Continuing with Father Paul Gurr’s record, Come As You Are, he sang Bruce Dynan’s, “Work of the Carpenter”.
I’m rather more interested in these songs than the singer, but unfortunately the this song’s sheet music is out of print, and I found it second hand. I can’t find it on OneLicence either, and I suspect it just failed to find a place in liturgical use. You could see it as an entrance, but it may have too challenging a range and was feted to be a for a soloist like the good Father. Some of the lyrics slip in Yoda syntax too, for example, “special each one”.
Chorus
We are work of the carpenter, the fruit of his vineyard, the earth on his hands.
And the work of the carpenter, builds a strong table, offers a wine.
Stay for a while with the work of the carpenter.
1 Wood of the earth, sturdy and true,
Trusting the hand of it’s sharper.
And we know potter will mould, constant his hand.
Special each one he’s creating. Making us…
Chorus
2 Worker will prune, vine after vine,
Each with a season to grow and to love. For we are…
Chorus
3 We of the earth, broken and torn,
Breaking the bread of the friend of ours. All of us…
This is a lovely surprise. It is a sung prayer from the wonderful Deidre Browne that graced Paul Gurr’s Come As You Are record.
I’m not sure of its place – maybe personal reflection in Lent or Advent or as an aid to contemplation.
It’s another song that is out of print. I wonder if the Loreto Sisters would be able to publish a definitive collection of her music, which is scattered about at present and hard to find.
My backing is a little over pretty.
Refrain
As with a friend, face to face, time spent with you.
Mystery of love, sacred space, time spent with you.
1 But sometimes we doubt, just like Thomas that you’re really there.
We refuse to believe.
Closed doors cannot block out your love if we only believe you will come.
2 But sometimes we fear, just like Peter,
That more will be asked than we know how to bear.
Closed doors cannot block out your love if we only believe you will come.
3 But sometimes we fail just like Magdalen.
Lost in her tears she can’t recognise you.
Closed doors cannot block out your love if we only believe you will come.
I have already covered the next two songs on the record by Paul Gurr, Carmelite, Come As You Are.
“Mary’s Song” by Peter Gagen confused me when Emma noted it’s use in her parish, but Sam tracked down it’s origin on this album. I blogged it here. There is a Yahweh alert.
“Eucharist” by Leo Watt has been reborn as “Take This Bread and Cup of Wine”, which I blogged here. It is now available from Willow, which I suppose means Leo retrieved the copyright from Spectrum. Well done.
“Quiet and Still” is based on Psalm 139 and written by Bruce Dynan. It is a sung prayer and the music is lovely. I can’t find the sheet music for sale anywhere, so the second hand market may be an option.
1 If I sing to the heavens, you are there.
If I speak to the wounded, you are there.
If I call to the sunrise, you call to me, quiet and still.
2 With my words high and mighty, you are there.
With my song low and hurting, you are there.
For the ways that you know me outnumber the sands themselves.
3 If the night should surround me are you there?
Is this night but the stillness of your hands?
If I should lose my own word in the womb quiet and still…
In the eighties Father Paul Gurr was quite the phenomenon in Australian Catholic music. His cassettes of music, usually written by Brian Boniwell, were suprisingly successful. I have often seen some of the songs he sang attributed him rather than the relevant songwriter and on some collections finding Boniwell’s name required considerable effort.
Father Gurr appears to be still active in the priesthood having recently left Queensland to return to Victoria.
I was recently lucky enough to pick up some out of print collections from Kay’s Books and Music, including the book, Come As You Are. The title track became famous and it’s writer, Deidre Browne rightly acknowledged. I blogged that song here.
This Paul Gurr album has songs written by Browne, Bruce Dynan, Peter Gagen and Leo Watt. Even though it is out of print, it is a source for some obscure Australian hymns and I will look at the ones I haven’t covered from other sources.
This is Gurr’s version of “Come As You Are” typically, and mistakenly, attributed to him. While he is an aquired taste, his sentimental Irish priest singing style was popular nonetheless.
“Morning Sound” was written by Bruce Dynan and is a sung prayer based on Psalm 9-10. I quite like this, but Gurr would have been better sticking to the music as written. Speaking of which, the bridge goes 4/4, 4/4, 5/4, 4/4, 2/4, 3/4, 3/4 and modulates all over the place. Dynan knew his stuff because it works really well.
1 All my days, I give you thanks, word and song I sing to you.
Rich your love, when mine is poor, all my days.
End of day, end of night, in the morning sound I hear
A word and song, young and new, all my days.
2 Have I seen the crying poor? In my need have I not heard
Their word and song once young and new? Have I heard?
In their fading voice I hear a word a song that calls me near
And the morning sound is there, all my days.
Bridge
Nothing can keep you distant, Lord,
Open my eyes, all my days.
3 All my days I give you thanks, rich and poor I sing to you.
All the morning sounds I hear, all my days.
Word and song of morning free, so your love has been with me.
You may be able to buy Father Gurr on CD at Spectrum, but I-Tunes download is suggested there. He is also on Spotify.
As for the sheet music, second hand is your best option, or track down elderly music ministers. I can’t find this song on One Licence. I usually suggest contacting the songwriter, but can find no way to do that.
This is a plain rock backing. I will get around to their second EP for 2024 soon.
1 Where can my love go? There’s no one else but You. Where can my love go? There’s no one else but You. (Rpt) CHORUS I’m all caught up, I’m all for You – You, Are all that I want, all that I will need. The one above, the one that I seek. You’re love, it’s grip is strong – You, Never let go, I’m never alone, oh I found my place now I call you home. TURNAROUND And I’m all caught up, I’m all caught up for you.
2 Life can be madness, Your love remains the same. The world offers madness, but with You I’ve found my place.
CHORUS BRIDGE x2 You’re more than a feeling now that I know your love. I just can’t get enough, all caught up, I’m all caught up for you.
It’s great to see passionate young people ministering to each other, supported by their local Brisbane Archdiocese. Michael noted the whole Ignite conference video and that shows the youth rally context for the songs.
This an emmanuelworship song called, “Homecoming” from their EP Streams in the Wasteland.
It suits its origin from a youth rally and may find a place in schools. I’m looking for songs that might suit liturgy as well, and the Prodigal Son is the obvious one for this song.
This was written by Madeleine Luciani and Liam Desic. The chord charts and lead sheets are at emmanuel.
I’ve wondered lost, without my senses, away from love, starved and lonely.
Could only look for my own glory, to fill myself, my greed took over me.
PRE-CHORUS
Don’t wanna be divided from you, I only wanna be back with you.
CHORUS
This – is – this is my homecoming.
This – is – this is my homecoming.
This is my homecoming.
This is my homecoming.
VERSE 2
My Father He is pleading for me, to come back to him wholeheartedly.
He offers ring and robe for me, my Father’s arms are wrapped around me.
BRIDGE
I’m coming home to the one who loves me, to the one who has never left me.
I’m coming home the to one that I need I’m coming home, I’m coming home
Before I embark on more hymnal archeology from the past, I want to look at what emmanuelworship have been up to. Since they only put up chord charts these days I won’t be making backings but you can play along with their clips to learn the songs.
They put out two EPs last year, the first being Streams in the Wasteland, followed by Rivers in the Desert. I see a theme.
Emmanuel are big on redemption arcs and this is one of those songs, so good for the disenchanted youth target audience. It was written by Dominic Dougherty, Liam Desic and Madeleine Luciani.
…wait.
BIG NEWS sent to me from Samuel Mead – Emmanuel have put up lead sheets!
So…
My backing has a different feel to their arrangment but then again I am very old:
1 I found my song of praise when I was caught in chains was desperate, for Your presence. This modern world I’ve found can take a good soul down but You walk, beside me.
Prechorus
I’ve seen a prison break before. I’ve seen the stonewalls fall around me.
When the freedom came, and the sins forgave, and the lies were put to rest. I’ve seen a prison break before.
Chorus Living free, Living proof, the devil can’t hold me – cause Heaven has got me. Living free, Living proof, the devil can’t hold me – cause Heaven has got me.
2 Caught up in hopelessness the mess of loneliness I’ve seen it, I’ve known it. I’ll witness to my friends that his love never ends, believe it, I’ve lived it.
Prechorus, Chorus.
3 Oh and these iron chains will break when I sing praise to Jesus, to Jesus. Go forth you’ve been set free, go now you will find peace in Jesus, in Jesus.
Prechorus, Chorus.
Last chorus
Living free, living proof, the devil can’t hold me – cause Heaven has got me. x2
Freedom is calling – for all those who are hungry.
I slowed the tempo and changed the feel a little, but his text bears the weight of more time and we get to breathe. I added a couple of bridging chords at the end of the refrain.
1. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord So, we set apart yet proclaim our faith We are sent to bring God's peace to the world We bear this peace in the name of Christ He who lived with us, for our sins He died Rose from death for us He opens heaven's gates
Chorus: Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord Live out the love to us Christ bestowed In our hearts we feel this love overflowed Unleash this love from the pages into life, for the world
2. Go forth and act as priests of Christ Respect and pray for all human life From the womb to the ward they're sanctified Go forth and act as prophets of the Word To the mansions, slums and the digital We proclaim God's salvation by our work (Chorus)
3. Go forth and act as Kings of Christ Care and protect the poor and oppressed Go and serve the needy in the community We received Him through the bread and wine He who gives us all everlasting life May we also receive Him through the vulnerable (Chorus)
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.
