Church Music

Ming’s parish used this song last Sunday. It is suitable for Baptism or a Sprinkling Rite and was written by Stephen Dean.

The text is here and the sheet music is at OCP, although my copy is in Gather Australia.

Entrance: All Are Welcome (Haugen)

Psalm 18 (McKenna)

Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.

Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.

Gifts: We are Many Parts (Haugen) AOV 1/86

Communion: One Bread, One Body (Foley) AOV 1/129

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

Recessional: Hearts on Fire (Mangan) AOV NG 62

This is a David Haas song with which I was not familiar that is used at RS’s parish. It based on two psalms and is a song of praise for when that is required. (ie all the time)

The text is here and the sheet music can be purchased at OCP. Don’t be put off by the strange sample at OCP the song is better than that.

This is pretty good:

A choir:

An assembly:

This is the one that won the Vatican competition.  The words are by Eugenio Costa and the music by Paul Inwood.

The version with guitar chords I used is here.

In my backing I just have a tone for the chanted portions. I also thought a Latin-English song needed a K-Pop ballad backing:

* here’s a non K-Pop version:

This is more like it:

For the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Chris’s parish are using Michael Herry’s specially written song.

The sheet music is freely available at the Marists, where there is recording to which you can listen.

My backing is a little faster, as I think it is hard for an assembly to sing that slowly, but that leaves the risk of getting “sing-songy”. Care in all directions required.

Leo Watt kindly sent me another song of his to sample.

I’m not sure my backing does it justice but it is a fine text and it is certainly worth looking at the sheet music and giving it a go.

Precious in my eyes p.10001

precious in my eyes p.20001

I made my biannual trek to the Lifeline booksale looking for liturgical music today. It really quite an event – see this report.

In years past you could get AOV and GA pewbooks but I found none at all today and especially not the legendary accompaniment edition of Gather Australia.

I did find some interesting music though and it may come in handy.

I already have Father Frank Andersen’s songs in a melody line edition, but I found the  one with Erica Marshall’s handwritten arrangements and extensive notes, mostly suggesting the assembly not sing the verses! I’ve got news for Frank.

I got Songs of Fellowship for Kids (Kingsway Music) that has the threat on the cover: WITH ACTIONS. I also found volumes 2 & 3 of Scripture in Song.

A quick look through Alleluia Aotearoa reveals a whole lot of Shirley Erina Murray texts that will be good to look at, but I’m not sure what awaits in Praise & Worship (Resource Christian Music).

I pretty much know what’s in the two Hillsong books I bought, but have higher hopes for Servant Songs (Albatross). It is an Australian collection from the 80s, but has input from NZ and the US and across Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist traditions. There are sections on children’s songs, psalms, contemporary folk and traditional hymns.

The introduction has a spirited defence of folk style music as a “vehicle for bringing  together a community of faith.” I liked this suggestion:

I see at least four kinds of congregational music:

(a) store aways (high quality words and music including the great tradition hymns)

(b) take aways (substantial music including evergreen folk hymns worth promoting)

(c) throw aways (temporary material suitable for an occasion or period of time, including specially composed offerings)

(d) stay aways (to be forgotten as soon as possible, though graciously – because of blandness, banal or trite qualities)

Emma’s parish sing this very effective John Foley song from the seventies. It sounds one of those delicate songs in danger from galumphing assembly singing.

The text is simple, biblical and heartfelt, and fits several liturgical niches. The tune gives the impression of a slowed down version of the Mamas and Papa’s song “Twelve-thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)”

The sheet music can be purchased at OCP. My copy is in the Guitar Accompaniment Book 140.

I believe this is original:

I’m not sure it survives organ accompaniment:

This is better – only guitar & singers:

Just for fun – The Mamas and the Papas:

Yola’s parish keeps their reputation of ranging from very recent songs to songs from forty something years ago. I do remember this gospel song from the seventies and I have a copy in Scripture in Song Book One where it says the composer and copyright are unknown. Hymnary says it is in a lot of hymnals.

The tune and the text for the first verse are noted elsewhere to be by the Rev Martin Frey , who also wrote Kum Ba Yah, and there are more stanzas by somebody else who is still unknown. He died in 1972 so I don’t think the song is definitely public domain despite numerous attestations that it is.

My backing is much too white:

Gospel Children’s Choir:

This is a wonderful song by John Bell that Ming’s parish sang recently. It’s one I’ve never come across but his lyrics are up to his usual wonderful standard. It is set to DREAM ANGUS and is meant to be an unaccompanied lullaby and so the music does not have chords that I can find any where.

My copy in a Gather Australia. The sheet music can be purchased at GIA where the text is in the sample.

I’m sorry – I made up some chords:

I couldn’t find a version the way John Bell wanted it sung so here’s how it might be done as a lullaby, “Dream Angus” by Annie Lennox: