Church Music

Christopher Willcock used passages from Matthew. Luke, John and St Ignatius Loyola for this gentle production number especially appropriate for Holy Thursday.

The one line refrain is for the assembly and everything else is for the cantor, except a third verse in a different key for a choir. Since we don’t usually have a cantor we tend to bypass these sort of songs.

OCP provide the text in their preview and sell the sheet music.

I’m not sure it is healthy to make BIAB backings for Willcock hymns:

This song has a text by E. Donald Osuna and music by Nancy Elze. It is gentle song of encouragement.

The text is here and the sheet music can be purchased at OCP.

This is a chant for Lent with a text by Harry Hagan set to CONDITOR ALME SIDERUM.

The text is the preview at OCP, where you can purchase the sheet music.

This is a worthy gospel styled song in anticipation of the Reign of God, by Tim Manion. It goes to rather high notes and you will need an assembly that can handle this genre without a train wreck.

OCP kindly provide the text in their preview and you can buy the sheet music there as well.

This my rather ham-fisted gospel backing on BIAB.

Entrance: Gather Us In (Haugen) AOV 1/12

Psalm 85 (McKenna)

Lord you are good and forgiving.

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

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

Thanksgiving: Holy Spirit of Fire (Mangan)

Recessional: As a Fire is Meant for Burning  (Duck) GA 881

This is a spiritual based somewhat on Jeremiah 8:22.

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Although it is PD, OCP sell the sheet music here.

Refrain: There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin-sick soul

1 Sometimes I feel discouraged
And think my work’s in vain
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again

2 If you cannot preach like Peter
If you cannot pray like Paul
You can tell the love of Jesus
And say, “He died for all”.

3 Don’t ever feel discouraged
For Jesus is your friend
And if you lack of knowledge
He’ll ne’er refuse to lend

This is a repetitive chant based on John 1:14 by Thomas H. Troeger set to JESU DULCIS MEMORIA.

The text is in the preview at OCP where they sell the sheet music.

This is a terrible backing I made some time ago. (BIAB is lousy at chant in my hands at least)

This is a powerful Easter poem by Genevieve Glen set to ROCKINGHAM. I’ve never heard it sung and can find no performances on the web.

I encourage you to read her text in the preview at OCP, where they also sell the sheet music.

The Guitar Accompaniment Book c2005 that I purchased second hand some years ago is a truly remarkable book if not quite the “Hitch Hikers Guide to the Universe”. For what seems like forever I have been (on and off) surveying its contents for the songs that I haven’t already covered from other volumes. If I skip one it means I have blogged it elsewhere.

This is the Grail translation of Psalm 188 set by Bernadette Farrell. For all the triplets the refrain remains singable by an assembly and she has done her usual fine job on the verses for the cantor.

OCP provides the text in their sample and also sell the sheet music.

This song is a folk styled song from the sixties, and it sounds like it for good or ill. Happily, I love sixties folk music, but this is from before my time in the Catholic church and I was unfamiliar with it. It is by Carey Landry and Carol Jean Kinghorn-Landry, although the sheet music lists only his name. It is obviously for Pentecost but it is also a gathering song. It must have been high rotation in the USA in the past

The title reminds me of Stan Freberg’s “Elderly Man River” – dropping the “g” is authentic! (see 2:19 in the clip)

The text is here (scroll down).

OCP sell the sheet music.

My backing goes country on BIAB.

Talking about authentic – this is how it sounded in the sixties:

This is a later bland version by Landry.

Chris Brunelle re-injecting the Spirit:

Nice harmonies:

From a folk mass:

A full bore performance powered by MIDI: