I was hoping this Michael T. Pierce song based on Psalm 18 would be good because I am not a fan of the song of the same title we use for our patron saints day.
It is in 9/8 time and with a gospel styling that raises the bar. It is probably best fudged to 3/4. The verses go a bit high and vary a little in their tune, but they are meant for a cantor.
I don’t think it will work for our assembly, which is a pity. It would be a good choir piece.
The sheet music can be purchased at WLP where the text is in their sample.
I think I’ll push through and finish my survey of Voices As One Volume 2, blogging all the songs I haven’t already covered already from other collections.
This is a countrified slow P&W song by Billy James Foote and it appears a popular song.
It has the form verse/verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus. The text is here. I can’t see any liturgical uses.
The sheet music is available to purchase at various sites on the internet including musicnotes. There is a full orchestral arrangement at jwpepper.
It reminds of a slower version of John Prine’s “Paradise”. My backing is all country:
This song inspired at least in part by St Theresa’s prayer is a lovely ballad that would suit a solo artist.
It was written by Michael J Poirier and although they note in Voices as One that it is licensed through WLP, it is not available for purchase there. I can’t find the lyrics nor downloadable sheet music anywhere, so for those with this book here is a backing.
This collection has a lot of songs whose title starts with “you”, which I suppose means they are songs talking to God.
Dennis Jernigan wrote this catchy slow P&W song. The verse and chorus have the same chord progression so once you’ve sung two verses and choruses you can have two groups sing the verse and refrain at the same time.
The text is here and a commentary on the song is available here. the sheet music can be purchased at praisecharts and is available for download by WLP subscribers.
This is a rather more singable song of praise than usual for this collection. It is by Paul A Tate and is call and response in both verse and chorus with the assembly doing more work in the refrain and the cantor in the verse. Having said that, if you don’t mind a bit of repetition the assembly could sing it all. It would bring it down a couple of semitones to avoid the long held D at the end of the verse.
Being a choral master, Tate gives extra harmony lines and parts, but it’s fine as a nonperformance piece in a church setting.
This is another song from Voices As One Vol 2 that sounds like private prayer and I can’t see a liturgical use. It is by Jack Parker and David Crowther.
The text is here. The sheet music can be purchased at praisecharts.
Continuing in Voices As One Vol 2, I have come to a happily noisy P&W song by Michael Gleason. Like many songs in this collection, I don’t think its going to find a place in any liturgy (WLP disagrees), but as solo vehicles or part of celebrations outside of mass they have a place.
I can’t find the text anywhere, but there aren’t many words in any case. WLP subscribers can download the sheet music. I still made a backing.
I've worked my way through the As One Voice books and other collections making backings on Band in a Box to help me (& you if you're interested) learn new songs for church. This is aimed at churches and musicians that own the collections but haven't exploited them fully. If you don't have them they are certainly worth buying. This site is educational, nonprofit and designed to enhance the commercial prospects of songwriters. This site does not distribute copyrighted sheet music.
Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed here are personal views and not the responsibility of any Church.
All music backings posted are created by myself and the intention is for them to be used to learn the songs. If any copyright holder wishes me to cease publicising and promoting their wares and directing people to where sheet music can be legally purchased please let me know.
Mason’s “Mass of Glory and Praise”
To access my backings for Paul Mason's mass go to Feb 2011 in the archive.