Church Music

David asked about this song by Jodi Page Clark. It is a few collections including “Singing the Faith” and the “Celebration Hymnal”.

The text is here. I don’t have the music so I thought it would be fun to figure it out. It has some sort of weird timing and even now I’m not sure I’ve got it right. I was trying to follow the track at small church music which I figure should be accurate. For what it is worth, here is an approximate backing and I hope it doesn’t confuse anyone further.

This version has a more regular timing and smooths things out, but since I don’t have the sheet music I don’t know who is right.

This is another Rich Mullins song and having criticised “Awesome God” I have to say this is a pretty good rock song and the lyrics make some sort of coherent sense this time.  It is let down by a stodgy uninventive bridge but apart from that it’s great. It’s very much a solo vehicle but I suppose an assembly could sing along with the chorus.

The text is here. You can purchase the sheet music for download at musicnotes, but the chords appear to be all over the net.

Somehow I’ve never blogged Fr Frank Andersen’s “Trinity Song”. That link has contact details so you can buy all of Andersen’s sheet music and I would recommend you do so immediately as they are a bargain. His books are worth finding as well and just for interest this is an article he wrote in the Swag as a response to an article by Cardinal Pell in the previous issue – It is worth the time to read the Pell article and the response from Andersen.

The text is here and it is an obvious song for this Sunday, Trinity Sunday. Like most of this man’s songs it is simple, singable and heart felt.

This is a nice solo version if you ignore the sound quality and the “tru-oo-oo-oo at the end of each verse.

This church has all sorts of harmony lines going as well as the same variation on the last word of the verses.

This version is a fairly free C&W version with a touch of the Roy Orbison’s about it.

Entrance: Sing Out Earth and Skies (Haugen) AOV 2/32

Psalm/Canticle for Trinity Sunday (O’Brien)

Glory and Praise forever,

Glory and Praise forever.

 

Gospel Acclamation: Halle Halle Halle (trad) AOV 2/46

Gifts: Trinity Song (Andersen)

Communion: Seed Scattered and Sown (Feiten)

Gather Your People (Hurd) AOV 1/71

Thanksgiving: A New Commandment (Unknown)

Recessional: Glory and Praise to Our God (Schutte) AOV 1/16

This is a P&W song that actually praises God in a singable fashion. It was written by Twila Paris and the text is available at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download. You can also hear a snippet of Tom Booth’s version of the song there.

My backing goes a bit Irish:

This is Twila Paris singing the song in concert in the 80s, after an instrumental preamble.

This is her original version:

More bird song! This is a beautiful and singable song from Bob Hurd that has lots of liturgical uses – healing services, times of trauma etc.

It can purchased for download at OCP. You can hear the original at Bob Hurd’s My Space page.

Bob Hurd talks about the song and has the lyrics in this video.

Since the lyrics are out there I’ll reproduce them here – I need to hear “you will not be left comfortless” sometimes.

Verse 1

As the rain first falls and then,

then it flows away,

first you’ll feel and then forget,

then forget your pain

Refrain

God’s eye is on the sparrow

and sees your darkest night;

you will not be left comfortless,

for you are God’s delight.

Verse 2

Now your heart it feels like,

like an open wound;

once so full of life and joy,

now an empty room.

Refrain

© Bob Hurd 1990.

I’m in Spirit & Song Vol 1’s Prayer and praise songs and am up to Ken Canedo‘s adaptation of Psalm 139. While it is certainly singable by an assembly it still is probably best as a solo devotional. The lyrics have lots of “I”s and there are some long held notes that might cause difficulties. Certainly the way it is sung in the snippet at spiritandsong (where you can find the text and purchase the sheet music for download) is a very solo style. You can hear a full version at Ken Canedo’s MySpace page.

My backing might help get the pause followed by the triplet of “I want to soar” right and the melody for less than intuitive last line of the verse.

This is a moving clip of a choir singing the song at a funeral.

Fly like a Bird” by Ken Canedo from genoark on GodTube.

This is a very beautiful solo devotional piece with lots of long held notes and short trills that make it less suited for assembly use. It is by Twila Paris and has a swelling bridge and a big key change to belt the last verse out of the park.

The text is at spiritandsong. It can be purchased as a single sheet at various places on the net including sheetmusicplus.

Entrance: Send Down the Fire (Haugen) AOV 2/164

Psalm: Lord Send Out Your Spirit (Zsigray)

Gospel Acclamation: Halle Halle Halle (Unknown) AOV 2/46

Gifts: Holy Spirit Come (Mangan)  AOV NG 67

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

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

Thanksgiving: Enemy of Apathy (Bell-Maule) AOV 2/75

Recessional: The Spirit Lives to Set Us Free (Lundy) AOV 2/165

This is a fun, if lyrically simplistic, reggae song written by a committee.  The lyrics are by Tony and Lynn Melendez and Augie and Dawn Leal with music by Tony Melendez and Augie Leal.

The text is at spiritandsong. I can’t find a downloadable copy of the sheet music to purchase so you may have to get it in Spirit & Song Vol 1. You can hear the original here.

These people are commendably joyous while struggling with the syncopation, but throw in a key change to mix things up.