Church Music

I’m back from a family wedding interstate so this early Paul Inwood marriage song is a happy coincidence for me. It is set to NETTLETON.

The first line is repeated in each verse like a chorus and may help people sing along. The last line of the song lets things down a bit, rhyming grace with place, making for a mechanical finish. That said, the best I could come up with is “seeing Christ in each one’s face.” In America you could use “vase” according to this rhyming dictionary.

Having a new text set to a familiar tune is always a great idea for occasional celebrations, which is why I suspect such a good tunesmith is using an old folk tune. It is inspired somewhat by 1 John 4:16.

Apart from CWB, I can’t find this one anywhere, so I’d be grateful if anyone knows other sources. I suppose contacting the songwriter if you wanted to use it is an option.

This is an old backing of NETTLETON that I have recycled. I should go back and add some bass runs.

1 God is love, the source of goodness: if we love we live in him.

Of his love, God gives us freely; loving, God’s gift we return.

Lord, we see your love made manifest in these two now joined as one;

Let their life become a witness in the Church of Christ your son.

2 God is love, the source of goodness: if we love we live in him.

In his love we find God’s pathway, daily growing in his truth.

May their union bring them peacefulness, strength and joy in sharing life.

Hearts united in the Spirit closely binding man and wife.

3 God is love the source of goodness: if we love we live in him;

And his love means self renouncing when we listen to his call.

May their sharing in this sacrament be a lasting source of grace,

leading onwards to fulfillment as they go forth from this place.

Usually you can count on wedding songs to be on YouTube with the whole video the wedding thing, but maybe this is played at sacramental weddings with no video, so no luck.

This is Pamela Stotter’s translation of a Joseph Gelineau SJ song. The text is credited to AELF, which I gather is the Association Épiscopale Liturgique pour les pays Francophones.

It is in CWB and Alleluia! Amen! but I can’t find other sources. I can’t even find it on One Licence but I figure it’s got to be there, after all, it is on the recommended list from the Australian Bishops. Maybe my correspondents know more.

I made up some chords and made a backing:

I’m not sure I want agents of the AELF after me, so I’ll let you find the text in CWB I.

This is a song very useful for Reconciliation and Lent – I like the text written by Rosamund E. Herklots lots.

I have blogged two setting of this before. CWB II went with BELMONT, which I covered here. Gather 3rd ed used a more common setting, DETROIT and I looked at that here.

CWB I used ST NICHOLAS, which is at least noted at Hymnary as an uncommon setting for this text. This time CWB II has gone for the outlier because, while BELMONT is a common hymn tune, using it for this text appears rare.

Liturgyshare has sheet music and resources for all these setting and throws in TALLIS’ ORDINAL for good measure.

I got chords from TIS and bass suggestion from Hymnary for my fake BIAB organ backing.

1. ‘Forgive our sins as we forgive,’
you taught us, Lord, to pray,
but you alone can grant us grace
to live the words we say.

2. How can your pardon reach and bless
the unforgiving heart,
that broods on wrongs and will not let
old bitterness depart?

3. In blazing light your cross reveals
the truth we dimly knew:
what trivial debts are owed to us,
how great our debt to you!

4. Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls,
and bid resentment cease;
then, bound to all in bonds of love,
our lives will spread your peace.

This is an all purpose sung hymn of praise to God, suitable as an entrance. It is also known as “Now to Your Altar, In Answer to Your Call.” It was originally published in 1959 in We Offer the Mass, now very out of print.

This is one of those rare Richard Connolly sings where he sets his own text rather than one by James McAuley. The music is called SANDY BAY.

I made up some very basic chords for the backing as I only have the melody line version. I could have used the organ backing in the New Living Parish Hymn Book (62) to derive the chords, but I had already made the backing by the time I found the better music and decided it would do. It is also in the Australian Hymn Book.

Antiphon

Father, we praise You,

We your trusting people;

Father, we thank You,

Ruler and Creator,

Giver of all our joy.

1 Now to your altar, in answer to your call,

We come to give thanks to you and praise you.

2 Send forth the light of your truth to be our guide

And show us the way to our eternal home.

3 Lord, we are sinners, unworthy of your love,

And You are the Father who can pardon us.

4 Mary, our mother, and all your saints of God,

Remember us, pray for us before his throne.

This is a text for infant or child baptism by Canadian hymn writer, Water Henry Farquharson.

CWB I set this to OMNI DIE DIC MARIAE (aka SUNRISE). This one appears to have been a Catholic tune taken over by Protestants and given the name SUNRISE, which is the opposite of the usual trick of giving Lutheran hymns Latin names and claiming then as Catholic.

