On the subject of Michael Mangan, he wrote the school song for St Teresa’s School, Ravenshoe, a small town in North Queensland.
It would be a lovely song for any school to sing and aspire to, but the chorus’s last line is, “At St Teresa’s: knowledge, love and truth”, so your school has to fit the syllables. It would also make sense to adjust the lyrics if you don’t have waterfalls, lakes, elevation, flowers and beauty surrounding you.
… and for that matter you would need to ask Michael Mangan and St Teresa for permission.
I have one more song by Michael Mangan recycled from the out of print album Sing Jubilee. “Care for Life” found a place in True Colours Shine and fits the justice them of that collection. It can be used whenever creation is highlighted in a liturgy. He had no need to update the text of this one.
The sheet music can be purchased at Litmus. You can also access his lyrics there.
Continuing with songs that Michael Mangan rescued from his out of print album, Sing Jubilee, is this social justice song. Part of Jubilee 2000 was a call from Pope John Paul 2 to cancel the debts of third world countries. The lyrics of this song originally were very specific in this cause but when he rewrote it for True Colours Shine he adjusted the lyrics to be more generally applicable. True Colours Shine is his collection of songs of “justice, mission and peace” so this song fits well into these songs.
The sheet music can be purchased at Litmus. The lyrics can be downloaded from his site as well.
This song from Sing Jubilee was repurposed by Michael Mangan for his album 123 God Loves Me. He replaced the word “Jubilee” with “God is good” and he made an enduring children’s song. There is also a Christmas version.
The sheet music can be purchased at Litmus. The text can be downloaded from his site as well.
This Michael Mangan song from Sing Jubilee was slightly retouched to become the title track of his collection This is the Time. The last line of the chorus used to be, “This is the time to celebrate God’s great jubilee” so with a few changed words it has become a fine Lenten song.
This folio is one of his flagship vehicles beloved of school teachers everywhere, as it has songs to celebrate the liturgical seasons with their classes. When my kids were at primary school I used to help out with Christmas pageants (they actually wanted my son the drummer) and they always turned to Michael Mangan for repertoire. A good example is “Mary said Yes!” that always gets lots of hits here leading up to Advent. Another Advent song that is certainly not just for the youngsters in this book is “O Emmanuel”, which also is in CWBII. For your Christmas celebration you’ve got to have “Follow the Christmas Star”. Anyone working with children and church needs this sheet music.
He makes his lyrics available in Word and Powerpoint form at his website.
I made this backing twenty something years ago on Band in a Box for windows v.1 and converted it into a MIDI file. I just made an MP3 render of that file.
This collection was written by Michael Mangan for the year 2000 Jubilee and so was immediately redundant and went out of print. Michael Mangan is a parish musician, song writer and religious educator. He is the best I’ve ever seen at leading worship with just guitar and voice, not always the easiest task. While his songs are often aimed at children, most are fine for any assembly.
I have a copy of the sheet music and CD of Sing Jubilee and I recall the title track being sung loudly at St Edwards in Daisy Hill until it wasn’t needed and the book has been lying around since. This is his recording of the title track which is out of print and awaits the next year of Jubilee for a reboot. In a sense, however, this song no longer exists.
So why mention it…
… because the best songs from this folio were recycled by Michael Mangan for use on many subsequent albums. “Sing Jubilee”, for example, becomes “Celebrate, Let’s Celebrate” from the collection This We Believe.
All his material can be accessed at Litmus Productions and I suggest you do so. All the lyrics are available for download there and sheet music can be purchased as well. I note the website is to be refurbished and I hope he can have individual sheet music for download at the new site.
“Mass Jubilee” was also included in the Sing Jubilee collection and that at least is still available packaged with his Mass of Celebration and updated to match the new readings.
Some of the remaining songs cannot be purchased anywhere anymore so, since you are unlikely to come across a second hand copy (zero results on Abe Books) and some were very specific to the Jubilee I will let them pass, but there are some others that he resurrected in other collections like the ones mentioned above, so I will do a short series on the recycled songs from the non-existent collection Sing Jubilee by Michael Mangan.
This blog is now ancient and covers thousands of songs. Unfortunately, many of the links in old posts are dead, mainly due to corporate restructures and the evanescent nature of the internet. There used to be lyrics at Spirit and Song, now you have to search for the sample music at OCP. WLP is now owned by GIA so you have to search there now.
Obviously, lyrics are available through your church’s One Licence account and they often show up in church bulletins as well, so it is rare that they aren’t somewhere. Having physical copies of umpteen hymnals helps as well, so scouring for second hand ones at AbeBooks can be useful.
YouTube clips disappear but a quick search usually finds another.
I enjoy using Band in a Box as a musical sketch pad to make backings faithful to the sheet music that can be used to learn unfamiliar songs. On the other hand I haven’t the time to go back and fix all the the broken links for the last twelve years of the blog, so I’ll leave the further searching to you.
I am quixotically continuing to focus on Australian songs at the moment, but I suppose I’ll look at new hymns from OCP and GIA as they turn up.
I am now gainfully working part time in Tasmania but seem to have less spare time than ever. When I am not on call for the practice or visiting adult children on the north island of Australia (ie the mainland) I play at mass for 10-20 diehards for the vigil mass and life goes on.
This is the last in Michael Herry‘s collection “God of Surprises”, this time based on Luke 2:16-21.
Like many of these little songs you can only marvel at the effort and arrangement. This has a Latin syncopated flavour and striking chord progressions. Check out the free sheet music at Marist Music.
He has written many volumes of songs for the liturgy of the church and I recommend them as a deep and available resource.
Mary, you treasured all these things;
You pondered them all and listened in your heart.
Open us all in faith and love to the kingdom of your Son
I’m nearly through Michael Herry‘s “God of Surprises” collection and this one is for 32B, based on Mark 12:38-40.
This is a good example of Herry’s intricate arrangements – there is an awful lot of music in this very short song. The sheet music is free at Marist Music.
Two small coins: with these, I offer you my life, O God.
Two small coins: with these, I offer all I have.
Keep my heart pure in the giving and in all that I do in your name,
If you need a song for the story of the prodigal son, Michael Herry has written a text for you. He set it to his arrangement of PICARDY. It is from Luke 15:1-3,11-32 and is specific to Lent 4C and 24C.
Marist Music will give you the sheet music for free.
1 From afar the old man saw him, walking slowly down the road.
Rising up he ran to embrace him, calling out for garland and robe.
My son my beloved son was lost, but now is found:
Festive joy let now abound.
2 Father I am no longer worthy to be called your faithful son.
Treat me as a hired servant, one to see your bidding be done.
My son, my beloved son, here sandals for your feet.
I've worked my way through the As One Voice books and other collections making backings on Band in a Box to help me (& you if you're interested) learn new songs for church. This is aimed at churches and musicians that own the collections but haven't exploited them fully. If you don't have them they are certainly worth buying. This site is educational, nonprofit and designed to enhance the commercial prospects of songwriters. This site does not distribute copyrighted sheet music.
Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed here are personal views and not the responsibility of any Church.
All music backings posted are created by myself and the intention is for them to be used to learn the songs. If any copyright holder wishes me to cease publicising and promoting their wares and directing people to where sheet music can be legally purchased please let me know.
Mason’s “Mass of Glory and Praise”
To access my backings for Paul Mason's mass go to Feb 2011 in the archive.
