Church Music

Mary’s parish sang this song last Sunday that appears to have been made popular by Michael W. Smith. It seems insanely popular if You-tube is anything to go by, but I haven’t heard it my neck of the woods. It was written by Lynn DeShazo. It is vaguely Celtic waltz with a fiddly enough tune to challenge the assembly.  It would be good for a choir supercharged with bagpipes.

The text is here. The sheet music is available at various places on the internet including musicnotes.

Michael W. Smith:

Robin Mark:

Christian Edition:

Mahali:

A Capella Worship:

Camille Aragones

This is Steven C. Warner’s (of the Notre Dame Folk Choir) version of St Theresa’s prayer. It is stately and pretty singable considering its choir roots.

The text is here and the sheet music can be purchased at WLP.

Joe Mattingly of the Newman Singers wrote this sombre song for Christmas.

There are nice harmonies in the sheet music, which can be purchased at WLP. The text is in their sample.

The Newman Singers (starts at 3:24).

Entrance: Gather Us In (Haugen) AOV 1/12

Psalm 29 (McKenna)

I will praise you Lord, for you have rescued me.

Gifts: Be Merciful (Haugen)

Communion: Bread of Heaven (Manibusan-Hart)

You Are Mine  (Haas)  AOV 2/2

Thanksgiving: Prayer for Year of Mercy

Recessional: O Sacred Flame (Marshall)

I’ve already blogged the “Canticle of the Turning” (219) here, so that brings me to this song written by David Yackley. This is an uplifting song very suitable for gathering but, fair warning, this is super-syncopated song that alternates between the keys of Eb and Gb and 6 flats is no fun.

The sheet music can be purchased at WLP where there is a snippet of the song for listening purposes. The text in their sample.

My version is in dance mode:

This version proves that it is singable.

I am continuing with my survey of Voices As One Vol2 and having already covered:

216 Blessed Be Your Name

217 Breathe

… I am up to another song by Feargal King, the “Canticle of Mary”. There are many Magnificats out there and this is a light and pleasant setting of his paraphrase.

You can hear a snippet of the original at King’s website and the sheet music as part of a very inexpensive collection called Sacred Gateways. It can also be purchased as a single download at WLP, where the text is available in their sample.

This is a very useful Marian hymn by Aaron Thompson if you need a new “Ave”.

The sheet music is at WLP. The text and an appreciation of the song are at Ed Bolduc’s blog.

I’ve already blogged this one by Marcy Weckler Barr here because it was in As One Voice: Next Generation, but the version in VAO has a third verse not in AOV:NG so I thought I’d make a new backing anyway.

Entrance: All Are Welcome (Haugen)

Psalm 109 (McKenna)

You are a priest forever, in the line of Melchizadek.

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

Communion: Our Blessing Cup (Mason)

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

Thanksgiving: Bread of Heaven (Manibusan-Hart)

Recessional: Celtic Alleluia – Sending Forth (O’Carroll/Walker) AOV 1/13

Continuing through Voices As One Vol2 I’ve already blogged :

211 Be God’s

212 Better Is One Day

…which gets me to “Blessed Is He (Palm Processional)” by Feargal King.  This is intended for eight groups of singers and builds to what must be a hell of a bun fight.

The sheet music is at WLP and the text is in their sample. There is a snippet at his web site that sounds remarkable.

Now you know that BIAB can’t do 8 melody lines and even on Realband or ProTools it would just be a cacophony so I’m putting up each line and you can sort it out for yourself if you have eight groups of singers who want to do this one next Palm Sunday.