When you take out the hymns available in As One Voice from Catholic Worship Book II you are left with a lot of fairly recent texts to rather old tunes.
This is another one is by the very prolific Michael Forster and I suspect it is a deep cut because a can find no sign of lyrics or performances anywhere on the net. I can’t even find it on CCLI and OneLicence and there have an awful lot of his material there.
CWB II set the text to NUN DANKET ALLE GOTT, the tune of “Now Thank We All Our God”.
I made a backing in case you want to sing along to learn it from CWB II.
Just for fun here is a secular hymn to the same tune in SATB.
Bernard Sexton wrote this song for the Fiftieth International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in 2012. The text is here, although CWB II has five verses and I’ve seen six. Apart from from the range being somewhat too wide for the assembly it is, not surprisingly, a liturgically useful hymn for the Eucharist.
I’ve made a backing based on chords I found on the net, but infuriatingly CWB II has none.
The sheet music used to be available to download but the links are dead. I can’t find a way to purchase it online.
This is a song for Pentecost with a social justice edge by Brian Wren set to LAUDS by John W. Wilson. I’m sure it has a liturgical fit more generally as well and CWB II is to be applauded for including his work.
Hope Publishing Company have the text and sheet music freely available here.
As usual, I have made a BIAB backing to help for learning purposes.
This is a c18 text by Thomas Olivers based an older Jewish original and Rev 4-5. There are many other verses and variations but the text below is as per CWB II.
The God of Abraham praise, Who reigns enthroned above; Ancient of everlasting days And God of love. The Lord the great I AM! By earth and heaven confessed; We bow and bless the sacred name Forever blessed.
The God of Abraham praise, Whose all sufficient grace Shall guide us all our happy days In all our ways. He calls us each a friend; He calls himself our God. And he shall save us to the end Through Jesus’ blood.
He by himself has sworn; We on his oath depend. We shall, on eagle wings up borne, To heaven ascend. We shall behold his face; We shall his power adore And sing the wonders of his grace Forever more.
The God who reigns on high The great archangels sing, And “Holy, holy, holy!” cry, “Almighty King!” Who was and is the same. And evermore shall be: the Lord, our Father, Great I AM! Eternally.
Before the Saviour’s face the ransomed nations bow, all praising his almighty grace, forever new. He shows his wounds of love, they kindle to a flame and sound through all the worlds above the slaughtered lamb.
The whole triumphant host Give thanks to God on high. “Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!” They ever cry. Hail, Abraham’s God and mine! I join the heavenly lays: All might and majesty are thine And endless praise!
This is a typical CWB II hymn. A text from c20, with a tune from much further back in time – here c18.
The text is by Bryn Rees and will suit any liturgy with a focus on the Reign of God. Godsongs has background on the author and the hymn. The text is here.
CWB II chooses to set it to HANOVER by William Croft. My backing is more fake organ from BIAB.
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.