Church Music

I’ve already blogged 398 “The Heart of Worship” here, which brings me to this charming lightly country song by Angus McDonell. Since it is singable by an assembly it could be used liturgically where appropriate, although a cantor could do the verses.

The text is at spiritandsong and it must have been popular to turn up in so many of their collections. You can hear the original here, where he is delightful called Agnus.

I tried to get the accordion into my version too:

This cover rocks it up a bit and puts in the the answering harmony (each phrase consisting of one repeated note!) in the refrain:

396 is “Shout to the Lord”, which I have already blogged here.

This brings me to “Surrender All”, which is an odd one.  The introduction is by Judson W. Van Deventer and is from its time a hundred or so years ago and then the song proper by Frank and ValLima Jansen is R&B I suppose.  The music is fine but I find the text problematic – “surrender” is something you live imperfectly into – it can’t be rushed or done for ulterior motives, even to obtain the beatific vision.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download. You can listen to the original here.

My backing demonstrates the difficulty I have with this style of music – I fear I slip into parody:

This song by Chris Muglia is distinguished from many of the others in this section of Spirit & Song Vol 2 in that it is singable by an assembly. It could even pass for a gathering song at that, and there are examples on YouTube of churches using the song for that purpose.

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download in many and varied versions.

The original:

The wonderful Arch Street Band:

Another very professional cover, this time by MG Johnson and friends:

A nice choir version:

You can hear a nice prayerful unplugged version by Johanna Hurley here.

I have no idea what to make of this solo vehicle by Curtis Stephan. Is it just a rocked up version of Al Jarreau’s “Mornin”?

The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download. You can listen to the original here.

My backing mixes the melody down a bit this time.

Part of 52 songs in 52 weeks (I think she got to week nine.):

This is a more sensible song – this time by Sarah Hart and Kevin B. Hipp. The refrain would even be singable in a Coldplay sort of way by an assembly if you could find a liturgical use for it.

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

Sarah Hart:

This is a very hard rock song by Delirious? and written by Martin Smith and Stuart Garrard.

Definition of “glorious” (from Dictionary.com)

adjective

1.
delightful; wonderful; completely enjoyable:
to have a glorious time at the circus.
2.
conferring glory :
a glorious victory.
3.
full of glory; entitled to great renown:
England is glorious in her poetry.
4.
brilliantly beautiful or magnificent; splendid:
a glorious summer day.
5.
Archaic. blissfully drunk.

The question then is my glorious what?

This text is not really meant to make any sense except as incarnated in a throbbing crowd at a concert. The sheet music can be purchased for download from several sites on the net including musicnotes.

In response to this my backing is a ridiculous heavy metal version:

The authors talk about the song:

The original:

Delirious? live:

A more laid back cover:

The Spill back in heavy mode:

More covers:

More Matt Maher.  He is in more reflective mode this time but he does say “thank you” a lot, which is nice. It has a nice two handed bridge.

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

Matt Maher:

Covers:

More P&W goodness from Matt Maher. As a rock song you forgive cliched lyrics and close enough rhymes I suppose. It has song fun pop tropes (deeper and deeper etc) but the ending could be a let down.

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

BIAB got to have a drum solo.

Matt Maher:

The crowd participating:

A cover:

Entrance: Emmanuel (Angrisano) SAS 2/290

Candle: All is Wonder (Watts) AOV NG 4

Psalm: To You O God I Lift Up My Soul (Hurd) AOV 2/14

Gifts: Gentle Woman (Landry)

Communion: You Are Mine (Haas)  AOV 2/2

Sing Out Earth and Skies (Haugen) AOV 2/32

Thanksgiving: Into the Darkness (Dawn) from “Songs of Fellowship” Book Five (No 70)

Recessional: Sing of the Lord’s Goodness (Sands) AOV 1/131

Like most of the P&W songs in Spirit & Song this one is too individualist to be considered for liturgy, but that it isn’t what it is written for.  It is a rock song suitable for jumping up and down a lot to. Matt Maher has written a “love song to God” stomper. It has the usual ropey, somewhat lazy, unfocussed text and the mandatory pre-chorus, bridge, loud and soft passages that let you know it is praise and worship.

The text is at spiritandsong where the guitar accompaniment can be purchased for download.

My backing is simple rock:

Matt Maher: