Church Music

Readings:

Acts 2:1-11; Romans 8:8-17; John 14:15-16

The reading from Acts stops at verse 11 but what follows is interesting.

Amazed and confused, they kept asking each other, “What does this mean?” But others made fun of the believers, saying, “These people are drunk!” Acts 2;12-13.

The Lukan community looking back at the start of their existence remember confusion, risk, chaos and ridicule, but also, right from the start, a story of mission across ethnic barriers. The Holy Spirit does not appear to be an agent of stasis, instead creating new realities that confound the established order and overturn boundaries.

We are continuing with the Mass of Glory and Praise by Paul Mason but substituting the Celtic Alleluia for the Gospel acclamation because we know how to sing the response. The sequence for Pentecost is to the tune of Song of Joy.

Entrance: Lord, the Light of Your Love  (Kendrick) AOV 2/59

Psalm 103 (McKenna)

Lord, send out your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.

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

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

Thanksgiving: Holy Spirit of Fire  (Mangan)

Recessional: Hearts on Fire (Mangan) AOV NG 62

This is an interesting text that convicts the singer of their faithlessness and empty words – at least I hope that it is an examination of our conscience rather than a condemnation of others.

It is written by Herman G. Stuempfle Jr. The text is in this preview from GIA. They use the usual setting LAND OF REST, while CWB II uses ST BERNARD.

This is another of the amazing songs with lyrics by James McAuley and music By Richard Connolly. It is included in the collection Year of Grace Music Book available at As One Voice.

It is based on Rev 22:17. I can’t find the text online, so you’ll have to sing along from the book. I see the sheet music with annotations from the the composer is available at the Veech library in Sydney.

When I worked out chords from the sheet music they were all rather jazzy so my backing went off in that direction.

This is a selection from the (not revised) Grail text of Psalm 51 set by Jennifer O’Brien. Her music is always reliable and singable and this is no exception, although you will need a cantor for the verses.

The text is in this post, where verse 1 is 3/4; verse 2 is 12/13 and verse 3 is 14/15.

I struggle with these triumphant texts but I suppose they have a place. This one is written by James E Seddon and the lyrics are here.

It is often set to LUX EOI and ABBOT’S LEIGH, but CWB II uses HYFRYDOL.

This anonymous text based on Matt 11:28 is set to an old Irish tune MISNEACH. I believe it is pronounced MISH-NOCK.

I’m a sucker for slow Irish lament and if you are looking for an alternative to the song by Greg Norbet you could do worse. How can you go past the understatement of “life without you would be lonely”?

1. “Come to me all your who labour; come, and I will give you rest.”

So we hear your invitation to each soul to be your guest;

and we answer with deep longing, while our sinfulness we see,

“Jesus, Lord, I am not worthy, yet in mercy come to me.”

2. Here, among your pilgrim people is the home of your true love,

Where we praise you, Lord and Master, reigning from your throne above;

Life without your would be lonely, so our prayer must ever be:

“Jesus, Lord, I am not worthy, yet in mercy come to me.”

3. All is joy when you are with us, earth can never joy impart

like the peace and holy splendour of your visit to each heart;

All forgotten grief and sorrow, as with trust we make our plea,

“Jesus, Lord, I am not worthy, yet in mercy come to me.”

This is what I wanted CWB II to be – lots of new songs by Australian songwriters. It isn’t.

This song, written by Peter Grant, is at least from this millennium and has an uplifting tune to carry his hopeful text. You can purchase this song at As One Voice.

Since this song is not well known I have put up Peter’s text so you can sing along with my backing to learn the piece.

Refrain

Christ Light, shining in the darkness.

Christ Light, drive away our fears.

Christ Light, lead us to our home, safe harbour.

Christ Light, shine on us we pray.

1. Let the light of the Lord blaze out in the night:

let the love of the Lord be our guide.

With the Word of the Lord as our beacon light,

We’ll go forth with the Lord at our side.

2. Let the Word of the Lord be light for our way

and we’ll walk in the darkness no more.

With the light of the Lord turning night into day,

We will live in this light evermore!

3. Let us carry the light of Christ to the world;

Shine his light where there’s darkness and pain.

Let the banner of love be held high and unfurled;

Tell the Good News again and again.

copyright Peter Grant 2005

Readings:

Acts 1:1-11

Hebrews 9:24-28; 19:19-23

Luke 24:46-53

Luke’s Gospel is full of hospitality and meals and this is where it was all heading. The Lucan community experienced the presence of Christ, and hence his Resurrection, in their meals together, which became their recapitulation of Jesus’ life and mission. The Emmaus story emphasises this with the resurrected Christ only being recognised when they broke bread (Luke 24:31). Until then the apostles thought that story the women brought back was nonsense. (24:11) He next appears at a gathering where he is given a meal. (24:42) The readings from Luke and Acts today tell much the same story with incompatible time management, so we know we are in Kairos time here, with the more obviously liturgical reading in Acts once again siting his appearance to tell them to wait in Jerusalem for the arrival of the Spirit “at table”. (1:4) Whatever timing or cosmology you give to the Ascension stories they tell of a community that fully understands Jesus’s absence after his sacrificial death, and the Hebrews reading connects that story to Eucharist in today’s scripture, but also that they clearly felt the real presence of Christ in the breaking, blessing and giving meals that brought them together and fueled with that their mission began.

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

Psalm 46 (McKenna)

God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

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

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

Thanksgiving: Lord, the Light of Your Love  (Kendrick) AOV 2/59

Recessional: Go Make a Difference  (Angrisano/Tomaszek) AOV NG 52

A simple, direct hymn of praise suitable for many purposes: trinity, entrance, etc. It was written by Fred Pratt Green and the text can be found here.

It is set to CHRISTE SANCTORUM.

It works well as a solo.

…or in a cathedral with an organ.

… or even with the Notre Dame Folk Choir:

This is a rather lovely text emphasising unity in the Eucharist by Timothy Rees. It would work as a communion and entrance hymn.

The tune is a C17 Viennese melody called SOLL’S SEIN that I hadn’t heard of and, for a traditional style tune, is quite wonderful too.

1 Christ is the heav’nly food that gives
to every famished soul
new life and strength, new joy and hope,
and faith to make them whole.
We all are made for God alone,
without whom we are dead;
no food suffices for the soul
but Christ, the living bread.

2 Christ is the unity that binds
in one the near and far;
for we who share his life divine,
his living body are:
On earth, and in the realms beyond,
one fellowship are we;
and at his table we are knit
in mystic unity.