As I get to the wedding songs in CWB II, all weddings in Australia are now limited to the celebrant, participants and witnesses after Covid 19 was spread far and wide by a recent nuptials.
I love this tune, SUSSEX CAROL, that is also used for John Bell’s wedding tune “Blessing the Marriage“.
This one has a joy filled text from Brian Arthur Wren. The text and sheet music are freely available from the wonderful people at Hope Publishing.
My backing is little more than the melody line this time.
I’ve skipped the specific Litany of the Saints for Ordination (131) – it starts like the Easter one but goes on longer – to get to this ordination song. Cannily set to THAXTED, the text is by Bernard Kirkpatrick.
1 O God of all creation, whose glory fills the sky,
We gather in your presence, our spirits lifted high;
To bring for humble service, one who answers to your call,
That he may follow Christ, the example for us all.
Protect him and guide him, his faith in you be strong,
As now he journeys onward, we sing the ancient song:
2 “You are a priest forever,” within God’s Church on earth,
“In the order of Melchizedek”, a priest before your birth.
Called out to be a pastor, the flock of Christ to serve;
From the humble to the mighty, the word of God make heard,
To celebrate the sacraments, in fitting praise proclaim
The love of Holy Trinity, give honour to God’s name.
One last song for Anointing of the Sick is in CWB II. It’s text is by Edward Hayes Plumptre and is here set to a tune just called MOZART (attributed to Mozart) but I also have seen it called GOSHEN and ST MICHAEL’S. The sheet music is at Hymnary.
CWB II uses a renovated the text, but it still smells of mothballs. If BIAB should leave Dvorak alone perhaps Mozart is a bit much as well.
Your hand, O Lord, in days of old
Were strong to heal and save;
They triumphed over ills and death,
O’er darkness and the grave.
To you they came, the blind, the deaf,
The palsied and the lame,
The leper set apart and shunned,
The sick and those in shame.And then your touch, Lord, brought life and health,
Gave speech and strength and sight;
And youth renewed and health restored
Claimed you, the Lord of light.
And so, O Lord, be near to bless,
Almighty now as then,
In ev’ry street,in ev’ry home,
In ev’ry troubled friend.O, be our mighty healer still, O Lord of life and death;
Restore and strengthen, soothe and bless,
With your almighty breath.
On hands that work and eyes that see.
Your healing wisdom pour,
That whole and sick and weak and strong
May praise you evermore.
There will be no Mass at which we can sing these songs next Sunday but I’ll put up the selections as a resource for my future self.
First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12-14
Psalm 129: With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption
Second Reading: Romans 8:8-11
Gospel John 11:1-45
I’m not sure if these readings more painful at the moment or more hopeful:
Jesus said: ” I am the resurrection and the life.”
For your sing along at home Mass:
Entrance: Christ Be Our Light (Farrell) AOV 2/3
Gifts: Merciful God (Bringle/Alonso)
Communion: I am the Bread of Life (Toolan) AOV 1/49
Recessional: You Are Mine (Haas) AOV 2/2
This is another song for the anointing of the sick, so very apposite.
Bernard Kilpatrick set his text to LARGO from the New Word Symphony by Antonin Dvorak.
I found chords on the internet for this – no easy task – and set about unleashing the beast that is BIAB on an unsuspecting classical piece.
1 Trust in God, hope in God, Spirit o’er the earth,
Trust in God, hope in God, the Lord who gives us birth,
You give joy to our youth, leading by your truth,
Comfort those in need, friends for whom we plead,
Heal us Lord, save us Lord, from our suff’ring free;
Heal us Lord, save us Lord, that we your light may see.
2 Trust in God, hope in God, make us rise and stand;
Trust in God, hope in God, our spirits in your hand.
Heal our sickness, cure disease, Lord, we ask you, please,
Though our strength, almost gone, faith in you is strong,
Heal us Lord, save us Lord in mercy ever kind;
Heal us Lord, save us Lord, that we your peace may find.
I put up the lyrics because no claim of copyright was noted in the book and we could use a prayer like this to sing at the moment.
Another anointing song with a text by Fred Pratt Green available at Hymnary. CWB II leaves out their third verse.
Here it is set to the chant, JESU DULCIS MEMORIA, which is a singular choice, that is not one of the umpteen setting suggested elsewhere.
I made a ludicrous backing for this tune because BIAB CAN”T DO CHANT!
So ignore that. The chant sounds like this:
Better still set it to Bach:
… or Tallis:
.. or ERHALT UNS, HERR:
…anything metrical.
Hymns for anointing are especially appropriate just now. Cases of Covid 19 have spiked in Queensland. We have had no cases at our practice yet but my hands are raw from washing and my throat hoarse from reassuring those who have something else.
This is a song by James Quinn SJ set to ISTE CONFESSOR. The text is here on page 3. Hymnary have the details on the hymnals that contain this song. It is also suitable for Reconciliation and masses highlighting the Trinity.
It had to happen.
https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/news-events/covid-19-updates/
The more I look at Volume One of this collection, the more it seems that this is an excellent resource of music for specific liturgies attached to a mediocre hymn book in Volume Two.
This is a lovely simple tune by Jeanne Cotter for anointing. She has set the ICEL text, “Blessed be God who heals us, blessed be God who heals us in Christ,” which is repeated. Lovely.
It costs all of US$0.90 for the sheet music at GIA.
Back in the useful first volume of Catholic Worship Book II, where all the liturgical goodies are, is this somng for penance by Bernard Kirkpatrick.
He cast his net wide for the text with a verse from Ezekiel, Isaiah, Micah and Romans respectively. It appears he has not claimed copyright on the paraphrases, which is nice.
The tune is O WALY WALY.
1 Take from us now, Lord, our hearts of stone,
That we may follow you alone;
Our souls refresh and our minds renew,
Our human hearts make worthy of you.
2 Shine on us now, Lord, your light, we pray,
Turn us from darkness into day,
For those who hunger so may we feed,
And troubled souls to you may lead.
3 Turn t’ward us now, Lord, our faces see,
Cast of our sins into the sea;
For you are merciful, just and kind,
our trust in you, we keep in mind.
4. We know our sins, Lord, will bring us down,
But by the thorns, worn in the crown
Of Christ our saviour, your only Son
Eternal life for us is won.
5 Let thankful praises to heav’n ascend,
Our lives in Christ we now amend,
That reconciled with God above,
We may show forth the Spirit’s love.
