Church Music

Angela Gorman wrote this song for the Episcopal Ordination of George Kolodziej, the Bishop of Bunbury. The collection, Hymns and Spiritual Songs Vol1, contains Paul Mason’s piano arrangement. It is available at Liturgical Song.

If you aren’t installing a Bishop it serves for commissioning generally and as a recessional. The tune is bugging me because it sounds so reminiscent to something that I just can’t place – I don’t think it’s “Stranger on the Shore”, I think its another hymn.

I can’t find a recording on the internet, and my backing might be a little easy listening:

Refrain

May the Lord bless you. May the Lord keep you.

May the Lord’s face shine upon you. May the Lord look kindly.

May he look graciously. May the Lord give you his peace.

1 May you rest in the shelter and the shadow of his wings.

May the lord be your refuge and strength.

May his faithfulness shield you whenever fear is near.

May you live in the light of his love.

2 May promise of blessing fill your heart with fervant hope

As you walk through the challenges of life.

May God’s call deep within you inspire all your works,

Bringing comfort and calling you to serve.

© 2025 Angela Gorman Published by Liturgical Song www.liturgicalsong.com

This is a processional song from Paul Mason, which has wide applicability across many liturgies. Really – he lists 38 celebrations for which it is particularly appropriate. He also notes it is based on passages from every gospel, four of Paul’s letters, James and 2nd John.

It is available in the collection, Hymns and Spiritual Songs Vol 1, and also as a single sheet where you can see the text in their preview.

I can’t find any recordings so I have no idea of what style is intended. Probably not this:

The collection Hymns and Spiritual Songs Vol 1, available at Liturgical Song, contains this Marian gem from Fiona Dyball.

I’ve already blogged this here, but I’ve made yet another variation on a backing:

This one is available as a single sheet and you can see the lyrics in their preview there.

This is delightful Confirmation song suitable for young people, but I can’t see why it could not be used at all ages. It was written by Paul Mason and is available in the collection Hymns and Spiritual Songs Vol 1 at Liturgical Song.

Mason says:

My first liturgical music composition, “Open Our Eyes,” was written for confirmation celebrations at St Anthony’s Parish Glenhuntly in 1993. It is a lively song, to which children easily relate in the context of their confirmation.

I made a backing to sing along to learn it.

1 We open our eyes to the face of God.

Wonder in awe at the risen Christ.

Brightness in tongues from the Holy Ghost!

Open our eyes to the Lord.

2 We open our ears to the Word of God.

Strengthen our faith in your Kingdom come.

Knowledge and reverence will be as one!

Open our ears to the Lord.

Bridge 1

Let the Spirit come to be your guiding light.

Remove doubt; make our judgment right.

3 We open our minds to the light of God.

Wisdom and courage begin and grow,

Dealing the darkness a deadly blow.

Open our minds to the Lord.

Bridge 2

God, these cherished gifts you’ve given me to day.

I hope and pray that I may be worthy.

4 We open our hearts to the love of God.

With understanding and honesty,

Love gives us hope for our destiny.

Open our hearts to the Lord.

Open our eyes to the Lord.

© 1993 Paul Mason Published by Liturgical Song www.liturgicalsong.com

This sounds to me like a grand Communion procession from Paul Mason. You can find the the sheet music in the collection Hymns and Spiritual Songs Vol 1 at Liturgical Song.

That said, he describes it as easy to sing while walking, and that it should be played as a reflective chant. I suspect we are only singing the refrain while walking with a cantor handling the verses.

He has harvested Eucharistic sayings and statements from the Gospels and 1 Corinthians for the verses. If your procession isn’t this long, obviously just pick the best verses for the selected liturgy.

It would be great to hear full recordings of more of these songs. I fear some musicians think we can all just sit down and sight read these pieces like they can. This is another with a full score including for strings and clarinet.

I broke out the fake BIAB organ and used more of his accompaniment notes than usual in my backing:

Refrain

When we eat this bread and drink this cup

We proclaim your death, Lord Jesus.

1 “When two or three are gathered together in my name

There am I in the midst of them.”

2 “I am with you now and always until the end of time.

If you thirst come to me and drink.”

3 ” Come and eat my bread and never be hungry. Drink my cup.

Trust in me you will never thirst.”

4 “You who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life.

You live in me, and I live in you.”

5 “I am the vine and you are the branches; you live in me,

And I in you, bearing bountious fruit.”

6 Jesus spoke to Thomas: “Put your hand here and feel my wounds.

Doubt no longer, just believe.”

7 Christ became our paschal sacrifice; the worthy lamb.

Let us feast on the bread of life.

8 The disciples recognised the Lord in the breaking bread.

Now he is risen. Aleleluia!

© 1995, 2019 Paul Mason Published by Liturgical Song www.liturgicalsong.com

This is a good idea. At a previous parish our priest would gather the children who were going off to children’s liturgy, have a few words with them, and then turn to the musicians and say play them out with some music, which we would.

The mother and daughter team of Marie-Louise and Mana Nankivell have written a song for this specific purpose. It is being used at Corinda-Gracevelle parish at least. You can get the sheet music in the collection, Hymns and Spiritual Songs Vol 1.

We send you now to hear God’s word;

God’s message just for you.

Walk with Jesus by your side in everything you do.

