Church Music

I am away for a few weeks so here are the music liturgy team’s selection for the next few weeks.  We are casting our net wide for music for the Psalm responses over the coming masses, including the wonderful Kate Keefe, Amanda McKenna and Paul Mason.

Entrance: Here I Am Lord (Schutte) AOV 1/90

Psalm 39 (Keefe)  Kate Keefe’s site

Here I am, Lord, I come to do your will.

Gifts: Come to Me (Norbet) AOV 1/37

Communion: We Are Many Parts (Haugen) AOV 1/86

Song of the Body of Christ  (Haas) AOV 1/27

Thanksgiving: The Summons (Maule-Bell) AOV NG 149

Recessional: We Are Called (Haas) AOV 2/60

This song about the communal nature of sacraments is by the heavyweight team of Matt Maher and Tom Booth and is the last song in Spirit & Song Vol 2. I’m not sure if it is a communal song however. The second verse is a confiteor of sorts if that is useful.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.

My backing is the first done I’ve done with Band in a Box 2015 and shamelessly uses spaghetti western guitar doodling:

Matt Maher:

Live:

A fine cover:

This is really another P&W song by Matt Maher with help for the text from Paul George. It gets oddly conversational for a song lyric at points. It has a pre-chorus, a call and response bridge leading into final refrain with a key change after the first line. In short every tweak and gimmick known to man. It’s still a fair enough pop song, especially considering the sacramental theology embedded it it.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.

Matt Maher:

Since “Sweet Redeemer” is also in AOV NG, I’ve already blogged that song here, so I can move to the next song in Spirit & Song Vol 2.

“Yes, I Believe” is a pop song by Joel Lindsay and Tony Wood and was performed by “Point of Grace”. It is the basis for a musical for young people.

The text is here. The sheet music can be purchased for download at musicnotes.

Point of Grace:

Covers:

“Open the Eyes of My Heart” is also in AOV NG so I’ve already blogged that song here.

That gets me to this wonderful song with a text by Genevieve Glen OSB set to music by Scot Crandal. This song stands out from the ususual spiritandsong mold by being very singable by an assembly and sounding fresh. The text is poetic and allusive and the song would be good for healing masses or if an environmental theme is found in the readings.

The text can be found in this sample at Crandal’s site. You can listen to the original here.

The song has two voices in the verses which I have distinguished with different sounding melody lines.

This song by Chris Muglia has a text that could have useful for an assembly to sing, but the fiddly tune means it is a solo vehicle I’m afraid, although the refrain may be a possibility. Bringing us into the story of the incarnation is a great idea, but a singable tune would have made it much better.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.

I thought this song was lacking banjo and pedal steel, so I corrected that in my backing.

Chris Muglia:

Covers:

Entrance: Come to the Water (Andersen) AOV 1/74

Psalm: Springs of Salvation (Andersen)

Gifts: Blessed Be Our God (McKenna) AOV NG 13

Communion: Gather Your People (Hurd) AOV 1/71

Song of the Body of Christ (Haas) AOV 1/27

Thanksgiving: God Has Chosen Me (Farrell) AOV 1/21

Recessional: Lord the Light of Your Love (Kendrick) AOV 2/59

A lot of these songs in the prayer and devotion section of Spirit & Song Vol 2 are in the uncomfortable genre of love songs to Jesus. This song by Matt Maher is no exception and I think needs very delicate handling to prevent it slipping into something maudlin and unreal.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.

My backing puts BIAB on a leash with simple fingerpicking guitar, a little piano and quiet strings and some subtle horns in the last refrain.

Matt Maher starts restrained but takes it up a notch in the second verse and then has a nice quiet finish:

Lots of nice covers:

One last cover by the Arch Street Band:

Apart from this nice instrumental:

This is another song in which Sara Hart channels James Taylor, this time with the assistance of Angus McDonell for the tune. The whole song is gently syncopated so probably a solo vehicle. It’s a nice song.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download and you can listen to a vocal snippet. A version done as a flute solo can be heard here.

BIAB has a style called JTLATIN – say no more:

A psalm-like sung prayer by Matt Maher suitable for solo use or adoration.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.

Matt Maher:

Live with others joining in:

A cover: