willow in their digital archive I am coming across songs from As One Voice for Kids, which I have never covered, like this song from Nathaniel Ford. The text is based on Psalm 100:1-3.

It is intended as an a cappella round in up to 3 parts − maybe a children’s choir could do it. The sheet music at Willow has an optional percussion part. There is also a snippet of some children singing it – all near their 30s by now I’d wager.

My backing isn’t a capella and only has the first two melody lines.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness.

Raise your voices in joyful song and know that the Lord is God.

Gen Bryant is a young songwriter who wrote this song for a school graduation with the class of 2019 from Our Lady’s Primary, Craigieburn.

There’s a bit of the feel of Hunters and Collector’s Holy Grail in it, which would be a rather more edgy graduation song.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow and there are parts for all the school band.

I was just using the preview page so my backing busked the rest and is therefore inaccurate.

VERSE 1:
Oh how time flies
We’re not ready for all those goodbyes.
And when times get rough,
Will you be there to open my eyes?
‘Coz I can see the future before my eyes,
I know this is gonna be my time to shine!

VERSE 2:
Through the good times, and the bad times,
You’ve been there for me,
And I’ll keep holding on to our memories.
I’ll keep holding on to our memories.

‘Coz I can see the future before my eyes,
I know this is gonna be my time to shine.

Thank you for loving me
Thank you for being there for me
Thank you for the memories.
Now I’m ready to shine!

Last Time:
So until I can see you again
We know this is not the end
I’ll be there for you, you’ll always be my friend
And you’ll be there for me ‘til the end.

I’ll be a light shining bright in the world I’m gonna shine.
I’ll be a light shining bright, yeah you know I’m gonna shine.

Words by Class Of 2019 @ Our Lady’s Primary Craigieburn VIC
© 2019 Gen Bryant. Published by Willow Publishing

I am still looking at the previews at As One Voice/Willow to see what they have in their digital archive.

This one is a song of praise from Peter Grant. You can only see the refrain at the site but it sounds nice so I thought I’d make a backing for that as a mantra. The whole song is available at Willow along with an instrumental snippet. There is a full SATB arrangement + descant + Flute solo so go crazy.

Praise the Holy name of Jesus, Christ our Saviour, Praise Jesus our Lord!

© 2014 Peter Grant