Church Music

A Veni Sancte from Peter Kearney in fine folk style. The extract at AOV is a great listen, but I suppose that sort of folk music is out of fashion these days. His website is here.

A document from Adelaide suggests it is suitable for confirmation:

Come now, Holy Spirit – Peter Kearney (As One Voice, Vol. 2, No. 87).  This is a  modern setting of the  very ancient hymn Veni, Sancte Spiritus which is used as the Sequence during Mass on Pentecost Sunday.  If a parish were to learn this setting it could be used both for Confirmation and Pentecost Sunday.  Because the arrangement as it appears in As One Voice would require a rather adept musician to play it on the organ, I would suggest that the CD be used to accompany the children (although on it, v.1 is repeated.)

…or to put it another way, just play it on guitar as it is meant to be. My backing is at 130bpm.

This is a wedding song by Erica Marshall.  It is basically a solo, but the assembly has a small part to sing and the chorus can be replaced by prayers for the bride and groom. The extract at AOV can be heard here. It is based on 1 Cor 13 and could be used outside of a wedding, I suppose.

Chorus

If I speak in words of wisdom

Without love my song has no meaning.

If I know the secrets of this world of ours,

Without love my knowledge is untrue.

Even if my faith could move away a mountain,

Even if I gave away ev’rything I own.

Antiphon

It is love, it is love,

Love is the greatest gift of all.

Verse 1

Loving is patient and kind,

Love is not jealous or proud,

Love is not rude or selfish,

True loving never ends.

Chorus (or prayer for the bride)

Antiphon

Verse 2

Loving delights in the truth,

Love is not happy with shame,

Love never gives up hoping.

True loving never ends.

Chorus (or prayer for the groom)

Antiphon

Coda

Love is ready to excuse, to trust, to hope.

Love is ready to endure whatever comes.

It is love, It is love

Love is the greatest gift of all!

© Erica Marshall 1988,1994.

John Bell’s chant, “Behold, I Make All Things New” would be an interesting recessional. It would be hard to know when to stop, but as it best sung acapella you could keep singing as you leave. The extract at AOV has some the harmonies to listen to. This is a nice guitar and voice version.

Behold, behold, I make all things new,

Beginning with you and starting today.

Behold, behold, I make all things new,

My promise is true, for I am Christ the way.

© WGRG, Iona Community, 1995.

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

Out of interest, here is a sample of John Bell’s “Singing the Unsung” DVD course that we did last year.

Another song from Sandra Sears that you can hear a snippet at AOV or buy as a single download there. It sounds like she is channeling Carl Sagan, which is no bad thing. We’ve never sung it but it would be fine as a P&W song, or perhaps for Pentecost.

Verse 1

Father and Mother, creator and poet,

Speaking your wisdom in forest and glade:

Telling your glory in ocean and river

Pouring your pleasure on all you have made.

Verse 2

Christ of the cosmos, you sang into being,

Galaxies spinning through measureless space;

Coming among us and sharing our weakness;

Singing your songs of redemption and grace.

Verse 3

Spirit, you danced at the dawn of creation,

Rising, rejoicing on jubilant wings.

Yours is the rhythm of cycle and season,

Yours is the heartbeat of all living things.

Verse 4

Lord, you have made us of stardust and spirit,

Etching your image on ev’ry cell.

We are your lovesong, your poem and rhythm,

All cocreators, your story to tell.

© Sandra Sears 1993.

This is a very pleasant piece by the late Br Colin Smith. You can buy it as an MP3 or a single sheet or just listen to a sample at AOV. The refrain appears to be from Ps 103 but I’m not sure about the verses. The chorus in is Dmajor  and the verses in D minor, which seems to work. The verses have considerable variations to the tune to accommodate the text and the last refrain goes from D to E.

Refrain

Bless the Lord, O my soul;

All my being bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul;

Give thanks to our saving Lord.

Verse 1

Our hearts and minds cry out to him,

We cry to the living God.

He is our light and our salvation;

He is our living Lord.

Refrain

Verse 2

O praise the Lord all you, his people;

Sing praises to His name.

Give thanks to the Lord his great love;

To him our praise is due.

Refrain

Verse 3

O come, ring out your joy to the Lord;

Hail, the rock who saves us.

Come before him, giving thanks;

With songs let us praise the Lord

Refrain (key change)

Amen!

© Colin Smith 1994.

A funeral song from the brother and sister songwriters Maria Millward and Damien Halloran. You can hear a sample and purchase the MP3 at AOV here. This is a professionally written song but designed to be sung as a solo at a funeral rather than by the assembly.

It can be purchased for download at As One Voice.

Verse 1

As the seasons pass, as the years go by,

You will never change in my sight.

You’ll always be young, you’ll always be walking

Freely into the light.

And I do believe in the darkest time

A star is born in the gloom,

And I do believe there’s a reason why

You had to be going so soon.

Chorus

And I feel my spirit rise

When I remember the laughter in your eyes.

And I feel my spirit fly

When I remember that Jesus will raise you high.

And I feel my spirit soar

When I remember that love’s the reason for going home,

Going home, we’re all going home.

Verse 2

It is good that you walked a short time with me

On this lovely journey of life.

I’ll remember your smile, the touch of your hand,

In times of confusion and strife.

And for the gifts you gave with an open heart

I’ll thank you for all time,

And I know you’ll be there when my journey ends:

Your friendship will still be mine.

Chorus

Chorus

Going home, going home,

We’re all going home.

© Willow Connection 1996.

I had never noticed how many Wild Goose compositions there were in AOV 2.  This is another from John Bell and Graham Maule. Listen to the sample at the As One Voice website. The two vocal lines are an octave apart and alternately sequential and in unison.

My backing is at 80 bpm and I’ve put the vocal lines at opposite ends of the stereo spectrum.

 Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of power and might.

Heaven, earth, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

All glory to your name.

All glory to your name.

Blessed, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Blessed, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

Hosanna in the highest.

© WGRG, Iona Community, 1988.

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

The liturgy team for this week has selected these songs:

Entrance: God of Abraham (Farrell) AOV 1/137

Gifts: Will You Love Me (Boniwell)  AOV 1/40

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

Here I Am Lord (Schutte) AOV 1/90

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

This song by David Haas is one that we use a lot. It sings easily enough and the assembly sing it well. Listen to the excerpt at AOV. This is a poor quality recording and is a bit slow but it gives you the idea. Apparently this song gets some people very annoyed, but I’m struggling to find any reason to get upset about it.

The text is here. It can be purchased at sheetmusicplus.

A setting by Christopher Willcock of Ps 139.  It moves from 2/2 to 3/2 without notice in the music and at seemingly randoms spots in the verses. The first half of the antiphon is instrumental and the third verse is marked “no guitar” and has no chords marked. I’m sorry, but that is not acceptable in a guitar book.  The chords follow the second verse for the most part allowing for the time signature shifts so it is no great problem but I guess it just means this isn’t a guitar song.

There is an excerpt to hear at AOV.

My backing is at 80 bpm.

Antiphon

How rich are the depths of God.

How deep God’s wisdom and knowledge,

Whose ways we do not know.

Verse 1

O Lord you search me and you know me,

You know my resting and my rising,

You discern my purpose from afar.

All my ways lie open to you.

Antiphon

Verse 2

It was you who created my being,

Knit me together in the womb.

I thank you, Lord for my being,

For the wonder of all your creation.

Antiphon

Verse 3

O search me, God and know my spirit,

O test me and know my thoughts;

O make me not walk in evil,

But lead me in the way of truth.

Antiphon

© Christopher Willcock SJ 1991.