This song is Paul A Tate’s paraphrase of Psalm 136. He leaves out the bits about killing the first-born and powerful kings, but the rest is there.
WLP subscribers can download the sheet music here, but the rest of us will just have to get Voices As One because I can’t find the lyrics anywhere on the net.
The verses are conversations between cantor and assembly, but I’d get everyone singing the cantor line and a solo voice doing the answers.
It is noted to be played moderately, with a steady beat, so without further guidance my backing came out funk lite. The two melody lines in the verse are at opposite ends of the stereo spectrum.
Ah the glory of the metrical hymn. Growing up in the Presbyterian tradition our wonderful long suffering organist, who must have endured hell from we dreadful children, seemed to me to be playing every hymn to one of about three tunes. While this was not actually true, the metrical hymns we sang did allow the same tunes to pop up for different texts.
In the case of “Love Divine” it is 87.87 and so suitable for several tunes.
Charles Wesley wrote the text:
1. Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down;
fix in us thy humble dwelling;
all thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
2. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast!
Let us all in thee inherit;
let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
3. Come, Almighty to deliver,
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return and never,
nevermore thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
4. Finish, then, thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee;
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
I note the second verse is omitted in some hymnals.
Rather than battle the dodgy church organ VST sound I use with BIAB all just put some MIDIs from the net up for each setting and some You-tube clips because I’m probably the only church musician who doesn’t know this tunes.
Chris’s parish sings this as entrance today to the tune HYFRYDOL by Rowland Huw Prichard as found in Gather Australia 463.
I’m blogging the music book “Voice As One Vol 1” and since WLP songs have very little penetration into the Australian market, I’m finding lots of useful songs for liturgy that I didn’t know, and a few nonliturgical sacred songs. OCP and GIA have been the dominant American players here so it is good to hear something different and since most can be purchased on-line they are worth considering even if you haven’t bought the collection yet.
Here I was thinking WLP was just Ed Bolduc when it turns out it’s mostly Paul A. Tate, who wrote this song.
This is a Eucharist song that again has the cantor (or choir) – assembly conversation that we would usually ignore and just have the assembly sing the lot. There really is nothing here an assembly could not attempt. It’s long enough for most sized churches to get through communion. The fifth verse is really a bridge in a different key if you get to it.
The text is in the sample at WLP where the sheet music can be purchased.
This church has lovely accompaniment but does struggle a little.
So does this group so perhaps it is harder than it looks.
This is suitable just about anywhere in a liturgy being based on John 3: 14-21 -entrance, gifts, communion – it fits. The tune is a little fiddly and the third verse is a bridge with a different tune to learn but it would repay the investment of time. Some effort will be needed to avoid being “sing -songy” in the chorus.
The text is in the sample at WLP where the sheet music can be purchased.
This is a song by Paul A Tate and Deanna Light that could be both a gathering song or a Eucharist song. I’d ignore the cantor call and response and just sing the whole thing together.
The text is in the sample at WLP where the sheet music can be purchased for download. A handbell version ,which would be wild, is available at GIA.
This song by Rory Cooney is a solo vehicle with no discernible liturgical use. It is, however, a song of encouragement, hope and solidarity.
Those with an annual licence from WLP can download the sheet music there, but everyone else will need to get “Voices As One” because I can’t find it anywhere else. The song can be heard here.
This song with a text by Deborah D. Smith and music by Michael W. Smith is not for liturgy but is the sort of song that makes everyone cry at the end of a school year or for other partings. It is very much a solo vehicle and shares some music ideas with “Lying Eyes” by the Eagles and “You’re My Home” by Billy Joel. It is apparently very popular.
According to this story it was written quickly and it has hallmarks of that. (eg “and friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them”)
The text is here and the sheet music can be purchased for download at various sites on the net including musicnotes.
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.
