Church Music

I think I’ll push through and finish my survey of Voices As One Volume 2, blogging all the songs I haven’t already covered already from other collections.

This is a countrified slow P&W song by Billy James Foote and it appears a popular song.

It has the form verse/verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus. The text is here. I can’t see any liturgical uses.

The sheet music is available to purchase at various sites on the internet including musicnotes. There is a full orchestral arrangement at jwpepper.

It reminds of a slower version of John Prine’s “Paradise”. My backing is all country:

This song inspired at least in part by St Theresa’s prayer is a lovely ballad that would suit a solo artist.

It was written by Michael J Poirier and although they note in Voices as One that it is licensed through WLP, it is not available for purchase there. I can’t find the lyrics nor downloadable sheet music anywhere, so for those with this book here is a backing.

This collection has a lot of songs whose title starts with “you”, which I suppose means they are songs talking to God.

Dennis Jernigan wrote this catchy slow P&W song. The verse and chorus have the same chord progression so once you’ve sung two verses and choruses you can have two groups sing the verse and refrain at the same time.

The text is here and a commentary on the song is available here. the sheet music can be purchased at praisecharts and is available for download by WLP subscribers.

This is a rather more singable song of praise than usual for this collection. It is by Paul A Tate and is call and response in both verse and chorus with the assembly doing more work in the refrain and the cantor in the verse. Having said that, if you don’t mind a bit of repetition the assembly could sing it all. It would bring it down a couple of semitones to avoid the long held D at the end of the verse.

Being a choral master, Tate gives extra harmony lines and parts, but it’s fine as a nonperformance piece in a church setting.

The sheet music can be purchased at WLP where the text is their sample.

Entrance: Lift Up Up Your Hearts (O’Connor) AOV 1/156

Psalm 120 (McKenna)

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth

Gifts: A Trusting Psalm  (Bates) AOV 1/115

Communion: Bread of Life  (Farrell) AOV 1/164

Thanksgiving: God of Day and God of Darkness  (Haugen) AOV 1/56

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

This is another song from Voices As One Vol 2 that sounds like private prayer and I can’t see a liturgical use. It is by Jack Parker and David Crowther.

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

My backing has banjo and harmonica just for fun.

This sounds fine as a quiet prayer to sing by yourself.

It was originally done by Delirious? and written by Martin Smith from the band.

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

Continuing in Voices As One Vol 2, I have come to a happily noisy P&W song by Michael Gleason. Like many songs in this collection, I don’t think its going to find a place in any liturgy (WLP disagrees), but as solo vehicles or part of celebrations outside of mass they have a place.

I can’t find the text anywhere, but there aren’t many words in any case. WLP subscribers can download the sheet music. I still made a backing.

These are the songs the music liturgy team chose for next week.

I have found that having gone round the cycle, between our previous selections and those from correspondents over the years, I’m getting a good resource for music selections by patience and bloody minded persistence. I’ve always though there should be a wiki-liturgy page for people to put up their independently arrived at music selections for each week. While there are many online resources and I’ve linked to some of these, I’ve never seen a central gathering place for suggestions.

Entrance: All the Ends of the Earth  (Dufford) AOV 1/76

Psalm 97 (McKenna)

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Gifts: You Are Mine   (Haas)  AOV 2/2

Communion: Gift of Finest Wheat  (Westendorf/Kreutz) CWB II 651

Thanksgiving: A Trusting Psalm   (Bates) AOV 1/115

Recessional: Lift Up Your Hearts  (O’Connor) AOV 1/156

This is one for the other sort of Latin mass. It is a samba, which unless your assembly is expert in Latin rhythms and syncopation, is for soloist and choir.

It is by John Angotti and Noelle Garcia and has English and Spanish and rap. It is also a hoot.

The sheet music can be purchased at WLP where the text is in their sample pages.

I leave space for the rap in my backing.