Church Music

This is a moving funeral song from Liam Lawton in Gather 3rd edition that would likely be a solo vehicle. GIA note its other use for All Souls.

The sheet music an be purchased at GIA and the words are here.

Using the tune of Danny Boy for a funeral is both good as it is familiar and dangerous as it may venture into the kitsch. Then there is a wide vocal range required to pull it off. John Bell gets away with it with “Go Silent Friend” and here, Ronald F. Krisman has a go with his paraphrase of In paridisum and Chorus angelorum.

GIA no longer sell this arrangement but the preview page with the text is archived at Hymnary. It appears from this site that the the first part has been in use with LONDONDERRY AIRE in any case.

I’ve found various paraphrases set to Danny Boy, often called a Celtic Song of Farewell..

OK, it turns out there are many funeral songs in Gather 3rd edition that I haven’t looked at before.

This is a Delores Dufner text here set to ST THOMAS, by John Wade, but they also suggest LAUDA ANIMA. Using familiar tunes for infrequent liturgies is always a good idea.

GIA now only sell the LAUDA ANIMA version in their own arrangement, but you can find the text there.

ST THOMAS is, of course, PD. The music below in is Eb, GIA take it down to D, and I would take it down to C.

Entrance: Come to the Feast (Haugen) AOV 1/151

Psalm 33 (McKenna)

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Gifts: Enemy of Apathy (Bell-Maule) AOV 2/75

Communion: Bread Broken, Wine Shared Bread  (Horner) AOV 2/155

Recessional: Sing of the Lord’s Goodness   (Sands) AOV 1/131

Entrance: Gather Your People (Hurd) AOV 1/71

Psalm 33 (McKenna)

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Gifts: The Fullness of God (Andersen) AOV 2/62

Communion: Eat This Bread (Berthier) AOV 1/125

Recessional: All the Ends of the Earth (Dufford) AOV 1/76)

Entrance: Gather As One  (McKenna) AOV NG 48

Psalm 77 (McKenna)

The Lord gave them bread from heaven

Gifts: Hosea (Norbet) AOV 1/30

Communion: Bread of Heaven  (Manibusan-Hart)

Recessional: All You Works of God (Haugen) AOV 1/19

I’ve have done several “Song of Farewell”s but not this one set by Michael Joncas in Gather 3rd edition. The text is from the Memorial Acclamation and In paradisum, with extra words from Michael Marchal. There is a special verse for the funeral of a child, which is thoughtful.

The sheet music, available at GIA, has parts for Choir, cantor, Assembly, Keyboard, Guitar, Flute, Oboe and Bass. The is in their preview.

If I’m getting to funeral songs, I must be near the end of the book, although I’m surprised to find any I haven’t already blogged. I have blogged several settings of this ICEL text from the Rite of Funerals, but never with their original music by Howard Hughes.

GIA do sell it but not for download.

The text is here.

My backing is from the wind up fake BIAB church organ.

This is another song for weddings in Gather 3rd edition. The text is by Vicki Klima as adapted by Michael Joncas and George Szews and the tune is by Joncas.

The text is here and the sheet music can be purchased at GIA. It is for cantor, choir, assembly and organ with optional trumpet, if you have such things at your wedding. Even the guitar version I have has harmony lines in both chorus and verses, but I suspect it would often wind up a solo vehicle at an appropriate time during the service – signing registers etc.

This is good. A familiar text based on 1 Cor 13 with a familiar tune, HYFRYDOL, to use at an occasional celebration: Marriage. Ticks all the boxes.

The words are by Mary Louise Bringle via St Paul and it is in Gather 3rd edition.

GIA solved the problem that the tune is PD by selling Tony Alonso’s arrangement.

It is a nice arrangement: