Church Music

The next song from All Things New by Proclaim Lismore Wildfire is “Steadfast Love” written by Rachael Kama, Cameron O’Toole and Laurie Pratt.

It is for youth assemblies and is both a song of praise and a cry from the depths – a psalm for young people.

There is also a song with this title by a Christian band called “Wildfire Praise”, which is not the same.

The sheet music and other resources are at their website.

My backing starts quietly but gets noisy soon enough.

Through every storm, through every up and down,
In every hiding place we’re found, Your love sees us through!
Through the darkness, You’re our only light,
guiding us through day and night, Your love sees us through!

PRE REFRAIN
With your grace, we sing praise!

REFRAIN
From north to south, from east to west! Your love endures forever!
Give thanks to You Lord for You are good! Your love endures forever!

VERSE 2
You know our deepest story in and out,
Washing all our fear and doubt, Your love sees us through!
Delivered us, You saved us from distress,
Filling up this emptiness, Your love sees us through!

PRE REFRAIN
REFRAIN
BRIDGE
Pushing You away, constantly afraid,
But Your love sees us through.
Lost in our own minds, caught in our mistakes,
but Your love sees us through.

REFRAIN

© 2018 WILDFIRE Kama O’Toole Pratt

I heading warily into the area of youth ministry, a place from which age disqualifies me rather.

However, I recently met some impressive young people who have been involved in Proclaim Lismore Wildfire and heard some of the music written by the people there. To my surprise there is a diocese that actually funds and encourages youth ministry.

They have lots of music, both recordings and sheet music at their site. I see no reason why schools around Australia should not be using these songs and better still making their own as well. That would certainly make for a hopeful Jubilee.

I am starting with their earlier material from 2019, simply because there is proper sheet music there rather than just chord charts, so it is easier to do backings.

“Fill Us” is a great song written by Rachael Kama, Emily Millan & Daniel Saban. It is from the collection All Things New. The sheet music and other resources are here.

My backing is more dance than theirs, but I gather this is for dancing and even has actions.

Verse x2

Come Lord, Jesus, come to meet us, 

Fill this place. 

In the fullness of Your presence, we find grace

Prechorus

Only You can satisfy. 

Fill the emptiness inside. 

Chorus x2

You give life! Jesus overflow in us.
Take our lives and fill us, fill us!
(Hey!) Fill us, Fill us!

Rpt everything so far then…

Bridge 1

You created us for this,

Bridge 2 x3

Overflowing, everlasting joy you came to give.
Never-ending, never-failing Love,
Within in our midst.
Unrelenting, overwhelming,
Peace, so we could live in…

(last time) the fullness of God.

Refrain x2

© 2018 WILDFIRE: KAMA, MILLAN & SABAN

Shemida was looking at doing this Advent hymn by Dianne Hannibal.

The sheet music is available at many places on the internet including here.

The text is here (scroll down).

I don’t have the sheet music so I made up a backing, which may be approximate. Some arrangements have a key change but I left that out. Part of “Come O Come Emmanuel” occurs towards the end.

By the way, this sounds like a hopeful lament! – the exception that test the rule (see yesterday’s post and Chris’s apposite commentary).

This is not an Australian song.

This is the hymn for the Jubilee Year 2025 on the theme of hope.

The original text is by Pierangelo Sequeri and the English translation is by Andrew Wadsworth. The music is by Maestro Francesco Meneghello.

It doesn’t sound like a song to sing in a suburban or country parish and may not be inculturated for Australian parishes. Maybe we should have written one for ourselves.

I made a backing but I don’t think I got the “with confidence” instructions. The tune strikes me as a mournful theme from a sad part of a movie scored by Henry Mancini – btw I love Mancini.

The sheet music is here in a sensible key – and here in a less sensible key. The SATB is here and it may be best as a choir vehicle. Thank you New Zealand for making them easy to find.

Refrain

Like a flame my hope is burning,

may my song arise to you:

Source of life that has no ending,

on life’s path I trust in you.

1 Ev’ry nation, tongue, and people

find a light within your Word.

Scattered fragile sons and daughters

find a home in your dear Son.

Refrain

2 God, so tender and so patient,

dawn of hope, you care for all.

Heav’n and earth are recreated

by the Spirit of Life set free.

Refrain

3 Raise your eyes, the wind is blowing,

for our God is born in time.

Son made man for you and many

who will find the way in him.

The Vatican site gives the song in many languages, both to listen to and with sheet music.

It sounds good in Italian.

So so in English:

… also better in Nepalese:

This is better than all of them:

This is a useful singalong karoake version:

Searching for Australian Catholic music turns up some material from far afield.

This is the Diocesan hymn from the Catholic Diocese of Townsville, written by Sister Judy Foster.

The sheet music is available from the diocese, and you can hear their version here.

I added some BIAB percussion to my backing:

Journey with us, Jesus, as we move into our future;
open up our hearts to hear your Word;
Surround us with your Spirit and your presence deep within:
Becoming new, becoming new in You.

May we welcome one another with respect and warmth and love.
May we see Your face in each and every one.
May we change our way of being without stubbornness of heart,
so we are the message ‘all belong’.

Journey with us, Jesus, as we move into our future;
open up our hearts to hear your Word;
Surround us with your Spirit and your presence deep within:
Becoming new, becoming new in You.

May your mother, Mary, Help of Christians guide our vision,
with the witness of the saints who’ve gone before,
so all our work gives glory to the Trinity of love,
the source of joy and energy and life.

© Sr Judy Foster sgs

There are a couple of extra verses as well there :

May we turn and seek your presence when our doubts block out your face,

So your touch leads us to trusting all you are

May our faith grow stronger daily, in our work and in our prayer,

So our voices all say ‘I believe’.

May we let the Spirit’s wind rush through the centre of our being

So we let go fear, allowing grace to flow

With the power given to us when we gather as your church

As we walk the pathway to ‘become’.

This is Stephen Kirk‘s setting of Psalm 50/51. The sheet music is at his site. It could be used a general Lenten hymn.

I expect I’ll hear some more of his songs at his workshop in a couple of weeks at Hobart.

Refrain

Create in me a clean heart, create in me a clean heart.

Create in me a clean heart, put a steadfast spirit within me.

1 Have mercy on me God, in your kindness.

In your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

And cleanse me from my sin.

Refrain

2 My offences truly, I know them;

My sin is always before me.

Against you, you alone have I sinned;

What is evil in your eyes I have done.

Refrain

3 For in sacrifice you take no delight,

Burnt offering from me you would refuse,

My sacrifice a contrite spirit.

A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

Refrain.

This is another song for Veneration of the Cross on Good Friday from Stephen Kirk.

The sheet music is at his site under resources.

My backing is a little faster than he recommends I believe, but I couldn’t sing it slower.

1 Come behold the Lamb of God sacrificed.

Come behold the Lamb of God glorified.

Come and behold him, come and adore

Jesus the lamb who takes all the sin of the world.

2 Come behold the Lamb of God, love poured out.

Come behold the Word of God silent now.

Come and behold him, come and adore

Jesus the lamb who takes all the sin of the world.

3 Come behold the mercy poured from on high.

Come behold the light that conquers the night.

Come and behold him, come and adore

Jesus the lamb who takes all the sin of the world.

4 Come behold the Son of God crucidied.

Come behold the Word of God glorified.

Come and behold him, come and adore

Jesus the lamb who takes all the sin of the world.

© 2017 Stephen Kirk

He has extra verses there that transform this into a song for Eucharist.

This Stephen Kirk song is his take on Crux fidelis.

His music and translation is at his site.

My backing does it no favours but will give you the idea. I switched on BIABs fake organ and increased the tempo from 65 to 80.

He has set it SATB, so I’d like to hear it done at 65, unaccompanied, in four parts – I’m sure that would work if your choir is up to it on Good Friday.

The free to download songs at Stephen Kirk’s website, are mostly Psalms and Easter songs, and are under the “Resources” tab.

This is one of his Good Friday songs and would be lovely for veneration. It is quite singable.

Come to the Holy Cross.

See his love poured out for us.

See the wounds that heal our sin and kneel before the King of Kings.

We behold you Jesus; friend of sinners, Saviour, Lord.

We adore you Jesus.

For by your cross you free us all, and by your cross you save the world.

Rpt all

Come to the Holy Cross.

See his love poured out for us.

See the wounds that heal our sin and kneel before the King of Kings.

© 2008 Stephen Kirk

This is a song by Stephen Kirk for Holy Thursday. It is another lovely song, but your cantor will need a fair old range to cope, especially in the third stanza. The assembly should be fine singing the refrain.

You will find the sheet music under “Resources” at his website.

Refrain

Do you understand what I’ve done to you?

Do you understand what I’ve done to you?

1 You call me master and Lord, and rightly; so I am.

If I then, The Lord and Master have washed your feet,

You should wash each others.

Refrain

2 I give you a new command, that you love one another

As I have loved you; By this everyone will know

You are my disciples.

Refrain

3 At the moment you don’t know what I’m doing,

But later you will understand.

I have given you and example so you may do as I have done.

Refrain

Will you do to all as I’ve done to you?

Will you do to all as I’ve done to you?

© 2015 Stephen Kirk