The words in Hymnary may be the original, as they are from the Canadian Catholic Book of Worship III, but it is also possible CWB in Australia stayed with original and CBW III made the song less gendered.

I think I got the chords for my backing from the organ music in Hymnary.

1 Father of the human family,
Claiming each to be his own,
Let this act be the beginning
Of a life in Christ full-grown.
Grace and strength grant these young parents;
Of their call keep them aware:
With your love surround these children,
They your life of joy to share.

2 As the Church we live your praises,
Marked for service in your name;
With your Spirit born within us,
We our worlds for Christ reclaim.
And from us, your gathered people,
Prayer and praise is offered new:
By your grace we have been strengthened,
Greater works in faith to do.

Once again the editors of CWB II thought better of the less common setting of a text in the original CWB and replaced it with the more usual hymn tune.

For Frederick Faber’s famous hymn text, CWB I used SAWSTON (aka CROWN OF JESUS and very like NAZARETH), while CWB II went for ST CATHERINE, which I blogged here.

The sheet music is here. I mostly derived the chords from the organ music. The text below is from CWB I – you will see all sorts of variants and adaptations of these words. I’m not sure I’d sing any of them. In this setting the last line of the Refrain is sung twice.

1
Faith of our fathers, living still
In spite of dungeon, fire and sword,
O how our hearts beat high with joy
Whene’er we hear that glorious word!
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death! (Rpt)
2
The martyrs, chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free;
And truly blest would be our fate,
If we, like them should die for thee:
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death! (Rpt)
3
Faith of our fathers, faith and prayer
Shall win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God
Mankind shall then indeed be free.
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death! (Rpt)
4
Faith of our fathers, we will love
Both friend and foe in all our strife,
And preach thee, too, as love knows how
By kindly words and virtuous life.
Faith of our fathers! holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death! (Rpt)

I’m beginning to see a pattern here.

The editors of CWB I tended to select the most obscure setting for any text and their successors working on CWB II reverted to the more commonly used setting.

I have blogged this James Quinn SJ text as set to LLANFAIR in CWB II, but true to form CWB I selected the less used tune GWALCHMIA, by Joseph David Jones.

The words for all eight verses are here in this preview of Paul Inwood’s setting. Funnily enough it is for Easter Sunday.

I got the chords from TIS for my fake organ backing, but I only did three verses – I’d pick 1, 2 and 8:

Don’t forget to use Liturgyshare.org when looking at traditional hymns. He brings it down from G to F in his sheet music, thanks be to God.

This is a Trinitarian hymn with a text by James Quinn SJ.

It has four settings noted in Hymnary, but CWB I chose none of these, going for HEALING by Douglas Mews instead.

The text is here.

The chords were in Together In Song, which helped with the backing:

I am working my way through Australia’s Catholic Worship Book, to look for songs that I haven’t covered from other sources.

This one is C7 Latin, Sancti venite, Christi corpus sumite, translated by John Mason Neale in the 1800s.

It is obviously for Eucharist and set here to DECREE. Hymnary lists twenty-four settings for this text – none were DECREE.

CWB II set it to GUSTATE instead, which I blogged here.

Draw nigh and take the body of the Lord;
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured.
Saved by his body and his precious blood,
Our souls refreshed, we offer thanks to God.

Our true Redeemer, Christ the only Son,
By cross and blood a mighty victory won.
Offering himself for greatest and for least,
Himself the victim, and Himself the priest.

The victims offered by the law of old,
As signs from God, eternal mysteries told.
Now Christ our light, the ransom of our race,
Gives to his own this endless source of grace.

Let us approach with loving hearts sincere,
And take the pledge of our salvation here.
Christ, who his faithful servants rules and shields,
To all believers life eternal yields.

With bread of life he makes the hungry whole,
Gives living waters to each thirsty soul,
Christ Jesus, first and last, is with us now,
To him at end of time we all shall bow.

This is a paraphrase by Anthony G. Petti of Verbum supernum prodiens by St Thomas Aquinas.

In CWB I it is set to MELCOMBE by Samuel Webbe. This tune has been used to set dozens of texts, but I can’t find anywhere apart from CWB I using it for this text.

1 Dear Saviour, victim for our sins, to lead us to eternal life:

Protect and guard us in your grace, and keep us from all earthly strife.

2 To your great name be endless praise, O ever blessed Trinity,

We pray you, grant us perfect life with you throughout eternity.

This is an example of organ music that is impossible to sing with: