I noticed this song in the miscellaneous folder is “Trad.” This may not be correct as Wikipedia notes it to be written by Harry Dixon Loes. They are lots of versions on Youtube, but I’ll leave those interested to find them as none are that great.
My backing is a ProTools reboot of an ancient MIDI of mine.
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.
A short update on what happens when you try to go legit and ask publishers about having their material on your blog:
Considering I was using other people songs without asking, the response I have been getting has been cordial, although I suspect I have exasperated some people a little.
Without going into the specifics not everyone has got back to me yet and haven’t contacted everyone, as I figured I’d work my way through the list. For some older songs copyright administration has passed through several players and you go around in circles even finding the right person to ask.
Some people have seen merit in the idea of publicising the music and helping learning and rehearsals, but were concerned about recordings used at Mass. So am I, but if it is done well it is better than nothing and musicians aren’t always available everywhere.
Some have said that they don’t want their music promoted in this way and that’s absolutely fine as it their choice.
Some are concerned that it is a threat to their livelihood, which I understand in an industry being flattened by copying, but flatters the backings I make rather too much. To that end I have replaced some backing with excerpts.
The lyrics are interesting in that while I have typed some of them up, the vast majority are available on the net with very little looking on the usual dodgy lyric sites as well as many on-line church bulletins. I’m not sure the lyrics without sheet music are much use to a church and I doubt my backings change that. If someone can make sheet music out of an MP3 they either have plenty of time or are talented enough to work up a fake sheet anyway. It’s cheaper to buy the music really than spend the time.
To be fair some publishing houses wouldn’t allow the lyrics, but were fine with the MP3’s if I could track the downloads and pay the fees. I’ve only just figured out how to do that, so I suppose if someone like LicenSing would give me a licence to print the lyrics I could look at putting some of the backings up and paying the royalty.
One body suggested a donation as an alternative, which makes sense as I doubt they’ll get rich from downloads of my backings.
Some of the big players have not got back to me, which is fine because it took ages to remove the lyrics for those have responded with that request. I’m also going through putting proper copyright information on posts in the off chance that they will be OK.
In the mean time it has prompted me to look at some of my own music and to look at other sources of church music. I’ll try not to bore you with further posts of this nature.
Funny things happen when you tilt at windmills. Having made the ludicrous decision to get the permissions I should have asked for in the first place to use other people music, I seem to have given myself months of tidying up to do.
But I’ve also been pointed to some other resources on the net by the people I’m corresponding with. The secretary of the Monks of Weston Priory didn’t tell me to take everything down, which was sweet of him and he also mentioned their new album, “We Desire You” and thought I might like it.
You can buy the physical CD for $15 and download the sheet music for free here. You can also hear samples at the site but to get the full effect of all the interludes just buy the album. I downloaded the album for $10 from CD Baby (links at their site). It is simple, charming and reflective with the voice accompanied by guitar and flute.
Like a lot of folk styled tunes, you look at the chord progression and it is the same sort of thing as rock music and praise and worship music. While I like the reflective guitar sound they use, the songs also would stand up in other contexts. “We Desire You” is a setting of Ps 63 that sounds P&W to me, but the rest of the album probably wouldn’t work in that style.
I have for some time been aware that the copyright situation on this blog is murky. I have had little luck sorting out a way to continue. Attempting to licence music through APRA/ASCAP would be ~$3000/year with a guarantee that the money doesn’t even go to liturgical composers. I can’t find a licence appropriate to publishing the lyrics on a blog such as this.
I have therefore taken the step of contacting the publishers themselves. I did this anticipating that I would bring down a whole lot of cease and desist orders on my head… and I wasn’t wrong.
I will be very busy working through the posts removing copyright material for some time so I won’t be posting any new material.
In particular, I was planning to blog the “Voices As One” Collection from WLP, but this has been prohibited.
This is a song for Offertory or Communion by Chris Allen and Andrew Chinn. We have sung it with the original lyrics but I note that they have been rewritten. You can buy CDs of the song at Butterfly Music but I wasn’t able to find sheet music there, so you may have to inquire there. This song is on Together As One.
It strikes me as being a power ballad with loud guitars in the chorus, but I could have got it all wrong.
When I asked Andrew Chinn about posting this song he asked that I only put up an excerpt of my backing. Please go to his website to purchase his CDs and music.
Verse 1
Take, take these gifts.
Gifts of bread and wine
Giver of all, God of life.
Chorus
Eat this bread, drink this wine.
Be my voice, be my eyes.
Eat this bread, drink this wine in mem’ry of me.
Verse 2
Bless, bless these gifts
Given, given for all
Spirit of God, make us one.
Chorus
Verse 3
Break, break this bread
Drink, drink this cup
This broken body, given for all.
Chorus
Verse 4
Give, give yourself
Give, give your life
One at the table, Christ in the world.
Chorus
Now there is an updated version, but I’m not sure it is an improvement. If we are the Body of Christ, then we are as a community his eyes and voice. However:
In July 2009, Take and Bless was re-written to be more faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Take and Bless, Break and Give
Music by Chris Allen
Words by Andrew Chinn
Offertory
Take, take these gifts
Gifts, of bread and wine
Giver of all… God of life
Take this gift, this gift of bread
Take this gift, this gift of wine
Take these gifts, these gifts of our lives
In memory of you
Bless, bless these gifts
Given, given for all
Spirit of God… Make us as one
Communion
Take, this is my body
Take, this is my blood
My body and blood.. given for all
Take and eat, this is my body
Take and drink, this is my blood
Take and eat, Take and drink,
In memory of me
Give, give yourself
Give, give your life
One at the table… Christ in the world
This is Eucharist song for children by Michael Mangan, that has a lot to remind adults about as well. It is from the “Sing Your Joy” collection that can be purchased at Litmus Productions.
Chorus
We are one family at the table of the Lord,
We share this meal today at the table of the Lord.
1. We come here with our friends, we come to celebrate,
All the things the Lord has done, God’s love for us is so great.
2. The wine we pour to drink, the bread we break to eat,
This is Jesus here for us, this is our family feast.
3. Food and drink give life, fill our soul with song,
Jesus close here in our hearts, strengthens us to carry on.
If a liturgical song can be a hit, then this song by David Haas is a hit song. You can hear an excerpt and buy the music from GIA here. I love the major seventh chords in the verses.
When I play this in on guitar it sounds a bit like the Rainbow Connection and having had that thought can make it hard to sing the first line without, “Why are there so many songs about rainbows…”
This church has a red hot go and you can listen to the descant after the second verse. The pianist may be a little flowery for my taste.
In the unlikely event you aren’t using this song, do so. You will find it is a song that everyone sings, if perhaps not as legato as intended, and internalises as an understanding of the real presence.
I've worked my way through the As One Voice books and other collections making backings on Band in a Box to help me (& you if you're interested) learn new songs for church. This is aimed at churches and musicians that own the collections but haven't exploited them fully. If you don't have them they are certainly worth buying. This site is educational, nonprofit and designed to enhance the commercial prospects of songwriters. This site does not distribute copyrighted sheet music.
Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed here are personal views and not the responsibility of any Church.
All music backings posted are created by myself and the intention is for them to be used to learn the songs. If any copyright holder wishes me to cease publicising and promoting their wares and directing people to where sheet music can be legally purchased please let me know.
Mason’s “Mass of Glory and Praise”
To access my backings for Paul Mason's mass go to Feb 2011 in the archive.
