Church Music

Rounding out the Easter songs in CWB II is this song associated with Lutheran worship, which according to CWB II has no author – they just say based on Rev 5. Other sources say it is a translation by John W Arthur of a Latin original called Dignus et Agnes and the copyright belongs to the Lutheran Church in America. You can find the stirring text here.

Its wonderful tune FESTIVAL CANTICLE, is by the late Richard Hillert and is copyright to him through OCP although the Lutheran Church of America claim copyright on their harmonisation. Then again Lutherans do sing better than Catholics so we give them some leeway.

OCP sell the sheet music here under the name “Worthy is Christ” and they certainly know who wrote it so there may be a potential copyright breach here. One Licence gives this number #07113 .

I had to redo my backing of the tune, because although it is used for another hymn I have already blogged it was a different arrangement.

Some Lutherans belting it out:

Some Catholics surprisingly doing just as well:

369 This Day Was Made by the Lord

“Who Are You Who Walk in Sorrow” is an Easter text by Herman G. Stuempfle Jnr set to HOLY MANNA by William Moore. The text is here and it is more usually set to JEFFERSON.

CWB II use an arrangement of HOLY MANNA by Kelly Dobbs-Mickus that is copyright to GIA, but there are numerous PD versions at Hymnary in various keys including F as used here. GIA don’t seem to have her arrangement anyway but do have a choral version by Nicholas Palmer.

This is the right tune for another text – it has a lot of verve.

I’m still in CWB II’s Easter section and have done:

367 The Day of Resurrection!

The next song is by Swiss hymn writer Edmund Louis Budry and translated by Richard Birch Holye and set to MACCABEUS which is adapted from George Frederick Handel. It appears they all have dead for long enough now for this to be public domain.

I used chords from Together In Song to make the backing.

Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son; 
endless is the victory, thou o’er death hast won; 
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away, 
kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay. 
Refrain: 
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son, 
Endless is the vict’ry, thou o’er death hast won.

Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb; 
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom; 
let the Church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing; 
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting. 
Refrain: 
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son, 
Endless is the vict’ry, thou o’er death hast won.

No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of life; 
life is naught without thee; aid us in our strife; 
make us more than conquerors, through thy deathless love: 
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above. 
Refrain: 
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son, 
Endless is the vict’ry, thou o’er death hast won.

Interestingly in 1999 TIS used modern English – “Yours be the glory”, “See, Jesus greets us” – whereas CWB II reverts to archaic English.

Throughout Lent we will use a seasonal psalm, Marty Haugen’s “Be With Me”.

Entrance: We Are Called (Haas) AOV 2/60

Gifts: God of Second Chances (Haas)

Communion: Tree of Life (Thompson) AOV NG 138

Recessional: Though the Mountains May Fall (Schutte)  AOV 1/182

LASST UNS ERFRUEN is a very frequent Easter tune, here setting John Mason Neale’s translation of Claro Paschali Gaudio C5 Latin. It seems to be more usually set to PUER NOBIS NASCITUR.

The text is public domain so I’m putting up the version in CWB II. It has an extra verse and some rearrangements of lines compared to other versions I have seen and lots of alleluias.

1 That Easter day with joy was bright,
the sun shone out with fairer light, Alleluia, allelulia!
when, to their longing eyes restored,
the glad apostles saw their Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia, allelulia!
Alleluia, allelulia!

2 His risen flesh with radiance glowed,
his wounded hands and feet he showed, Alleluia, allelulia!
those scars their solemn witness gave
that Christ was risen from the grave.
Alleluia, alleluia, allelulia!
Alleluia, allelulia!

3 O Jesus, strong in gentleness,
who with your grace our hearts possess, Alleluia, allelulia!
that we will give you all our days
the willing tribute of our praise.
Alleluia, alleluia, allelulia!
Alleluia, allelulia!

4 O lord of all, with us abide
in this our joyful Eastertide; Alleluia, allelulia!
from every weapon death can wield.
your own redeemed forever shield.
Alleluia, alleluia, allelulia!
Alleluia, allelulia!

5 All praise to you, O risen Lord,
from death to endless life restored; Alleluia, allelulia!
to God the Father equal praise,
and Spirit blest, our songs we raise.
Alleluia, alleluia, allelulia!
Alleluia, allelulia!

OK, this is another good song in CWB II that I haven’t come across before in their songs for Easter, so I should cease my complaining.

This is a Taize song by Jacques Berthier where the assembly sings “Surrexit Christus” and “Cantate Domino” instead of “Christ is Risen” and “Sing to the Lord” because they may sing the verses in many possible languages and they can all sing Latin together.

The cantor sings the verses in their own language, while the assembly hums. Cantus Mundo has the English text.

It is available in this collection from GIA.

CWB II gave me chords for a change so making a BIAB backing was a bit easier this time. It’s meant to be lively.

This isn’t in English.

363 Now the Green Blade Rises

… I’ve done

This is a lovely song from Jennifer O’Brien for Easter that is a good find in Catholic Worship Book II.

The tune has a slightly irregular structure with only seven bars in the refrain. The melody goes off in interesting directions in the eight bar verse.

The only source I can find is CWB II, so for those who have that I made a backing. I guessed the chords. which wasn’t hard but really should have been included.

It would be uncharitable to suggest that blogging the songs for Easter in Catholic Worship Book II is a Lenten penance… so I won’t say that.

360 Jesus Christ Is Risen Today

361 Jesus Lives, Jesus Lives Today

“Now Is Eternal Life” fits the pattern of a c20 copyright text set to an older traditional tune. The text is by George Wallace Briggs (1875-1959) and here the setting is HAREWOOD by Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-76), although it is usually set to other tunes. (eg CHRISTCHURCH)

The text is here, although CWB II cuts the second verse shown there and with good reason.

I got the chords from Together in Song to make my backing because they certainly weren’t in CWB II.

Christopher Willcock translated Didier Rimuad’s Easter text and set it to music.

The text is in the preview at OCP, where you can purchase the sheet music. Listen to the preview to hear the challenging yet marvellous music. I think the verse needs a cantor and really a choir for the counterpoint would be best.

Throughout Lent we will use a seasonal psalm, Marty Haugen’s “Be With Me”.

Entrance: Hosea (Norbet) AOV 1/30

Gifts: The Cry of the Poor (Foley) AOV 1/83

Communion: Unless a Grain of Wheat (Farrell) AOV 1/35

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