Church Music

This page is also missing from my copy of Voices As One Vol 2 but I cobbled together a backing from their sample. It is another setting of Psalm 51.

The cantor’s part is a little complicated with high notes and triplets but the assemblies’ refrain is very singable. The song writer, Paul L. Berrell, gives us two possible refrains:

Create a Clean Heart in me …

or

Be merciful, O God, for we have sinned …

which is one bar longer.

I can’t find the sheet music at WLP but I did find their sample. So I suppose you have to buy the book and hope you have a copy without missing pages if you want this song. It’s all a bit odd since my reason for putting backings up is for people who own the music and, like me, can’t just sight read a piece to get an idea of what it is like.

I can’t do 236 in Voices As One Vol 2 because four years after I purchased it I have now noticed it is missing a few pages. I looked for any sign of Ed Bolduc’s song “Create a New Heart” without any luck. It is not available at WLP.

While looking for it I came across this recent song by Lorraine Hess that is arranged by Ed Bolduc and it is quite nice, so I thought I’d do that one instead. It is her setting of Psalm 51. She has two alternative refrains:

Create a clean heart in me, O God.

or

I will rise and go to my Father.

The sheet music is at WLP and the text is in their sample or the Lectionary.

This is a solo vehicle by John Angotti. I don’t see any liturgical use for it but if you need something for an ecumenical purpose this may work.

The sheet music is at WLP and the text is in their sample.

This is an interesting song that is essentially a choral work but stripped of it SATBness could work as an entrance if syncopation isn’t an issue.  It is by Karen Schneider Kirner and Steven C. Warner and so is necessarily a product of the Notre Dame Folk Choir.

The sheet music is at WLP where the text is in their sample.

My backing has percussion as the lead instrument:

This is an Advent song by Deanna Light and Paul A. Tate.

The sheet music is at WLP where the text is in their sample.

My backing is a Big Band arrangement:

Back in Voices As One Vol 2, this is a short bilingual Spanish/English song by Pedro Rubalcava.

I can’t find the text anywhere and the WLP download is only for subscribers, but if you have the VAO book you can sing along to the backing:

I must admit I’m turning a bit of a blind eye to unfamiliar songs from the liturgies posted here if they are old hymn tunes, as my fake church organ backings are somewhat on the nose. However, at RS’s parish, there are using quite a lot of relatively recent songs that I’ve not come across before, and today they used this song by M.D. Ridge.

It is recommended for funerals but is also fitting for more general liturgies. It is not very suitable for an assembly however, with a very broad range and long held “E”s to terrify the groaners. For a choir or solo it would work nicely and is an interesting tune.

The sheet music can be purchased at OCP if you don’t have their Guitar Accompaniment Book.  You can get the text from their sample.

Our music liturgy team has picked these songs for next week’s Mass. We are still using Mason’s ‘Mass of Glory and Praise” and probably will for a good while.

We have been singing Haas’s “Song of the Body…” straight through without repeating the chorus and it works much better.

“Bread of Heaven” is going well. I had been using a backing to make sure I got the syncopation right but today I played it on guitar with help from an actual pianist and it was fine.

Entrance: Glory and Praise to Our God (Schutte) AOV 1/16

Psalm 15 McKenna

You are my inheritance, O Lord

Gifts: The Cry of the Poor (Foley) AOV 1/83

Communion: Song of the Body of Christ  (Haas) AOV 1/27

Bread of Heaven (Manibusan-Hart)

Thanksgiving: The Servant Song (Gillard) AOV 2/169

Recessional: God Has Chosen Me (Farrell) AOV 1/21

This song is another being used at RS’s parish that is new to me.

It is by Steve Angrisano, Sarah Hart and Dwight Liles. The text is here and the sheet music is available at spiritandsong. I think it very good indeed.

My backing adds some banjo.

I’m continuing my survey of songs in Voices As One  Volume 2. This is a lovely chant by Joseph Sabolick.

The lyrics are here. The sheet music is available to purchase for download at various sites on the net including an SATB version at Alfred Music.

My backing uses a BIAB style with loops: