Church Music

Jesse Manibusan wrote this song in the Communion songs section of Spirit & Song Vol 2. A song in praise of God can certainly be used for Eucharist, but I’m not sure I’d specifically call this a song for that purpose.  Great care would be needed with this one as the text tends to be a bit on the saccharin and sentimental side. I thought it might be a children’s song but the verses suggest not.

The text should be at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download but where it says lyrics there are none.

I am providing the lyrics so you can judge if they go do over board.

Refrain

We praise you, God of life, sacred and good.

We thank you, God of hope, faithful and true.

We praise you, God of love, in all we are.

We thank you, God, with all our hearts.

1. In our fear we lose our senses, forgetting all we are.

But you love is unrelenting, healing ev’ry broken heart.

2.When our ignorance confines us, we are consumed by fear.

Your amazing grace unbinds us, giving us the strength to care.

3. When the light of hope is fading, when judgement tears us down.

Help us see in ev’ry person holiness where you are found.

You can listen to the original here, which starts with a child’s voice that raises the sweetness quotient even further.

My backing keeps it simple.

This fine version with just piano and two harmonising male voices just about rescues the song, especially in the a capella last refrain.

This is an Advent song that I noticed from Chris’s parish. I had never heard it probably because it had gone out of fashion like many of the other early SLJ songs.

I spent $US1.75 to get the sheet music from OCP.

I love the flute and harpsichord in, what I assume is, the original.

The lyrics are there as well.

The only problem is the range. If you lower it to the key of C the second verse goes too low to sing. If you don’t, the high held “E”s will kill off the assembly.

My backing is in strict tempo, so does not speed up and slow down like the original.

This is another very folky rendition:

This is a lovely song about the real presence by Tom Kendzia that even appears to be singable by an assembly. It has an instrumental interlude after two verses leading to a key change and a third verse and final chorus.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.

My backing is not quite relaxed enough.

The original has the “easy, walking feel” prescribed and some pedal steel guitar.

These choirs sound better than the original recording:

This is a nice solo cover with guitar accompaniment:

Entrance: Prepare the Way (Boniwell)

Advent Wreath: All is Wonder (Watts) AOV NG 4

Psalm: To You O God I Lift Up My Soul (Hurd) AOV 2/14

Gifts: Emmanuel (Angrisano) SAS 2/290

Communion: Shepherd Me O God (Haugen) AOV 1/33

One Bread One Body (Foley) AOV 1/129

Thanksgiving: Advent Chant (Porter/Kirkland) AOV 2/123

Recessional: Sing Out Earth and Sky (Haugen) AOV 2/32

This is an especially lovely song  by Steve Angrisano for Eucharist that, like many in this collection, seems to have been written with a solo performance rather than an assembly in mind. There are many people who just can’t sing a song permanently suspended in syncopation like this one so if participation is to be strived for above all else this song is hard to recommend. The verses have enough little quirks to further complicate things, for while the chord progression is the same in each the tune meanders off in different directions for each verse.

The text, which is very serviceable, is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.

My backing is as written not as performed by Mr Angrisano.

This is Steve Angrisano not singing what he wrote:

Tom Booth wrote this excellent pop song. I don’t think it is a communion song for an assembly however, but it’s great as a solo vehicle.

Some of the lyrics are in this reflection at spiritandsong, but the link to the lyrics in the article is dead. You can listen to the original here. I can’t find a purchase for download version of the sheet music so you have to use Spirit & Song Vol 2 I suppose.

I spent far too long on this backing:

Refrain

Lord, help us to live in the present moment.

Help us to pray in the light of this day.

Lord, help us to live in the present moment,

For we know not the time. so we give our lives,

Placing our trust in you in the present moment.

 

1. May I not dwell on the failures of the past,

Drowning in sin that you have set free.

May I just be with you and be who I’m meant to be.

 

2. May I not dream of the glories of the future,

Things that may never come to be.

May I just be with you and be who I’m meant to be.

© Tom Booth 2004.

I really like this gentle song for Eucharist by Sarah Hart. It does has a bit of Broadway show tune about it with the occasional octave leap and I’m not sure it would survive congregational singing.

The text is here (bottom of the page) and it is used as part of a reflection at spiritandsong. I can’t find a place to purchase for download for the sheet music. You can listen to original here.

Brian Boniwell has written songs that are used in parishes all around Australia and overseas and is much loved. I get many hits on this site from people looking for his sheet music.

Just so you know, you can buy Brian’s sheet music direct from the song writer:

I have two song books available, “People of the Resurrection” and “Spirit of Love”. These are words, melody line and chord editions only, not full accompaniment.

People can email me boniwell@aapt.net.au or phone 07 5520 7581 to arrange for copies to be posted to them.

I have listed the songs in each album below.

People of the Resurrection
1 Christ is risen
2 Candle song
3 We are your people
4 In memory of me
5 No greater love
6 Where there is joy
7 People of the resurrection
8 The Lord is my shepherd
9 Paul’s prayer
10 Walk upon the water
11 He came as a servant
12 Wherever you go
13 Like a cedar of Lebanon
14 Love is the gift

Spirit of love
1 Spirit of love
2 The sower
3 Will you love me?
4 Let your light shine
5 Keep me safe
6 Mission song
7 The body of Christ
8 Prepare the road of justice
9 Baptism song
10 Let us be as one
11 Holy family
12 Holy Lord
13 Gather together
14 Beatitudes

With blessings and thanks

Brian Boniwell

After Advent housekeeping I’m back in the communion section of Spirit & Song Vol 2. This is another committee song by Bobby Fisher, Greg Less, Craig Aven and Ken Canedo.

The refrain is singable by an assembly but gets a bit high after the key change. The verses have enough difference in tune to cause confusion and are really just too syncopated for assembly use.  That said the bridge (also too high) is a neat transition to the key change in the final refrain.  Altogether a clever pop song with a gentle Latin lilt that would be better as a solo vehicle.

I’m not a fan of the word “fam’ly”.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.

This is the original:

A professional looking video with a fine vocalist:

A fine cover version from an empty church:

This is another nice version with some idiosyncratic piano.

Some young people keeping it together surprisingly well in the verses:

Chris’s parish are going all Bernadette Farrell for Advent including her litany.

The text and a recording are at OCP, where you can buy the sheet music.

It’s powerful chant for cantor and assembly that benefits from mixing up the voices, instruments and tempos.

…unlike my backing of all sixteen verses.