Chris at Corinda-Graceville parish asked me to add the Penitential rite for the Mass of Glory and Praise by Paul Mason to the rest of his wonderful mass that I have already blogged starting here. If you haven’t heard them, Paul has put samples to listen to of the mass done properly at his site here.
Paul has quite rightly left the priest with a tone to fit some of the words to in the rite. This, however makes no sense in BIAB, so I have given spacings for the priest’s part which are to be ignored if unsuitable.
Minister:
You were sent to heal the contrite of heart: Lord, have mercy.
This song, of apparently Caribbean provenance, was something we used to use as a Gospel Acclamation occasionally. It is good to sing but hard to stop singing. Jonathan Tan, whose blog Cantus Mundi I had forgotten about, has aggregated You Tube videos of this song here.
Victorian songwriter, Cheryl Reid wrote books of childrens hymns, from which AOV took this song. The snippet, complete with animal noises, can be heard at AOV. Lots of fun.
Verse 1
All creation sings of the glory of the Lord.
Birds and crickets sings to the glory of the Lord.
This is described as a chant like song by Colleen Fulmer and Rufino Zaragoza. This extract has enough to get the flavour. It is a baptismal song or for sprinkling rites. AOV also gives the text in Spanish.
I have a soft spot for this song because we played it at Christmas every year for a decade or so. It’s a Christmas song with a text by Shirley Erina Murray from New Zealand and a tune by Carlton R. Young.* I’m not the only one who likes it – see here and here – well the publisher has to like it:
Shirley Erena Murray, New Zealand’s premier hymnwriter, first introduced the words to “Star-Child” on her Christmas card in 1994. Within 24 hours, Carlton R. Young responded and composed a simple lilting tune to the socially conscious text. Ms. Murray explained the genesis of her poem like this: “The carol grew out of increasing concern at the market values dictating our welfare system, now creating more and more ‘social reject.'” This relevant Christmas anthem can be embellished with various optional instruments or simply sung with piano accompaniment. Either way, the result is glorious.
This is the right text with the wrong music. (ie by David Haas) This is the right music and the children are very cute. This is a nice version (the song starts at 2:18).
We found we had to repeat the last two bars an an interlude between verses so I put that in my backing.
Verse 1
Star Child, earth Child, go between of God,
love Child, Christ Child, heaven‘s lighting rod,
This year, this year, let the day arrive
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive!
Verse 2
Street child, beat child, no place left to go,
hurt child, used child, no one wants to know,
This year, this year, let the day arrive
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive!
Verse 3
Grown child, old child, memory full of years,
sad child, lost child, story told in tears,
This year, this year, let the day arrive
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive!
Verse 4
Spared child, spoiled child, memory full of years,
wise child, faith child, knowing joy in store,
This year, this year, let the day arrive
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive!
Verse 5
Hope-for-peace Child, God‘s stupendous sign,
down-to-earth Child, Star of stars that shine,
This year, this year, let the day arrive
when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive!
NB Shirley Erena Murray’s work may be accessed here at Hope Publishing and may be printed as a one off copy. Absolutely no alterations are to be made to the text. Any other use requires permission from the author.
Another absolutely wonderful wedding song from John Bell and Graham Maule of the WGRG. Like “Blessing the Marriage” (AOV 2/35) it is to a traditional tune, this time “Slane” (ie the tune for “Be Thou My Vision”). This priest mentions this song when talking about the need to have familiar tunes when people come together for a wedding who usually do not worship together and that is right up John Bell’s street.
The text is just great – I’m still getting over Jesus “taking the roles of waiter and priest”.
God, in the planning and purpose of life,
hallowed the union of husband and wife:
this we embody where love is displayed,
rings are presented and promises made.
Jesus was found, at a similar feast,
taking the roles of both waiter and priest,
turning the worldly towards the divine,
tears into laughter and water to wine.
Therefore we pray that his spirit preside
over the wedding of bridegroom and bride,
fulfilling all that they’ve hoped will come true
lighting with love all they dream of and do.
Praise then the Maker, the Spirit, the Son,
source of the love through which two are made one.
God’s is the glory, the goodness and grace
seen in this marriage and known in this place.
A traditional style hymn with a text by Delores Dufner from the nineties and a traditional tune (TWENTY FOURTH 86 86). She uses very direct and confronting words.
She talks about hymn writing here – highly recommended.
My backing is hopefully enough to learn the tune and then ignore.
In labour all creation groans till fear and hatred cease,
Till human hearts have understood: In Christ alone is peace.
In labour all creation groans till unjust wages cease,
Till poor are clothed and children fed and Christ becomes our peace.
In labour all creation groans till prejudice shall cease,
Till every gender, race and creed in Christ will live in peace.
In labour all creation groans till violent crime shall cease,
Till force gives way to gentleness and Christ becomes our peace.
In labour all creation groans till rape and murder cease,
Till women walk by night unharmed and Christ is this world’s peace.
In labour all creation groans till false divisions cease,
Till differences are reconciled in Christ who is our peace.
In labour all creation groans God’s justice to increase.
When right in place of might prevails then Christ will be our peace.
The songs by John Bell and his colleagues at WGRG really lift this collection, because, apart from their quality, there are very different to the rest. On the other hand they are rarely easily mastered with BIAB, as you can tell from the snippet at AOV.
It is a setting of Ps147 and is as well as being in AOV Vol 2, you can buy it in “Psalms of Patience, Protest and Praise”. In that Bell notes that the psalm “deals with the graciousness of God in caring for exiles and broken people, as well as the generosity of God in providing sustenance for the earth.” It appears Bell adapted a tune called “Glendon”.
If you get a chance to see John Bell’s DVD “Singing the Unsung” he devotes a session to singing the psalms.
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.
