This song by Jesse Manibusan is more suited as a prayer for the assembly than most of the songs in the Spirit and Song Vol 1, Prayer and Praise section. I am bit worried by lots of D notes to hit in a row but perhaps it could transposed down if needed.
The lovely text of this prayer is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased for download.
Tom Booth‘s setting of Br Charles de Foucauld’s prayer is a reflective song for private prayer.
The text is at spiritandsong. For background on the prayer see here. The sheet music is available in several collections at OCP. You can hear the original at this site.
This is Faith Factor’s version, where they have fun in the wordless bridge with interesting harmonies:
This is a Rory Cooney song that is a modern chant that can be done a cappella or with bass and drums only.
Because of this the arrangement in Spirit and Song Vol 1 has no chords but if you play Fm 4bars Bb 2 bars Fm 2bars you’ve got the whole thing really.
The text (which is great) is at Cooney’s blog, where he describes the heartburn it gives some people. Their are several blog posts you can easily find on Google that demonstrate the apoplexy but I decided not to link them. The sheet music can be purchased at GIA. It can be heard here.
My backing is electronic pop. The refrain is repeated each time and in my backing I do that twice at the beginning (ie 4 times before the first verse).
This song was a collaboration between Rich Mullins, Tom Booth and Mitch McVicker. It is definitely a solo vehicle. It’s in the key of F# for a start (6 sharps – count them) and the tune goes down to a very low f#. Guitarists are advised to play it with the capo on 4 in D. I like the tune but I don’t think I could sing it.
The text is at spiritandsong and is quite good in a confessional sort of way. The sheet music can be purchased for download at musicnotes, where their arrangement is very sensibly in G.
I don’t know any details about “You are My Rock” and “Do You Love Me (Peter Feed My Sheep)”, but I gather they are important to the community of St Peter’s where I am attending mass and I’m looking forward to hearing them.
More P&W goodness from Spirit and Song Vol 1. It is based on Psalm 121 and is by Marc Cavallero, Dan Brennan and Ken Canedo.
This is quite singable and has an echo part in the refrain, and while songs full of “I”s are not the best for an assembly this one might be one that you could get away with.
The text is at spiritandsong where the sheet music can be purchased. You can hear the original here.
My backing is just rock and, for clarity, I didn’t bother with the echo parts:
This is another song unsuitable for liturgies but fine for other settings. Kathy Troccoli wrote the lyrics and wrote the music with Bill Montvilo. The sheet music can be purchased for download at sheetmusicplus.
The text is available here and doesn’t start well but the words become less hackneyed as they go along. The ballad format used requires great self-control to avoid being maudlin.
Working through the prayer and praise songs in Spirit and Song Vol 1, I have arrived at Tom Booth‘s “My Heart Belongs to You.”
It is a pretty prayer of a song that seems best for private devotional use. There is a lot going on – 2 verses, a bridge swelling to a key change and a third verse with an echo effect. The music suggests putting a capo on for the key change, which has always struck me as weird.
The text is at spiritandsong, where the sheet music can be purchased for download. You can hear the original here, a duet arrangement unsuitable for a participatory liturgy.
My backing leaves out the extra melody line from the third verse for clarities sake.
These videos are fine performances but emphasise that this is not the sort of song that encourages participation.
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.