Entrance: A New Heart for a New World (O’Brien/Watts) AOV 1/158
Psalm 122 (McKenna)
Our eyes are fixed on the Lord, pleading for his mercy.
Gifts: Open My Eyes (Manibusan) AOV 1/166
Communion: In the Breaking of the Bread (Hurd) AOV 1/58
Thanksgiving: I Give You a New Commandment (Hurd)
Recessional: As a Fire is Meant for Burning (Duck) GA 881
Gather 3rd ed included this TAIZE chant by Jacques Berthier. The chorus is a prayerful mantra that works well on its own, but there are the cantor’s lines to use as well over the ostinato refrain.
There are versions in English, French, Spanish and Polish. The English text is here. I can only find a handbell version at GIA but it appears to available in every format conceivable at the TAIZE shop.
Trawling through these collections can turn up some real gems sometimes. This song pairs a typically direct Shirley Erena Murray text to the great tune from Tony Alonso written when he was just a pup. It would be a rousing gathering song or for thanksgiving.
The text is available from the wonderful people at Hope Publications. The sheet music for this setting can be purchased at GIA.
My backing sees BIAB in it’s Irish mode.
This is an interesting song on the subject of Wisdom with a text by Steven C. Warner set by Leslie Palmer Barnhart. It is based on Ecclesiasticus 51: 13-22 and as a singable hymn a useful alternative to songs like “Enemy of Apathy”.
With Warner’s involvement, you would expect it to be in the repertoire of the Notre Dame Folk Choir and it is the title track of a collection you can find here.
The sheet music can be purchased at GIA where the text is in their preview.
Going through collections that contain popular songs to find the ones I don’t know, frequently means finding the songs that haven’t caught on for a good reason. This Marty Haugen song (with help on the text from Susan Briehl) has wonderful text based on famous passages from John’s gospel and his usual melodic craft, but has too much variation from verse to verse for an assembly. I suspect it is a just a choir song. My guitar version has the SATB arrangement layered over it which is rather confusing.
The text is here and you can purchase the sheet music at GIA.
When Willow sold off their physical hymn books I got the last 3 volume Gather 3rd edition for guitar they had. I’ll resume looking for the songs in that collection that have not already been covered here.
“Over My Head” is a spiritual arranged by the wonderful John Bell. You may have an assembly that can handle this, but a choir might have a better chance.
Gather will sell you his arrangement here.
[Refrain:]
Over my head I hear music in the air;
over my head I hear music in the air;
over my head I hear music in the air;
there must be a God somewhere.
1 Oh, when the world is silent,
I hear music in the air;
oh, when the world is silent,
I hear music in the air;
oh, when the world is silent,
I hear music in the air;
there must be a God somewhere. [Refrain]
2 And when I’m feeling lonely,
I hear music in the air;
and when I’m feeling lonely,
I hear music in the air;
and when I’m feeling lonely,
I hear music in the air;
there must be a God somewhere. [Refrain]
3 Now when I think on Jesus,
I hear music in the air;
now when I think on Jesus,
I hear music in the air;
now when I think on Jesus,
I hear music in the air;
there must be a God somewhere. [Refrain]
This is the last of the hymns added by OCP to Breaking Bread in 2019 that I will cover. Some I have done already when noticed on other liturgies posted here, and one was chant so I ruled it out. (BIAB can’t do chant.)
This joyful Gospel swing song by Christopher Walker and Sr Paule Freeburg will start mass well or send people away more alive and lifted.
OCP have provided the text in their preview and will sell you the sheet music.
Dan Schutte writes gorgeous melodies that sometimes sound like show tunes. This is a funeral song, or for All Saints, that is none the worse for his flair. It was added to Breaking Bread in 2019 by OCP. He has written a memorial verse with adaptations for syllables and accents of the deceased name – he thinks of everything.
As always OCP are happy to sell you the sheet music here and provide the text in their preview.
You wouldn’t guess from my typical backings, but it is possible to make a backing with just piano, cello and melody on BIAB.
This is a perplexing song from Rick Modlin. The text is fine for a recessional but the tune’s progression through various keys makes you wonder if it won him a bet. A choir may be more comfortable with this, but it still made the new songs from OCP for Breaking Bread in 2019. It is a challenging, stirring and beautiful piece if your assembly is up to it.
The sheet music can be purchased at OCP, where the text is in their preview. Do look at the music’s “fluid harmonic plan”.
It is was interesting massaging it into BIAB.
This Barbara Bridge hymn with environmental themes was added to Breaking Bread in 2019 by OCP. It is meant to be a call and response between a cantor and assembly, but there is nothing in the cantor’s line preventing the whole thing being being sung by the congregation.
The text is in the preview at OCP. You can also buy the sheet music there.
