Church Music

This song is one of the very few songs we use sometimes, that I sang in my Presbyterian Sunday School forty something years ago. We did it as “Give Me Oil in My Lamp” and had weird joke verses (eg Give me umption in my gumption make me function.) We also repeated the last word of the third line of the verse 3 times (ie praisin’ praisin’ praisin’)

My copy is a dreadful combination of printed, scrawled and overlapped music that is quite hard to follow.  I’ve seen this listed as author unknown but my music says it is by an A. Sevison.

This site has backing tracks, full versions, echo tracks, music downloads, etc of this song. These kids are having fun. This is a fine organ version.

Verse 1

Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising,
Give me joy in my heart, I pray;
Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising,
Keep me praising till the break of day:

Chorus

Sing hosanna sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King of kings.
Sing hosanna, sing hosanna,
Sing hosanna to the King.

Verse 2

Give me peace in my heart, keep me resting,
Give me peace in my heart, I pray;
Give me peace in my heart, keep me resting,
Keep me resting till the break of day:

Chorus

Give me love in my heart, keep me serving,
Give me love in my heart, I pray;
Give me love in my heart, keep me serving,
Keep me serving till the break of day:

Chorus

Alt Lyrics

Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning…

I have never taken to this song by Jane Mitchell but it is very suitable for the procession of the gifts and is probably best used by children. It can be done with an echo effect. Andrew Chinn did the arrangement, so if you might ask him if the sheet music is available anywhere.

Oh Lord our God,

We bring this bread,

The bread of life the bread of love, a gift from you.

Oh Lord our God,

We bring the wine,

The wine of faith, the wine of love, gift from the vine.

Please take these gifts and make the whole,

Sweet nourishment, food for the soul.

With grateful hearts,

We bring these gifts.

Oh Lord our God with humble hearts we bring our love.

© Jane Mitchell

I’ve been forgetting to put up what the liturgy team at our church has selected for each week – I’ll try to do better.

Entrance: Send the Fire (Booth)

Psalm: A Trusting Psalm (Bates) AOV 1/115

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

Communion:

Trinity Song (Andersen)

Shepherd Me O God (Haugen) AOV 1/33

Recessional: Go Tell Everyone (Richards)

This is a piece a choir our children were in sang years ago and it was decided we should do it at church.  It was better as a children’s choir piece as can be heard here. You can purchase it as a download here. Terry Kirkland (1940-2001) was a prolific composer but other than that I can’t find anything about him (or her) on the net. It is based on Gal 5:22-23.

My backing sounds nothing like a children’s choir.

There is love, peace, patience and joy.

There is gentleness and kindness.

And there is goodness, faithfulness, self control,

These are the fruits of the Spirit,

The fruits of the Spirit of God.

Love, peace, patience and joy,

Gentleness and kindness,

Goodness, faithfulness, self control,

These are the fruits of the Spirit,

The fruits of the Spirit of God.

So let us love, seek peace,

Be patient and joyful.

Let us be gentle and kind.

Seek what is good,

Be faithful and strong.

For these are the fruits of the Spirit,

The fruits of the Spirit of God.

So let us love, seek peace,

Be patient and joyful.

Let us be gentle and kind.

Seek what is good,

Be faithful and strong.

For these are the fruits of the Spirit,

The fruits of the Spirit of God.

© Triune Music 2001.

This is a song based on Ps 71 by Ian Roberts who is English and published through Kevin Mayhew, but otherwise I can find nothing about him on the net.  The song is in this collection if you need it. This must have been used a long time ago because I only vaguely remember it but it is a fine tune.

This is another ancient MIDI file of mine put through Pro Tools.

 For you have been our hope O Lord,

Our confidence from old.

Our rock, our refuge, fortress strong

Where we can always go.

We will ever praise you,

Worship and proclaim your mighty works and power.

For your faithfulness and your great love for us

We’ll sing and shout for joy.

We are those you have redeemed,

We put our trust in you.

Sov’reign Lord you’ve made us yours forever,

Sov’reign Lord you care.

All through the night, your light is shining on us,

Throughout our days you’re there.

© Kevin Mayhew 1999.

I’m still going through my miscellaneous file of songs not from As One Voice and this is another handwritten and scarcely legible relic. This is a song by Marsha J Stevens-Pino that we must have sang once or twice and I hope it was a reflection of some sort because I can’t think of a liturgical use for this song. This is not my idea of a good song for Mass, but it obviously pushes buttons for some people and good luck to them. Sheet music is available here in Eb. It also can be purchased here.

