My survey of Gather Australia continues and I’m picking up the songs that I haven’t already blogged.

John L. Bell is a frequent author of GA songs that I haven’t played in church or run across in AOV etc. It’s odd that GA had so many of his songs and even odder since Willow Connection publish AOV but are Wild Goose’s agent in Australia. I suppose it’s because GIA do Bell in the US and GA was a GIA product.

This is lovely but has a hell of a range for an assembly.

The text is at Hymnary. You can purchase the sheet music at GIA.

My backing is BIAB doing a string band.

This is a succinct gathering song with a text by Delores Dufner OSB. The setting is by Rosalie Bonighton.

I can’t find it any trace of this one outside of Gather Australia, which is a real pity. Maybe because the tune is by an Australian composer, but I read she was well respected.  Maybe it just doesn’t have the push of Dufner’s work owned by the big companies.

I don’t usually put up the words anymore but I really think this may be a hidden gem. (Ok the range is a bit much but see if you can make it.)

Refrain

Always on this first of days and ev’rywhere from age to age,

a people gathers to give thanks in your name, Risen Lord!

1 In your name and in your memory

we, your church assemble here,

broken in our separate lives

but in your body whole.

2 In your name and in your memory

we will hear your story told

and, in hearing, we will know

that story as our own.

3 In your name and in your memory

we will bless and break the bread,

eat and drink, and so become

the body we have shared.

text © 1991 Delores Dufner OSB.

This is another gathering song involving John Bell. GA lists him as author of the text and tune. Wild Goose confirms that the tune is a tradition tune from the island of Lewis and Bell adapted it and also that the text also involves his frequent collaborator Graham Maule.

The range is a bit much for groaners like me but the text is exemplary. You can find that text here. Hymnary has details on the tune.

My backing is a slowish C&W version for some reason.

GA sure loves John L. Bell.  Here he has set a song of welcome and gathering to ST COLUMBA, which I have blogged here already.

Bell gets you with lines like:

Build, from the human fabric, signs

Of how your kingdom thrives

The full text is here and the page scans at Hymnary.

The odd use of “for Ever” is from GA, but I note it is put more normally elsewhere.

Suzanne Toolan SM does TAIZE in California and has done some work in their manner and this is one such song.

As you can see at Hymnary the ostinato refrain is just Jesus Christ followed by the title. I’m working from a melody line – pew version of GA, as I am down in Tasmania for Easter and it only has the refrain, but the accompaniment version has the dozen or so verses.

GIA have it available in a collection here.

My backing is just the refrain.

My survey of GA songs that I haven’t blogged already from AOV etc, I am coming across the more obscure songs, or ones that didn’t catch on in my neck of the woods.  This is one such processional by the prolific Michael Joncas. He based it on Psalm 42 & 43.

GIA sell the sheet music here, and there is a less than encouraging snippet to listen to there as well. You can also get it at Sheetmusicplus.

I could only find the lyrics to the refrain here (second page).

This might suggest it’s designed for a special occasion:

I Will Go Up

My backing attempts a reasonably brisk procession.

This text is by Cyprian of Carthage from 252 AD.

The text is at Hymnary and the tune by Olle Widestrand is called TJÄNSTERNA.

Marty Haugen’s arrangement is available in a collection at GIA.

This is another Ruth Duck text set here to a tune called DOVE OF PEACE.

The text is here. (page 2) She based it on Psalm 133 and Isaiah 2:1-4, and it is a beautiful prayer for unity.

The tune is traditional American and the sheet music is at Hymnary. They also suggest alternatives tunes here.

Getting back to GA I find this simply put gem from Ruth Duck set to the sixteenth century tune TALLIS’ CANON by Thomas Tallis. It is a song of welcome and unity.

The text is at Hymnary.  The music is slightly out of copyright and available in various forms on the net (eg here) but GIA have a handbell arrangement if needed.

Instrumental:

Trumpet:

Mary suggested that this a song with similar liturgical use to Marty Haugen’s song I blogged recently that was more assembly friendly.

It is by Colin Gibson who I understand is famous in New Zealand.  In the book Alleluia Aotearoa that I found at a book sale and have yet to explore, it’s a toss up between him and Shirley Erena Murray (who I have heard of) for most songs in the hymnal.

If this is anything to go by he is just as socially conscious as Shirley Murray.

Hope Publishing (have I said they are wonderful lately?) have the text and the sheet music.

There is touch of the John Bell’s as well, not only in the social commentary but in the lack of guitar chords. Now to make a backing in BIAB I need these.  I suspect real musicians like these songwriters think anyone can work out chords, but I often struggle.

Sometimes the chords are available separately or have been tabbed somewhere with greater or lesser accuracy.  Frequently, Together in Song, comes to the rescue, especially with songs from Gather Australia that don’t have chords.  If there is any performance of it available on the internet I can record a wave file and run it through BIAB backwards to get an idea – that is great sometimes but often misleading. In this case it was a matter of looking at the piano music and guessing, then adjusting things once entered into BIAB to eliminate discordant sounds.

So my backing has the notes and guessed chords with dodgy bass runs and probably too many minor chords.

I’m sure this is singable, although it has a bit of “My Bonnie” in there. In the book I have the tempo is 100, at Hope Publishing it is 120 but I’ve done it at 130.

A tribute to Colin Gibson: