Church Music

A Christmas favourite of some charm, this song was written by Geoffrey Ainger.

This is an odd looped version. The extract at AOV is more normal.

You might want to take it down a couple of notches for kids to sing.

The copyright is administered by the lovely people at Hope Publishing who will let you make one copy of the sheet music.

My backing is an old MIDI file I made in the last millennium put through my cut down version of Pro Tools and spruced up a bit.

Born in the night, Mary’s child,
a long way from your home:
coming in need, Mary’s child,
in a borrowed room.

Clear shining light, Mary’s child,
your face lights up our way:
light of the world, Mary’s child,
dawn on our darkened day.

Truth of our life, Mary’s child,
you tell us God is good:
prove it is true, Mary’s child.
Go to your cross of wood.

Hope of the world, Mary’s child,
you’re coming soon to reign:
king of the earth, Mary’s child,
walk in our streets again.

© Stainer and Bell 1964.

Another song by Robyn Horner with an interesting tune especially in the verses.  It is suggested as an Advent or Lent song, and I can see how that would work. You can hear an extract at AOV here. The last refrain repeats and starts echoes that are quite beautiful.

Refrain

Something we have known from the beginning.

That we have seen with our eyes:

The word of life from whom all living takes its voice and cries.

This is all our joy in Christ.

Verse 1

God is light, in God there is no darkness.

God is love and if we live in God,

Love will be our promise.

Refrain

Verse 2

See the love of God we have been given!

We are called God’s children and in love,

That is who we are.

Refrain

Verse 3

Let us love, for this is God’s own being.

God, in Christ, has shown us how to love,

Living for each other.

Last Refrain

Something we have known from the beginning.

That we have seen with our eyes:

The word of life from whom all living takes its voice and cries.

This is all our joy (This is all our joy)

Something we have known from the beginning

(Something we have known)

That we have seen with our own eyes:

(Something we have seen)

The word of life, from whom all living takes its voice and cries

This is all our joy, (This is all our joy)

This is all our joy in Christ

© Robyn Horner 1994.

A fairly recent classic sounding hymn with music by the great Br Colin Smith to a text by Owen Alstott. A traditional sounding entrance or communion song of majesty and beauty, with a strong dose of Eucharistic theology. Each verse has a different tune so you might only get the assembly for the chorus.

My backing finds me struggling with the buggy nature of free online VST instruments!

Refrain

We gather here, O Lord, to hear your saving word,

To feast upon this finest bread, this richest wine outpoured.

Come set our hearts ablaze! Come fill our nights and days

With purpose strong and vision clear and songs of thankful praise!

Verse 1

Your word is breath to us, our life, our truth, our way.

A blessing far beyond our dreams, the sun that lights our day.

Refrain

Verse 2

We come to break the bread, to witness to the sign

Of God and flesh in covbenant until the end of time.

Refrain

Verse 3

We gather in your name, Your name we have become!

See in our dance and songs of praise Your daughters and Your sons! (key change on “sons”)

Refrain

© Colin Smith 1994

A traditional American folk hymn with a tune that’s sounds familiar but I can’t place. See if you know it listening to the excerpt at AOV. It must be famous, everyone from Joan Baez to Frank Sinatra has sung it. This choir does a rousing version.

My version goes at 95 bpm.

Let us break bread together on our knees,
Let us break bread together on our knees.
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us drink wine together on our knees,
Let us drink wine together on our knees.
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us praise God together on our knees,
Let us praise God together on our knees.
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Accompaniment © OCP 1993

This is another psalm setting, this time of Ps42 by John Bell and Graham Maule of the Wild Goose Resource Group. Have a listen to the short extract at AOV –  it is a beautiful piece of music. The text would be great as a blues I reckon.

John Bell’s notes for this song are:

Psalm 42 is a very poignant lament of someone for whom the days of fulfilling faith and worship seem in the past. Fate, choice or circumstance has removed the individual from his or her own spiritual roots and the memory of the happy past contrasts with the depressing present.

This paraphrase of vv1-5 is in long metre. When using this tune, it is very evocative to have the middle two verses sung solo with the other voices humming their parts.

(Psalms of patience, protest and praise p23)

If you get a chance to see the session John Bell gives on the Psalms in his DVD “Singing the Unsung”, it is most worthwhile.

My backing is at 114bpm and is more lamentable than lament.

Verse 1

Just as a lost and thirsty deer

longs for a cool and running stream,

I thirst for you, the living God,

anxious to know that you are near.

Verse 2

Both day and night I cry aloud;

tears have become my only food,

while all around cruel voices ask,

“Where is your God? Where is your God?”

Verse 3

Broken and hurt, I call to mind

how in the past I served the Lord,

worshipped and walked with happy crowds

singing and shouting praise to God.

Verse 4

Why am I now so lost and low?

Why am I so troubled and confused?

Given no answer, still I hope

and trust my Saviour and my God.

© WGRG, Iona Community, 1989.

http://www.iona.org.uk/wgrg_home.php

A setting of Ps 89 by Christopher Willcock. Go to AOV to hear an extract. It is very grand and very long. It is classical enough to have been played on ABC Classic FM.

The verses have different tunes – 1&2 similar, 3&4 similar, and 5 different again. The time signature is 4/4 except when it’s 3/2. Like most of his work, this is supercharged cathedral stuff and probably not for a guitar and a couple of voices.

My backing is at 70 bpm and totally inadequate to the task. Get the SATB version, a massive pipe organ and a huge choir and give this one a bash.

Antiphon

My peace be upon you forever,

My love be within your heart,

My Spirit will keep you safe all your days

Verse 1

I will sing forever of your love, O Lord;

Through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.

Of this I am sure that your love lasts forever,

That your truth is firmly established as the heavens.

Antiphon

Verse 2

With my chosen one I have made a covenant

I have sworn to David my servant;

I will establish your dynasty forever

and set up your throne through all ages.

Antiphon

Verse 3

The heavens proclaim your wonders, O Lord;

The assembly of your holy ones proclaim your truth.

For who in the skies can compare with the Lord

or who is like the Lord among the heav’nly beings.

Antiphon

Verse 4

For yours is a mighty arm, O Lord;

Your hand is strong, your right hand ready.

Justice and right are the pillars of your throne,

Love and truth shall walk in your presence.

Antiphon

Verse 5

O Happy the people who acclaim such a king,

Who walk, O Lord in the light of your face,

Who find their joy ev’ry day in your name,

Who make your justice the source of their bliss

Antiphon

© Christopher Willcock 1991.

The liturgy team for this week have selected these songs for Mass this week.

Entrance: Christ Be Our Light (Farrell) AOV 2/3

Psalm: Heal Me O God (Norbet) AOV 2/52 before and after read psalm

Gifts: Come As You Are (Browne) AOV 1/31

Eucharist: Jesus, Come to Us (Haas) AOV 1/148

Holy Is Your Name (Haas) tune: “Wild Mountain Thyme”

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

The last of the chants on this run in AOV2 – there are psalms after this.

Don’t bother going to AOV to listen for this one as they have the wrong tune linked.

This one is a traditional Russian Orthodox Kyrie.

© WGRG, Iona Community, 1990.

http://www.iona.org.uk/wgrg_home.php

Another chant, for a baptism in this case, words by Pastor de Lasala and music James Jacka Coyle, a classical composer. As with the other chants, you can hear pretty much all you need to listen to in the snippet at AOV.

My backing was done on a new toy – Protools SE that came with a microphone I bought.  I made a MIDI file in BIAB and put different sounds in using ProTools. This is all new to me so it will take a while to get it right.

Come, Holy Spirit, over this water;

Breathe new life over those you have chosen.

Come, Holy Spirit, over your people;

Breathe new life over those you have chosen.

© Pastór de Lasala, James Jacka Coyle 1994.

This is like a long chant, I suppose, to fit in with the run of chants in  AOV 2. It is by Robin Mann and it sounds like something Paul McCartney could have written in the early seventies. Listen to a snippet at AOV here. Obviously a Eucharist song you can read his comments on the song here.

My backing is at 85 bpm.

Verse 1

Feed us now, Bread of life,
in this holy meal;
let us know your love anew:
we hunger for you.
Feed us now, Bread of life,
come and live within;
let your peace be ours today,
Lord Jesus, we pray.
Verse 2

Piece of bread, glass of wine:
Lord, this food is good;
love and mercy come to us —
your promise we trust.
Piece of bread, glass of wine;
who can understand
how his mercy works in these?
Yet, Lord, we believe.
Verse 3

God is here, O so near,
nearer than our thoughts.
Stay with us where’er we go;
Lord, help us to grow.
God is here, O so near,
in this heaven’s meal.
May we always feed on you —
on the bread that is true.

© Robin Mann 1976.