Church Music

My attempts to write song each week based on the readings this week involve ideas mostly from Isaiah 55:6-9 with a nod to the psalm and the gospel. I tried to write something very simple and it is that and repetitive as well. It also has a hideous overuse of the male pronoun for God.

The music is a bit of a cheat.  I used Melodist on BIAB to give a tune of sorts which I edited and fitted to the words (sort of). The long play out is BIAB strings soloing over the left over bars.

Refrain

The Lord cares for his creation

The creatures that the Lord holds dear

He is close to those who call him

If you call he is always near.

1. Your God is forgiveness

Call him while he’s near

Turn and seek he will take pity

You have nothing to fear.

2. His love is not like ours

His way from above

The Kingdom of Heaven is found

In accepting God’s love.

© 2014 Geoffrey Madden

Download Sheet Music: The Lord Cares

This song for Lent from Spirit and Song Volume 2 is written by Michael Avolicino. he based it on Matt 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.

It has a relaxed refrain and a wordy set of verses so it might be best to use a cantor. There is answering Kyrie in the refrain (I didn’t put it in my backing) that you can hear here, which also demonstrates the incongruous bridge that speeds up in a jarring way.

The best I could do for the lyrics was this powerpoint I found.

My backing wimped out on speeding up the bridge and so is somewhat more relaxed.

This is another Joshua Blakesley song for Lent from Spirit and Song Vol 2.

This is a great rock song but I don’t think it suits an assembly for Lent so if you have praise and worship gatherings in Lent it might work. Am I right in thinking it is working off the “Changed My Name” spiritual?

The text is a bit ratty and vague. It has some (too) clever near rhymes from within the first line to the end of the second line of the verse (eg side/life, nearby/sign, ground/profound).

You can read the text for yourself and see what you think at spiritandsong. I can’t find a downloadable copy so you’ll have to get the collection this time if you need it.

My backing has some fun lead guitar courtesy of BIAB.

This is the original and listening to it demonstrates its place as a solo vocal:

This is a Joshua Blakesley song in the Lent section of Spirit and Song Vol 2. It might be useful for private devotion but I can’t see a liturgical role. It’s too personal a song and the tune is just too fiddly for an assembly anyway. It is, however, a good pop song notwithstanding the key change for the fourth verse and last refrain and the pretty banal lyrics.

You can hear just what a solo vehicle it is by listening to the original here.  It has a bit of the Air Supply vibe about it.

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

My backing tries to be done gently and prayerfully as directed.

I’m still in the Lent section of Spirit and Song Vol 2 and this is song by Charlie Hall. It’s just a verse chorus and bridge really and despite slight odd syncopations might even be singable, the chorus is certainly catchy.  The verse ends with 8 (count ’em) “E”s in a row, which might be a record.

The text is here. The sheet music can be purchased for download at musicnotes.

Charlie Hall talks about the song and teaches it at Worship Together.

My backing follows the music but the singers aren’t following that strictly in the YouTube videos.

I think this is the original:

This one is by Chris Tomlin.

This is a band called Kutless:

This young man in the dark does a good job:

This setting of Psalm 51 by Cyprian Consiglio is a no-brainer for Lent. The verses are somewhat delicate and probably are better for a cantor, but that is a lot of cantoring and little singing for the assembly. I suppose it could also be used as a chant for private prayer during Lent.

The music of the last line of the verses has a odd sense of Fiddler on Roof about it.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download and you can hear a snippet of the song. They also give the alternative refrain, “Be Merciful, O Lord.” You can hear a duet version here.

This is a challenge.  Setting one of the oldest Christian hymns known, Phillipians 2:6-11, the second reading for this Sunday. This is one of those times when we have to forget the gospel stories and empty tombs etc because we have no guarantee the first people to sing this knew anything other than that Jesus in his death had been exalted by God and was alive to his followers in a new way. ( ..and probably that there was a coming wrath and Jesus would save them from that.)

After 2000 years or so it’s probably out of copyright but just in case I’ve paraphrased a little to set up some rhymes. It’s another repetitive mantra I’m afraid.

He humbled himself

then he was exalted by God.

He was divine

but not clinging to equality with God.

He emptied himself

he became like man a slave.

Yet humbler still

taking death on a cross to save.

God raised him high

with a name above all other names.

So all beings

and ev’ry tongue acclaim.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is Lord.

© 2014 Geoffrey Madden

Download sheet music: Jesus Christ is Lord

I’ve left this in BIAB format and I’ve just noticed I misspelled exalted in the sheet music.

From Christmas to Lent is a big step in Spirit and Song Vol 2’s Seasonal Songs, but it takes us to Tom Kendzia’s arrangement of a traditional spiritual. Lent should involve change so I suppose it fits, although I don’t know if a down and dirty blues is appropriate for our assembly.

The text is at Licensing. (click the preview for the whole text – I suppose available because it is traditional)

Kenzia’s original is at his MySpace page, with the world’s gentlest, least bluesy blues I’ve ever heard.

My backing is the blues BIAB style.

It is the basis of a reflection on how we identify with Christ here.

This choir is much bluesier but relies a lot on the soloist:

This is Tom Kenzia’s choir and the whole choir swings better than the one on My Space.:

I’m in the Christmas songs in Spirit & Song Vol 2 and this one has words by Mary Hochman with a tune by Gerard Chiusano. It has a sweet tune and could be a restrained solo or choir piece in a Christmas service.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download. You can hear the somewhat overwrought original here. This one is even more so and changes the lyrics.

My backing keeps things simpler.

This is a Christmas song by Bob Halligan Jnr and Rick Modlin. It is actually singable, but is also pretty bland and I can’t really think why it would be sung instead of a carol that was known by the assembly.  As a solo vehicle others are preferred.

For some reason spiritandsong don’t have the lyrics up but at least the first verse is at  CCLI and of course available in full if you are a songselect subscriber. I can’t find the sheet music to  purchase for download so if you really want it you’ll have to hunt down a copy of Spirit & Song Vol 2.

You can hear the original here.

My backing tries to be gentle and reverent, although the flute sound is a bit annoying.