This is an astonishing choral version and this is a more usual C&W version. There are countless versions on You Tube if you want to listen to them, well that’s your look out.

Verse 1

You said You’d come and share all my sorrows,

You said You’d be there for all my tomorrows;

I came so close to sending You away,

But just like You promised You came there to stay;

I just had to pray!

 

Chorus

And Jesus said, “Come to the water, stand by My side,

I know you are thirsty, you won’t be denied;

I felt ev’ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,

And I strove to remind you that for those tears I died.”

 

Verse 2

Your goodness so great I can’t understand,

And, dear Lord, I know that all this was planned;

I know You’re here now, and always will be,

Your love loosed my chains and in You I’m free;

But Jesus, why me?

 

Chorus

 

Verse 3

Jesus, I give You my heart and my soul,

I know that without God I’d never be whole;

Savior, You opened all the right doors,

And I thank You and praise You from earth’s humble shores;

Take me, I’m Yours.

 

Chorus

© Lexicon Music 1969.

A great song by Michael Mangan for your next Christmas pageant. It is noticeable for the ability to get “gold, frankincense and myrrh” to scan! This is another of Michael’s songs available on Sing Your Joy. It is also available in the “This is the Time” collection that is available here and here (where there is a sample to listen to).

Verse 1

See the bright star shining in the sky,

Could this finally be the promised sign?

This may be the one, this may be the King,

This may be the Lord of Light of whom the prophets sing…

Chorus

And we follow the Christmas star as it leads us on our way,

Lighting up our journey of faith.

And we follow the Christmas star as it takes us to the place,

Where we will see our Saviour and God, face to face.

Verse 2

See the little baby lying there.

These gifts we bring: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Gold for He is King, Frankincense for God,

Myrrh for He will give his life to save all on this earth…

Chorus

Verse 3

We must take this joy to everyone,

Spreading news of Jesus, God’s own Son.

We have seen his star telling of his birth.

He has come as Saviour to all nations of the earth…

Refrain

© Litmus Publications 1995.

This is a useful song by Rita Baloche for situations you might use a Vene Sancte.  It’s a highly syncopated modern chant if you like. It works as a hushed song until “Like a living stream.” We got it out of The Source: New Songs, a collection I was blogging and then forgot – I’ll get back to it sometime. Just repeat it until the liturgical movement requires you to stop.

You can hear a sample of a MIDI backing and purchase it here. The chords are available here as well, although they put in in F and the music I have is in D. The only way I know to get the music is to buy the book which can be purchased online here, but I’m sure is available elsewhere.

Pour Your Holy Spirit upon me,
Let Your presence fill me up;
Make my life a flowing river
Of Your everlasting love.

Like a living stream
Flowing from Your mighty ocean;
Purify in me
My desire and my devotion;
Make my life a flowing river
Of Your everlasting love.

© Integrity’s Hosanna! Music 1998.

I really should do a more Frank Andersen songs and I’ll get around to it at some stage. This is a quiet a reverent Eucharist song that still gets listed from time to time. It looks like you have to contact Father Andersen directly to buy his music.

My backing is at 90 bpm.

This is My Body, take now and share!
Deep in the memory of My own prayer.

This is My Blood, come drink and live!
In all completeness this power I give.

You are My People, My chosen friends,
Come share the Spirit My Father sends.

And hold within you, in constant hope,
My peaceful presence, gift of My heart!

© Frank Andersen msc

This song is by Louise Ruspini. It is a gathering tune of Unitarian origin and I have a crumpled hand written copy. I gather it is in the Unitarian hymnal “Singing the Living Tradition” that you can buy from Amazon.

It reminds me of the choruses we sang at Sunday school in the 60s.

These are the lyrics I found on the net.

1 Enter, rejoice, and come in. Enter, rejoice, and come in.
Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.

2 Open your ears to the song. Open your ears to the song.
Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.

3 Open your hearts ev’ryone. Open your hearts ev’ryone.
Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.

4 Don’t be afraid of some change. Don’t be afraid of some
change. Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.

5 Enter, rejoice, and come in. Enter, rejoice, and come in.
Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.

Interestingly these are not the lyrics we sang in a Catholic church. We sang:

1 Enter, rejoice, and come in. Enter, rejoice, and come in.
Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in.

2 Lift up your hearts to the Lord…

 

3 Open your hearts to all men… (or everyone)

 

4 Sing alleluia…

© Louise Ruspini 1992.