Church Music

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:

This is an early Marty Haugen song based on Psalm 50 (51). I always surprised to come across one of his that I haven’t already heard. It isn’t suitable for use as the psalm but is fine as a hymn.

He has done other settings since, but this one is still available in the collection, I Send My Light, from GIA – still only $US 5.95.

There is a preview of the whole collection at GIA, so you can check the text and sheet music to see if you would like a physical copy. At least it isn’t out of print, like many of the the songs in CWB I.

This is an amazing text by Donald Wynn Hughes that is still relevant in our current violent world, with our “monuments of folly” and the “wreckage of our hatred”. Read it here.

CWB I sets it to AGINCOURT (aka DEO GRACIAS), which is at least a recognised setting of the words for a change.

This is why the tune is called AGINCOURT:

This is a Lutheran hymn for baptising children that found it’s way into the Catholic Worship Book in Australia.

The text is C19 by Nikolai F.S. Grundtvig, translated by Johannes H.V. Knudsen. Then again, other sources claim it is by Jacob Freidrich.

The tune is noted by CWB I to be AVE VIRGO VIRGINUM from Johann Leisentritt’s Catholicum Hymnologium Germanicum. Hymnary calls it GAUDEAMUS PARITER by Jan Roh. It is attributed elsewhere to Johann Horn, but I gather that is the same person. The sheet music is here.

My backing is fake BIAB organ with chords derived from sources on Hymnary.

Cradling children in his arm
Jesus gave his blessing.
To our babes a welcome warm
He is yet addressing.
Take them, Lord, give life anew,
In the living waters!
Keep them always near to you
As your sons and daughters!

Jazz!

Quartet!

Big band style on the organ!

From a Catholic hymnal that supposedly doesn’t mimic Protestant hymnody we have:

This is Ralph Vaughn Williams setting called THE CALL of a George Herbert text that found its way into the Catholic Worship Book.

It’s in every hymnal known to man. Not even CWB I would change “killeth” or set it to something else.

I got the chords from TIS 552 where they have it in Cm rather than Eb.

1. Come, my way, my truth, my life:
   such a way as gives us breath;
   such a truth as ends all strife;
   such a life as killeth death.
2. Come, my light, my feast, my strength:
   such a light as shows a feast;
   such a feast as mends in length;
   such a strength as makes his guest.
3. Come, my joy, my love, my heart:
   such a joy as none can move;
   such a love as none can part;
   such a heart as joys in love.

This is Ernest Sand’s sung prayer to the Holy Spirit.

The range of the antiphon looks a struggle but maybe taking the key down a few semitones might help. The verses are chant but my metrical soul couldn’t handle that so I have made them fit to 4/4 strict time.

The antiphon is indeed a prayer to the Holy Spirit:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And light up in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.

I’m not sure why “light up” was preferred to “kindle”. I couldn’t find any sheet music to download but it is in other collections if you are looking on the second hand market.

The verses are selections from Psalm 104 in the Grail translation:

Stanza 1 – Verses 1ff

Stanza 2 – Verses 24ff

Stana 3 – Verses 29ff

Stanza 4 – Vereses 33ff

I did these backing some time ago and I’m not sure why I picked this style.

I’m looking at hymns from the Australian Catholic Worship Book, that I haven’t covered from other sources to date.

This is the Benedictine nuns of Stanbrook Abbey’s translation of of the c4 Nunc sancte nobis Spiritus, attributed to St Ambrose. It is from the Liturgy of the Hours.

It Is here set to NIAGARA by Robert Jackson.

I’ve seen a few settings suggested, but chararacteristically for CWB I, none suggesting this one. Similarly, this text is not listed by Hymnary as being set to this tune. Call the editors idiosyncratic with their matching of text to tune.

CWB I places the tune in the key of G rather than Ab as below, thanks be to God.

The text is here.

This is a pretty and joyful hymn with words by Sr Lucia Fay, Jean-Paul Lecot and R.B. Kelly based on St Paul according to CWB I. It is set by Paul Decha, so it is likely there is a French original and Kelly was a translator. Certainly Fay, Lecot and Decha have collaborated on other songs in French (eg here).

This hymn is way out of print and I can find no sources at all for the sheet music. It is a Kevin Mayhew copyright but I can find no sign of it there. Godsongs notes it is also in Alleluia! Amen! and Hymns Old and New, so it is probably known in Ireland. So the second hand market is currently looking the only option, unless someone can find the French version in print.

The text is a bit vague and unfocussed but I’ll blame St Paul for that.

I looks like I made up some simple chords for this one for my backing.

Antiphon

Christ our Lord has come to save his people!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

1 Baptised in Christ our Lord,

Reborn to new life in our Saviour and Lord, alleluia!

For we are the people whom God made his own

Throught the blood of his own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 O come then, bless the Lord,

The Father of all, who is love without end, alleluia.

Before he created the world with great power,

We were chosen then in Christ, God made us his own.

3 Since time itself began

God loved us and planned to adopt us in Christ, alleluia.

He chose us to live in his glorious name,

As his children and his friends, a people redeemed.

4 Be joyful in the Lord,

Rejoice and give thanks to the Father of all, alleluia.

For Christ is alive and we live now in him;

We are filled now with his life. Rejoice, praise his name!

5 With Christ we are made heirs

And called to belong to the family of God, alleluia.

Christ freed us from sin by his death on the cross,

And has raised us up to life, a life without end.

6 Give glory to God, the Father of all:

To his Son, Jesus Christ, alleluia.

And praise to the Spirit, the gift of his love.

Let us sing out to the Lord forever. Amen.

This is a song by Jean Lebon, the French liturgist, with the text translated by Pamela Stotter. It is the whole Easter story in song.

I’ve had no luck finding the sheet music outside of CWB I, but I don’t understand French so can’t search for Lebon’s original. My backing has my approximate chords. The antiphon is in C and the verses modulate to Eb. Looking this change up now suggests I should have used a G chord to get from the chorus the verse more smoothly – I didn’t as I have no music theory I’m afraid.

Antiphon

Christ is our Lord, he gives us life abundant.

Christ is our joy, we are one in him.

1 When the the time had come to return to his Father

And knowing that his hour was drawing near,

He longed to share the Pasch with his friends.

2 That he might celebrate the new covenant with all his men,

The Lord gives his body and his blood,

To reconcile all men to God once more.

3 The cross of Christ brings joy and slavation to all.

Our sins he has borne upon the tree.

His death brought life, and set all people free.

4 While Jesus slept in death, his disciples were dismayed.

So fearful in their loneliness and doubt,

But he arose and showed himself alive.

5 A stranger joined two friends who were talking of Jesus.

Their hearts burned within them as he spoke.

He broke the bread, they recognised the Lord.

6 “Peace be to you,” Jesus said to his disciples.

“Why are you afraid and full of doubt?”

With joy filled hearts they greeted Christ, their Lord.

7 Ascending to his Father, he speaks to his Church.

“Proclaim to all men the living word.”

The promised Christ has come to save the world.

Music © SEFIM, Words Pamela Trotter.

This is a version of the Breastplate of St Patrick and CWB I chose to set this version’s text by Cecil Francis Humphries Alexander to an old old Irish tune, DEIRDRE. I have already blogged this from the Praise to God parish hymn book, but I’ll post it again.

CWB I made it 6/4 rather than 3/4.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.