Church Music

This is a Pentecost song with lyrics by Tom and Tammy Booth and music by Tom Booth that is quite striking with Bruce Hornsby style piano hooks and a key change into the bridge before the last verse and extended final refrain.  It’s quite a production and a challenge in the vocal range and syncopation. If you are up to it, it could be used as an Advent song as well, but it might be more a solo vehicle.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased. You can hear the original here.

This Pentecost song by Janet Vogt and Mark Friedman from Spirit & Song Vol2 could be a simple chant style mantra or if you use every harmony line a major freak out. You can hear that sort of thing here.

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

I only put one of the three (count ’em) harmony lines on my version.

Entrance: Table of Plenty (Schutte) AOV 2/20

Psalm 23 (O’Brien)

Lord, you are my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.

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

Communion: Come to the Table (Burland) AOV NG 33

Our Supper Invitation (Bates) AOV 1/185

Thanksgiving: The Lord is My Shepherd  (Boniwell) AOV 1/26

Recessional: How Great Thou Art (Hine) AOV 1/94

The seasonal songs in Spirit and Song 2 have, fairly obviously, arrived at Pentecost. This song is a very gentle country song that is singable and sounds fine with just a little guitar. I prefer songs that say “us” rather than “me” for congregational use. There isn’t much to it and the key change is probably necessary.

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

My backing keeps it simple but isn’t very interesting.

This parish does the lovely harmonies:

This song is another Easter song from Spirit and Song Vol 2, this time by Janet Vogt. This has a lot of the show tune about it and borrows the hook from “When I Need You”.

The text is at spiritandsong. It can be purchased for download at OCP.

Various parishes giving it their best:

This is another soing listed for Easter in Spirit and Song Vol 2 that really has wider uses.  This one is has words by Genevieve Glen and music by Rick Modlin.

It is a really delightful tune that reminds me of Goanna / Shane Howard (songs like “Common Ground”). The bridge has a call and response with a soloist that works well.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download. You can hear the original here.

My backing uses the pauses in the verse for the Knopfler guitar stylings on BIAB. The soloist in the bridge is differentiated from the main melody line with a different voicing.

This is a typical praise and worship song and I suppose it is fine for Easter if you are having a praise and worship service. It is by Martin Smith and you can find the fairly ropey text here. (eg “dancers who dance on injustice”)

The sheet music can be purchased for download at musicnotes.

It’s fun doing backings for songs like this:

This is Martin Smith when he was in Delirious playing for a crowd who know the words:

Same man new band – Martin Smith with Jesus Culture:

Matt Redman’s version:

Weekend Worship:

Chris Tomlin:

Matt Estrin:

Hillsong United:

A tutorial and that will do:

This alleluia for Easter Sunday is a capella with just percussion accompaniment – shaker and bodran. It is certainly joyous but really needs the harmony in the refrain and call and response in the verse. The music is by Janet Sullivan Whitaker setting a traditional text (verses 1-3) with a fourth verse by Charles Wesley.

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

For my backing I guessed the chords and made it a samba.

This choir is not always quite together but are tremendous nonetheless especially once everyone arrives:

Entrance: God of Day and God of Darkness (Haugen) AOV 1/56

Psalm 80 (O’Brien)

The vineyard of the Lord is the House of Israel.

Gifts: Prayer of St Francis (Temple) AOV2/126

Communion: Lord to Whom Shall We Go (Herry) AOV 1/6

Unless a Grain of Wheat (Farrell) AOV 1/35

Thanksgiving: Tree of Life (Thompson) AOV NG 138

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

This is another song for Holy Week that sounds a solo vehicle to me.

The words are by Harry Hagan and music by Timothy R Smith.

The text is here (click preview). You can hear the song here. There is a reflection that uses the lyrics of the song at spiritandsong. I can’t find anywhere that has the sheet music to purchase for download so you’ll have to get it from Spirit & Song Vol 2 I suppose.