Church Music

Michael W and Deborah D Smith wrote this song in praise of God. It has a tune that gets very interesting indeed in the refrain and would be singable apart from the long held D’s.

The lyrics are available here. The sheet music can be purchased at various sites on the internet including sheetmusicplus.

I had my usual trouble with 6/8 time so my backing has an uptempo country waltz feel.

This appears to be the original with that odd American church choir sound.

This live version is somewhat less nauseating.

These choirs are much messier but more listenable:

I can jump to “Fish With Me”, because No 341 “Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt and Beth Redman is one of the few songs from this collection that were picked up into As One Voice: Next Generation and I have blogged it already here.

So on to the fishing song by Ken Canedo, which recasts the pericope from Matthew into a country rock form. I can’t see the assembly managing more than the refrain. The most interesting part musically is the bridge. I can’t see this as much of a gathering song, but if the readings are on I’m sure a spot can be found for it. You can hear the original here.

The text is at spiritandsong and umpteen different versions of the sheet music can be purchased for download there.

I upped the ante to a country boogie version which is less stodgy.

See it with all the actions here.

For All Souls we are singing:

Entrance: Come As You Are (Brown) AOV 1/31

Psalm 26 (Mason)

The Lord is my light and my salvation

The Lord is my light and my salvation

Gifts: Come to Me (Norbet) AOV 1/37

Communion: Be Not Afraid (Dufford) AOV 1/114

Crimond AOV 1/144

Thanksgiving: Blest Be the Lord (Schutte) AOV 1/179

Recessional:  We Walk By Faith (Haugen) AOV 1/63

This song is pretty much a Christian version of Louie Louie. It is an adaptation of Psalm 103 by a committee comprising Dan Brennan, Marc Cavellero, Kevin Roth and Ken Canedo that makes me wonder how such a simple song requires so much input. I suppose it could be used for sending forth.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music (the same 4 chords over and over) can be purchased for download.

My backing is a guitar fest to which you will need to add vocals and handclaps.

This cover has wonderfully mistimed clapping (BTW her challenge is a great idea):

Sounds great in Vietnamese and English, although this version is less Louie Louie and more Summer Nights from Grease.:

I’ve moved on to the section on gathering and sending songs in Spirit and Song Vol 2, so hopefully there will be more songs with potential for liturgical use.

This is an interesting song that is sung by Kathy Troccoli and written by her and Robert White Johnson and William Cuomo. I can’t see how it is specifically a gathering or sending song, it seems just a fun praise and worship song really. Her version is a gentle reggae style song but the arrangement here is Matt Maher’s “GreenDay” style version which I suggest you ignore – especially the kazoos in the bridge!

The text is at spiritandsong. I couldn’t find the sheet music anywhere so you may have to just use Spirit and Song Vol 2.

My version is a fun and funky version that I think is more welcoming than Matt Maher’s aggressive one.

Troccoli’s version is very nice:

Matt Maher’s is not to my taste:

This is useful – a melody free accompaniment track:

This song by the very talented Sarah Hart and Kevin B Hipp is a reboot of the Magnificat I suppose. There are three verses with different tunes over the same chord progression, a bridge and a coda. The tune has very fiddly syncopations and is for all these reasons a solo vehicle with maybe a singalong chorus. Now since the song sings in the voice of Mary I wonder if it is even appropriate as a solo song. The tune itself really only gets interesting  in the coda. The original can be heard here with the harmony vocals prominent in the refrain.

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

This fair attempt does show how difficult the song is. It also sounds like they are using a click track that everyone is ignoring.

Tom Booth wrote this Marian song.  It is a solo vehicle. The introduction is quite pretty but the sung part strikes me as a sappy love song but that’s just me. You can hear the original here.

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

This is a performance during a mass.

I was surprised I’ve never blogged this song by Carey Landry before. I’ve certainly played this at masses in the past. It was one of those songs that had all the subtlety removed in the execution and it is not nearly as bad as I recalled it to be. The chords are quite delicate and the timings particular, or even fiddly. I don’t recall any of this coming across. It appears to be loved and hated in equal measure.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download. For some strange reason GIA have their arrangement here with a few notes changed although acknowledging Landry’s authorship – I find that odd.

My backing is a bit too country.

Many other versions:

I could go on, but shan’t.

Entrance: Gather Your People (Hurd) AOV 1/71

Psalm 18 (O’Brien)

I love you, Lord my strength.

Gifts: I Have Loved You (Joncas) AOV 1/126

Communion: Will You Love Me  (Boniwell) AOV 1/40

A New Commandment  (Unknown)

Thanksgiving: Only a Shadow (Landry) AOV 1/133

Recessional: Christ be Our Light (Farrell) AOV 2/3

We are getting the hang of Mass of Glory and Praise by Paul Mason, so if this keeps up we can look at some new songs again soon.  For now it is still familiar hymns.

Spirit and Song Vol 2’s section of songs for special occasions offers some selections for devotion to the Virgin Mary (eg the Assumption), the first being Trevor Thomson’s “Arrayed in Gold”.

The text is at spiritandsong. It is from his “In This Place” CD but I can’t find it available as sheet music anywhere, so unless you have more luck than me, you’ll have to get it this collection. You can hear the original here.

My backing keeps it simple.

If you having trouble with the long gaps listen to this: