Church Music

A Taize chant by Jacques Berthier. It is really good, even in Latin. Listen here.

Live in charity and steadfast love,

Live in charity; God will dwell with you.

Ubi caritas et amor,

Ubi caritas Deus ibi est.

© Taize Community

We have used Carey Landry’s song at some confirmations for the laying on of hands. Y0u can listen to the original here, if you can stand his vibrato. This cover’s not bad. The song sounds great when sung slowly and reverently by an assembly.

Refrain

Lay your hands gently upon us.
Let their touch render your peace.
Let them bring your forgiveness and healing.
Lay your hands gently, lay your hands.

Verse 1

You were sent to free the broken-hearted.
You were sent to give sight to the blind.
You desire to heal all our illnesses.
Lay your hands gently, lay your hands.

Refrain

Verse 2

Lord, we come to you through one another.
Lord, we come to you in our need.
Lord, we come to you seeking wholeness.
Lay your hands gently, lay your hands.

Refrain

© NALR 1977.1979.

Using the tune of the Skye Boat song, David Haas wrote this song based on Philippians 4:1-9. I only ever had the music of the chorus and that is all we ever used. Samples and sheet music are available here.

The two line text can be read here.

My backing is therefore just the chorus.

This is an emmanuelworship song we used to use a lot, but it hasn’t been sighted for a while.  It is essentially a mantra in the spirit of the Psalms. It is in the “Lifted”collection and you can hear a sample and purchase it here. We used three songs of that album liturgically (the others were “Your Mercies Are New Every Morning” and “Lord Send Me Your Spirit”) and the rest are fine for other purposes.

My Backing is at 80 bpm.

Just to be in Your presence, Lord.

Just to be by Your side.

Just to be in Your throne-room, Lord.

I am alive! (3x then key change 3x)

© Emmanuel Worship 1998.

It must be very hard for your spiritual journey to be played out in public.

This is the 1994 Hillsong version of Geoff Bullock’s song and this is a more recent version by the man himself reflecting his more considered thoughts and with new lyrics. It’s a lovely song (Yes I know – I usually irrationally hate Hillsong) with little liturgical use really, unless a low key praise song is needed. We might have used it as a reflection when we used to have such things but I’m not sure. It is available in a collection here and no doubt elsewhere.

Just let me say how much I love You [You love me]
Let me speak of Your mercy and grace
Just let me live in the shadow of Your beauty [That lets…]
Let me see You face to face [So I may…]
And the earth will [should] shake as Your Word goes forth
And the heavens can [should] tremble and fall
But let me say how much I love You [Yet these words just say You love me]
O my Savior, my Lord and friend

Just let me hear Your finest whispers
As You gently call my name
And let me see Your power and Your glory
Let me feel Your Spirit’s flame
Let me find You in the desert [For You have found me in my…]
‘Til [And] this sand is holy ground
And I am found completely surrendered [And my brokenness is mended]
To You, my Lord and friend [O my Saviour…]

So let me say how much I love You [You love me]
With all my heart I long for You [As all my hope is found in You]
For I am caught in this passion of knowing
This endless love I’ve found [I have] in You
And the depth of grace, the forgiveness found
To be called a child of God
Just makes me say how much I love You
O my Savior, my Lord and friend
Just makes me say how much I love You
O my Savior, my Lord and friend

© Nightlight Music 1993.

The words are by Henry van Dyke and the tune by Beethoven. They sing it in Sister Act 2 don’t they, and this choir copies that pretty much. In fact You Tube is full of gospel choir versions if you want to seek them out. What I was looking for was a more traditional version and it took some finding.

This is a render of a MIDI file I made soon after the discovery of fire:

1. Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
   God of glory, Lord of love;
   Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
   Op’ning to the sun above.
   Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
   Drive the dark of doubt away;
   Giver of immortal gladness,
   Fill us with the light of day!
2. All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
   Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
   Stars and angels sing around Thee,
   Center of unbroken praise.
   Field and forest, vale and mountain,
   Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
   Singing bird and flowing fountain
   Call us to rejoice in Thee.
3. Thou art giving and forgiving,
   Ever blessing, ever blest,
   Wellspring of the joy of living,
   Ocean depth of happy rest!
   Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
   All who live in love are Thine;
   Teach us how to love each other,
   Lift us to the joy divine.
4. Mortals, join the happy chorus,
   Which the morning stars began;
   Father love is reigning o’er us,
   Brother love binds man to man.
   Ever singing, march we onward,
   Victors in the midst of strife,
   Joyful music leads us Sunward
   In the triumph song of life.

Perhaps not the greatest song Dan Schutte’s ever written, it is designed for the Easter period up to Pentecost. You can hear a sample with its trumpet fanfare here, and You Tube seems to have the whole thing. You can buy it here or get it in Spirit& Song volume 2.

Perhaps it’s only their version but it seems much too polite and not nearly jubilant enough.

Refrain
Join in the dance of the earth’s jubilation!
This is the feast of the love of God.
Shout from the heights to the ends of creation:
Jesus the Savior is risen from the grave!

1. Wake, O people; sleep no longer:
greet the breaking day!
Christ, Redeemer, Lamb and Lion,
turns the night away!

2. All creation, like a mother,
labors to give birth.
Soon the pain will be forgotten,
joy for all the earth!

3. Now our shame becomes our glory
on this holy tree.
Now the reign of death is ended;
now we are set free!

4. None on earth, no prince or power,
neither death nor life,
nothing now can ever part us
from the love of Christ!

5. Love’s triumphant day of vict’ry
heaven opens wide.
On the tree of hope and glory
death itself has died!

6. Christ forever, Lord of ages,
Love beyond our dreams:
Christ, our hope of heaven’s glory,
all that yet will be!

© Daniel Schutte 1991.

I’m back to the mysterious miscellaneous file where the faded, crumpled and often hand written relics live. This is a very old Easter hymn from the fourteenth century and first noted in English translation in the eighteenth. More information and a MIDI rendition can be found here. Meant for organ and enthusiastic assembly (as here), there are lots of free versions of the sheet music on the net (eg here)

For no particular reason, other than BIAB’s less than brilliant grasp of church organ, my version is somewhat reggae.

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once, upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!

But the pains which He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation hath procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s king, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing, Alleluia!

Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise eternal as His love, Alleluia!
Praise Him, all you heavenly host, Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia!

Tina also wanted this hymn, which is another one new to me.  That is not surprising as it the American national hymn written for the centennial of their declaration of independence, an event of less interest elsewhere.

It was written by Daniel C Roberts and George W. Warren and there is a blurb about it here with a MIDI file to listen to. I’ve seen it as “God of All Ages” and there are various sites to download tabs, sheet music etc for money or for free on the net.

I had terrible trouble getting this one going so I apologise if the backings are less than stellar. I had several goes in several styles so take your pick of these three.

God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast,
Be Thou our Ruler, Guardian, Guide and Stay,
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Shirley wanted this Fr Frank Andersen song (music available at his site) and it is one of my favourites.  I like songs with lots of spaces to breath and contrast. It is based on Ps115 and 1 Cor 10:15 and has a wonderfully unresolved ending.

My backing is at 87 bpm.

Chorus

This blessing cup is our communion in the blood of Christ!

Each time you drink this cup

You proclaim his death until he comes!

Verse 1

How can I repay the Lord for His goodness to me?

The cup of salvation I will raise and call on his name!

Chorus

Verse 2

Father please hear my prayer! May this chalice pass by!

But if You want that I should drink, Your will be done.

Chorus

Verse 3

To You I give my heart! You are Father to me!

And I will live within Your house! Strong in Your love!

Chorus

© Frank Andersen msc