© 2008 Text Marie-Louise Nankivell, Music Mana Nankivell Published by Liturgical Song www.liturgicalsong.com

This is Paul Mason adapting “The Christ Hymn” pretty closely from Philippians 2:6-11.

He notes it’s use for Palm Sunday and Exaltation of the Holy Cross and that it is a favourite at Holy Name Parish, Wahroonga and used for Gifts. In that case it’s up to them to put up a YouTube clip so we can see it in action.

The sheet music is available in Hymns and Spiritual Songs Vol1 at Liturgical Song.

The instructions are to play it with a lilt which came out a country lilt in my BIAB backing. He is obviously a keyboard player, setting this in F, which means capo 3 in D for lazy guitarists like myself. Once that is done play it capo 1 anyway to avoid the high note.

1 His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God,

But emptied himself, like a servant he came.

2 And became as we are, and being as we are all he humbled himself,

Obedient unto death, a death on a cross.

Refrain

God raised him high, gave him a name above all names:

O Holy Name.

So that all through the heavens on earth and below,

Every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus;

Every tongue confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord”

To the glory of God the Father.

Every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus;

Every tongue confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord!”

© 2007 Paul Mason Published by Liturgical Song www.liturgicalsong.com

This is a most useful and beautiful song for Lent from Paul Mason.

He suggests it’s use both in Lenten groups and during Mass. There are seven verses and the idea is that you sing the first verse than pick the most suitable from the others and finish with the mantra. There are tenor and soprano harmonies for the mantra. I’d love to hear a full version. You can do the verses call and response with a line for the cantor (bold print below) then the assembly, but it isn’t necessary.

The sheet music is available at Liturgical Song. You can also get it as a single sheet and they provide a preview of the sheet music there.

My backing has two verses then the mantra with the soprano harmony.

1 God of mercy purify my heart.

Come and bath me in your merciful love.

Wash and cleanse me. Purify my heart.

Come and save me in your merciful love.

Refrain

Lord I believe in your merciful love.

Lord I believe!

2 God of comfort purify my mind,

My foundation in your merciful love.

In the desert purify my mind

From temptation, in your merciful love.

3 Shining vision, purify my sight.

Light the nation in your merciful love.

Holy mountain, purify my sight.

My salvation, in your merciful love.

4 Patient gardener; welling up in me

A fruitful nature, in your merciful love.

Living water welling up in me

Life forever in your merciful love.

5 Faithful Father, drawing close to me,

Reconcile me, in your merciful love.

Loving Father, drawing close to me,

Walk beside me in your merciful love.

6 In my weakness, sanctify my soul.

Don’t condemn me, in your merciful love.

Loving Jesus sanctify my soul.

Make me holy, in yur merciful love.

7 You I long for, purify my will.

Fortify me in your merciful love.

In my trials, Lord, purify my will.

Sancify me, in your merciful love.

Mantra

I believe x15

Amen

© 2012 Paul Mason Published by Liturgical Song www.liturgicalsong.com

This is a song for the RCIA, with a text by Carmelo Sciberra and set by Paul Mason.

Mason notes:

Fr Carmel Sciberras wrote some wonderful lyrics for the National Council of Priests Broken Bay Conference in 2002. He asked me to set them to music for the conference. “Lead Us From Good Will to Faith” has a place in RCIA gatherings as the perennial prayer of those in the catechumenate on their journey to Christian Initiation.

The sheet music is available in the collection, Hymns & Spiritual Songs Vol 1, available at Liturgical Song.

Refrain

Lead us from good will to faith.

We’re ready.

For your Spirit we wait.

1 God, your good will conceived me,

Your faith in me redeemed me,

O Beauty, I loved you so late.

Change my goodwill to faith.

2 God, your good will called and chose me,

Your faith in me names and knows me,

Help me to walk in through your gate.

Change my good will to faith.

3 God you good will enfolds me,

Your faith in me keeps and holds me.

Your might, your power and state

will move my good will to faith.

© 2002 Text: Carmelo Sciberras Music: Paul Mason. Published by Liturgical Song www.liturgicalsong.com

This is Paul Mason’s setting of the Magnificat about which he says:

The new setting of the Magnificat (“My Soul Rejoices in My God”) has been sung for Mass For You At Home (MFYAH). It has been set to be used as a responsorial psalm or sung through with the antiphon used only at the beginning or end, the more traditional approach when sung in Evening Prayer. Using the same Grail psalm text for both Mass and Evening Prayer helps reinforce the role of the canticle as Luke’s Gospel proclamation.

It is really very good indeed.

It is available in this collection at Liturgy Song.

Antiphon

My soul rejoices in my God, rejoices in my God;

My soul rejoices in my God.

1 My soul glorifies the Lord,
My spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on his servant in her lowliness;
Henceforth all ages will call me bless’d.

2 The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name! Holy his name!
His mercy is from age to age,
On those who fear him, on those who fear him.

3 He puts forth his arm in strength
And scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
And raises the lowly, raises the lowly.

4 He fills the starving with good things,
Sends the rich away empty, the rich away empty.
He protects Israel, his servant,
Remembering his mercy, remembering his mercy.

5 The mercy promised to our fathers,
for Abraham and his sons for ever.

Praise the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit,

Both now and forever, world without end.

There is a YouTube clip for this song and I wish there were more of them for the collection as a whole: