Church Music

Entrance:  Table of Plenty (Schutte) AOV 2/20

Communion: In the Breaking of the Bread (Hurd) AOV 1/58

Recessional: We Are Many Parts  (Haugen) AOV 1/86

One approach for once a year liturgies is a simple memorable refrain for the assembly and verses for a cantor. It allows all sorts of liberties with the tune in the verses. This is the approach for this song for Ash Wednesday with a text by Maryanne Quinlivan. She based the verses on Psalm 51. The tune is by Kevin Keil.

You can purchase the sheet music at OCP. Bits of the lyrics are around on the net, but the full text is provided by OCP in their preview.

My backing sounds a bit dark, but perhaps that’s OK. I have been experimenting with new instruments for melody lines again.

Chris Brunelle is amazing.

The song in its liturgical settting:

Piano and vocal:

This is another song ideal for a recessional, this time with a text by Omer Westendorf. It is set to the beautiful Welsh melody ASH GROVE, which is in the public domain. It is available in various arrangements on the internet.

The text is here. The sheet music can be purchased at OCP.

We are resuming music for mass at our local church. With the assembly limited to 20 it will be low key, but hey, I often play with smaller crowds in George Town. I get to play next week. The liturgy team hasn’t met yet so these selections are from our esteemed leader.

Entrance: Sing Out Earth and Skies (Haugen) AOV 2/32    

Communion: Bread Broken, Wine Shared Bread  (Horner) AOV 2/155

Recessional: The Fullness of God (Andersen) AOV 2/62

* Donna has kindly posted the songs from Holy Spirit Cranbrook:

For Trinity Sunday at Holy Spirit Cranbrook we are doing for our livestreaming Mass
Song before the Mass: By the Waking of Our Hearts Ricky Manalo OCP
Gathering: Come As You are by Deirdre Browne Spectrum AOV1 no 31
Psalm: Loving and Forgiving by Scott Soper OCP
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia Song of the Spirit by Tony Alonso
Offertory: Gifts by Jane Mitchell published by Jane Mitchell
Communion Reflection: The Power of the Spirit by Paul Mason Liturgical Song
Recessional: They’ll Know we are Christians by Peter Scholtes The Lorenz Corp AOV1 no 130 and the Mass of Christ the Savior by Dan Schutte.

This song by Scott Soper is a challenging recessional. It says it is Gospel Swing and it is to be played “with fire!” so go to it.

The sheet music is available at OCP who provide the text in their preview.

I’m not sure why this one has never been looked at locally. It is by Tim Schoenbachler, is very singable and could be used at liturgies other than just Pentecost. He has harmony lines for the adventurous. It is based on Psalm 104.

The text is in the sample at OCP where you can purchase the sheet music.

This is a Roc O’Connor song that could be an entrance hymn. The verses have little variations in the tune to flummox up the unwary, as well as a few triplets to trip on.

OCP sell the sheet music here and have provided the text in their preview. There are original and revised lyrics to choose between. My backing turned out stranger than usual for some reason.

This is a pretty song for Christmas that I will never use because it is inappropriate in the Southern Hemisphere.

The text is by Edward Caswell and it is set to WINTER’S SNOW by Kevin Keil. He removed the refrain and several stanzas for this version, which can be purchased at OCP.

1 See, amid the winter’s snow,
born for us on earth below,
see the tender Lamb appears,
promised from eternal years.
There within a manger lies
He who built the starry skies;
He, who throned in height sublime,
sits amid the cherubim!

2 Say, ye holy shepherds, say,
what your joyful news today;
wherefore have ye left your sheep
on the lonely mountain steep?
“As we watched at dead of night,
lo, we saw a wondrous light;
angels, singing ‘Peace on earth’
told us of the Savior’s birth.”

This is a notional selection for Pentecost. I’ve put in Kathleen Boschetti’s tune as a suggestion of a new song to learn if we ever get sick of the other Holy Spirit songs.

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

Gifts: Holy Spirit of Fire (Mangan)

Communion: Come to the Table (Burland) AOV NG 33

Thanksgiving:  Enemy of Apathy (Bell-Maule) AOV 2/75

Recessional: The Gift of the Holy Spirit (Boschetti) CWB II 112

At Holy Spirit Cranbrook, Donna let us know what music they played today. The gathering song is Paul Mason channelling Hillsong (a bit). They are all great selections and if you are uncertain about them I have blogged them all with a singalong backing on the site – just use the search function:

Gathering: The Power of the Spirit by Paul Mason Liturgical Song
Psalm: Send Us Your Spirit by David Haas GIA AOV1 no 97
Offertory: Different Gifts by Maggie Russell Willow AOV2 no 13
Communion Reflection: By the Waking of Our Hearts by Ricky Manalo OCP
Recessional: With One Voice by Ricky Manalo OCP

This is a paraphrase of Psalm 27 by Jim Farrell, who I have read is a pseudonym used by Owen Alstott, Bernadette Farrell’s husband. If anyone knows for sure do let me know.

You can see its use for Reconciliation and in Lent. It looks simple enough on the page but that doesn’t mean it isn’t effective.

The text is here. OCP sell the sheet music.