Church Music

Frenzy Cool requested this Ray Repp song. It’s a gentle folk song with the refrain based on Psalm 30 and the verses from Psalm 21.

My version is in The New Living Parish Hymn Book that I bought recently at the Lifeline book sale and has six verses, which is going to take forever to sing.

This link has the first three verses of the text, which is probably enough.

OCP has links to purchase MP3s and CDs of this song but I can’t find sheet music there. Hymnary has details of the hymnals in which it can be found.

There is the feel of Bob Lind’s “Elusive Butterfly” in this song I think.

This is another song by M.D. Ridge and is another one new to me from RS’s parish. She has been inspired by 2 Samuel 22 for this song that is suggested for funerals and anointing but will fit into a lot of other liturgies.

The text is here (scroll down). The sheet music can be purchased for download at OCP where there is a snippet to listen to as well.

This is nice:

Psalm 130 has had a fair share of modern settings (Tom Booth’s is very good). Ed Bolduc’s setting is just what you need, if what you need is a call and response Calypso/reggae inflected song. It actually quite well done but will need a cantor for the fiddly verses and that leaves the assembly with just singing half the refrain. The third verse is very different from the first two and is in a different key.

The text is in the sample at WLP where the sheet music can be purchased. There is also a brief snippet of the song there to give you the idea.

I have the call and response at opposite ends of the stereo spectrum to assist learning.

Ryan’s parish used this song recently.

The text is by “K” who could be Richard Keen or maybe George Keith and it came from John Rippon’s “Selection of Hymns” 1787.

The text is at Hymnary, although it has been modernised in “Together in Song.” The tune is FOUNDATION is an early American traditional song  whose author is unknown. Based on the You-tube clips, the hymn is very popular in the USA in varied styles.

Rounding out the hymns relating to St Peter, Chris suggested this one from Bulimba parish last year.

The tune is called WEBB and is by George J. Webb and is best known as the tune for a notoriously militaristic hymn “Stand Up Stand Up For Jesus” that I had to sing as a youngster in the Presbyterian church.

The text is at Bulimba parish but I will put a link to it here as well. I have no idea who wrote it but would love to know.

peter_and_paul__1_melody

Apologies for my backing but take it as revenge for having to sing the old hymn so many times all those years ago. It still can be used to learn the song.

As some recompense what about these hymns to Sts Peter and Paul?

Paul A Tate has based this lovely song on Romans 8:31-39. The verses are listed for a cantor but they are singable by an assembly really, and even with the key change for the final refrain nothing goes too high.

The text is in the sample at WLP where you can hear a snippet and buy the sheet music.

This gospel song by Tom Kendzia was used at RS’s parish recently and was a new one to me but is obviously a very popular song.

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

My backing tries to use both vocal lines in the intercessions at the end, but it gets a bit confusing.

I’m going through the collection “Voices As One: Volume One” making backings to help me learn the songs.  I’m also interspersing that with songs that have come up in the music from other parishes that people have posting on the site.

Number 87 in Voices As One is Michael John Poirier’s “Strength for the Journey”, which is also in As One Voice: Next Generation and so I have already blogged that here.

Number 88 is Ed Bolduc’s “The Face of God”. The text is in the sample at WLP where you can hear a snippet and purchase the sheet music. It is an uptempo song that might be an odd fit for the suggested season of Lent. The Easter season might work but as it is a sort of creed it could work in most liturgies.

My backing is gently funky and I’ve included the second vocal line in the refrain:

This is the other “Peter” song that is sung at St Peter’s every year celebrating our patron saint.

It is by Andrew Chinn and the sheet music can be purchased as part of the collection “Let Your Light Shine” available at Butterfly Music. The text is also available from his site in this document.

You can listen to an excerpt of the song here. If you like his music please go to his website and purchase his CDs and music books, which are especially good for children but can also work for adults.

This is one of the songs special to our local St Peter’s church and used for the Mass for our patron saint each year. The music from the parish says it is written by Carey Landry but OCP also credits his wife, Carol Jean Kinghorn.

Much as I wonder about the use of key changes in songs for mass, this tune needs something new after two verses.

The text is here and the sheet music is available as part of a collection called “Hi God” at OCP. They also have a snippet of the song in Landry’s distinctive vocals.