Church Music

I’m having a break in Tasmania, but I’ll post occasionally while here.

In my seemingly never ending survey of Catholic Worship Book II, I am skipping songs I have already looked at, which have often been from the more recent repertoire (1980s and onwards – AOV etc). This means the songs that are new to me fit under the category of more traditional hymnody. Often in CWB II there are fairly recent texts to old tunes, as with this hymn by Jane Parker Huber set to LEONI, a c18 Hebrew synagogue tune.

Some of the texts I’m finding seem obvious and banal, but perhaps rescued in the singing. This one though, has enough sparkle in the words alone to be worth mention and the gall to rhyme “prod” and “God”!

The text is here.

I got the chords from TIS to make a backing.

I’m back in Catholic Worship Book II, for this gathering song by Anthony Nye.

The text is here and I suspect it sings better than it reads. It is set to CRUGER.

CWB II sets it in Eb , which is more singable than this:

This is a song based on Psalm 118 by Ed Bolduc from Voices As One 2. The refrain is call and response and the verses are for a cantor who can hit an F. The tune is quite lively and lovely.

This sheet music can be purchased at WLP and the text is their sample.

Entrance: A New Heart for a New World  (O’Brien/Watts) AOV 1/158

Psalm 89 (McKenna)

In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.

Gifts: Open My Eyes  (Manibusan) AOV 1/166

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

Thanksgiving: You Are Mine  (Haas)  AOV 2/2

Recessional: Christ Be Our Light  (Farrell) AOV 2/3

We are trying out “Gift of Finest Wheat”, which hasn’t been used at our parish before.

Entrance: City of God  (Schutte) AOV 1/57

Psalm 137 (McKenna)

Lord, on the day I called for help, you have answered me.

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

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

Thanksgiving: River of Glory  (Schutte)

Recessional: Sing to the Mountains  (Dufford) AOV 1/92

Entrance: A Place at the Table (Shirley Erena Murray – Lori True) AOV NG 1

Psalm 14 (McKenna)

The just will live in the presence of the Lord.

Gifts: Blessed be Our God  (McKenna) AOV NG 13

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

Thanksgiving: Servant Song  (Gillard) AOV 2/169

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

For a change from the traditional styles I have doing in CWB II, I have switched back to WLP’s Voices As One Vol 2 and I think I was up to this song, with the refrain being Psalm 25 and the verses adapted by, and music written by Paul L. Berrell.

The text is in this sample from WLP but don’t go looking for him there. As far as I can tell he remains in jail for sex offences and his existence is largely wiped from WLP’s site. If for some reason you have the book already and want to use it I made a backing.

You can see a version on YouTube here.

This is another example of CWB II having a recent text set to an old tune, in this case TALLIS’ CANON.

The hymn writer is Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, whose interesting text laments the loss of “Life’s sacred rhythm.” I especially like “our lives are more than work we do!”

The text is at her site.

This is a rarity – a fairly recent song I’ve haven’t come across before in CWB II. It is by Father Kevin Bates and covers gathering, the word, Eucharist and sending forth so it really can be used pretty much anywhere in a liturgy. It is a simple singable tune that suggests a use for children.

It’s a Willow copyright but I can’t find it at As One Voice and the lyrics are not anywhere on the internet, so you can sing along with the text in CWB II to learn it.

My survey of Catholic Worship Book II is skipping all those already blogged in other collections and what remains is mainly older texts with even older tunes.

This one is at least c20 and has a text for Eucharist by Anthony Nye SJ.

CWB II sets it to the old Scottish tune, MARTYRDOM, which Godsongs notes as commonly in use in Australia and New Zealand while IRISH is the setting used in the UK.

O God we give ourselves today
With this pure host to thee,
The self same gift which thy dear Son
Gave once on Calvary.

Entire and whole our life and love
With heart and soul and mind.
For all our sins and faults and needs,
Thy Church and all mankind.

With humble and with contrite heart
This bread and wine we give,
Because thy Son once gave himself
And died that we might live.

Though lowly now, soon by thy word
This bread and wine will be
The very body of our Lord
His soul and deity.

His very body, offered up
A gift beyond all price.
He gives to us, that we may give,
In loving sacrifice.

O Lord, who took our human life,
As water mixed with wine,
Grant through this sacrifice that we
May share thy life divine.