This is another gentle song, this time by Graham Kendrick. It could used for healing or prayer services and even could be a communion hymn. There is an excerpt to hear at AOV.
This version is really really slow. This version is just guitar and voice – he appears to have taken it up to D.
My backing is at 82bpm.
O Lord, your tenderness melting all my bitterness.
A sweet gentle song by Erica Marshall, it is suggested for marriages and dedications but would be a good entrance when a quieter mood was needed. You can go to AOV to hear a little of the song.
My backing does not have the “freely” feeling suggested, that you can hear when Erica sings it I’m afraid.
I did some backings for Keith Duke tunes when I was doing As One Voice: the Next Generation last year. Aldo in Italy uses Keith Duke chants to accompany prayer and asked for one of Cadfan’s Blessing. You can hear it done properly here. I did my best to work it out on my faithful ukelele and transfer it to BIAB.
My backing has none of the subtlety that the human player provides, but for what it’s worth this is my approximate version. I’d fade it out before the end as there seems to be a couple of stray notes that shouldn’t be there and it is too long anyway.
Frenzy Cool keeps throwing up amazing challenges. This is a request and another song I’ve never heard of and don’t have the music for. You can listen to the choir freak out singing it here. There is also a pretty generous sample of the music (without guitar chords) there as well and I guessed the rest. You will need to purchase the music from Hope Publishing to have any chance of pulling this off and, of course, you should anyway if you intend to use it. I think it is beyond our sound, so I doubt we’ll have a go, but if Frenzy Cool has a go with her group singing it, it would be great to hear them.
I’ve left space at the end for the choir to handle the repeats of “we will not fear” on their own. My backing is based on chords I had to get off the keyboard music, put into BIAB, turn into a MIDI file and play through Pro Tools SE. It sounds more like Peter Gabriel’s “Shock the Monkey” than the choral version but it is a gross conceit to even try to make a simple computerised backing of such a complicated song.
Refrain
God is our refuge and strength
A present help in times of trouble
Though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,
Though the waters roar and foam, we will not fear.
Bridge
Come and behold the work of the Lord
The awesome acts of God
He is in the midst of his people, in all the earth
Verse 1
He is the word, we are his hands, he will lead us
He is the air, we are his song,
We will celebrate his presence all the day long.
Refrain
Bridge
Verse 2
He is the rain, we are the stones, he will cleanse us.
Another song from the highly esteemed and much missed Australian liturgical composer Br Colin Smith.
The snippet at AOV gives you the beginning of the cantor’s part. This is both a gathering chant and Eucharist song.
My backing is at 95 bpm but I have to admit I gave up getting the free timing of this chant going. I tried it at 4/4 then 3/4 but that’s not correct because the cantor’s part is strictly not metrical. So I put a beat behind it and I know the timings are wrong. So use this to get an idea of the tune and then do it like a non metrical chant.
Introduction (Cantor – unaccompanied)
Though so many we are one, sharing now with Christ our Lord.
Bread of life and saving Love, we gather in his name.
Refrain
Though so many we are one, sharing now with Christ our Lord.
Bread of life and saving Love, we gather in his name.
This is a bilingual Spanish/English song from Donna Pena. Go to AOV to hear an extract. You can hear more here (starting at 5:38) and learn choreography for dancing along as well!
The text is available in the sample at GIA and can be purchased there.
Marty Haugen goes all gospel on us here with this wonderful song of social action. It is hard to sing, especially if your singers can’t syncopate. This is how it is meant to sound, although it works better if you sing “we” rather than “you”.
The text is here. It can be purchased in a collection at GIA or as a single sheet at sheetmusicplus.
For some reason this always sounded like a reggae song to me. I’ve put the key change after the fifth verse.
This is another request from Frenzy Cool in the Phillipines. I’m a big Dan Schutte fan but I didn’t know this gathering and Eucharist song. You can hear a snippet at OCP, where you should buy the sheet music if you like it.
I’ve done a backing for all ten verses based on the sample pages at OCP. I doubt anyone would do all ten verses for a gathering song, but if your priest is slow and your church huge you might need it.
Refrain:
Gather the people! Enter the feast!
All are invited, the greatest and least.
The banquet is ready, now to be shared.
Join in the heavenly feast that God has prepared.
1. Around this table we dine as kin,
beloved family of God.
We share the body of Christ, the Lord.
Here we become what we eat.
2. Around this table we tell great tales,
the wondrous stories of grace.
We hold the memory of Christ, the Lord.
So we become what we eat.
3. Around this table God’s bounty falls
on all who hunger and thirst.
We drink the fullness of Christ, the Lord.
So we become what we eat.
4. Around this table God’s mercy flows
to hearts imprisoned by shame.
We know compassion in Christ, the Lord.
Let us we become what we eat.
5. Around this table new hope is born,
the flame of faith in our hearts.
We find our courage in Christ, the Lord,
till we become what we eat.
6. Around this table God’s healing flows
to all the wounded and worn.
We join the sufferings of Christ, the Lord,
as we become what we eat.
7. Around this table God’s peace will reign
in hearts imprisoned by fear.
We live in freedom through Christ, the Lord,
as we become what we eat.
8. Around this table our hearts rejoice
in love that’s stronger than death.
We’ll rise in glory with Christ, the Lord.
Then we become what we eat.
9. Around this table God’s justice reigns
in hearts that labor for peace.
We breathe the spirit of Christ, the Lord,
till we become what we eat.
10. Around this table God’s lowly ones
are clothed in splendor and grace.
We share the banquet of Christ, the Lord.
Here we become what we eat.
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.
