Church Music

In a world where the last thing anyone needs is another amateur musician writing songs for church, this is my second week of challenging myself to write a song based on the readings for the upcoming week. So for the Sixteenth week in Ordinary Time Year A I looked at the readings but the song only came out of Romans 8:26-27.

Apart from learning to use my version of Finale and forcing myself to think about the readings ahead of times, I would have liked to write songs for a notional assembly. But things haven’t gone to plan and after last week’s odd country waltz, this one sounds like a children’s song, albeit one that would require the children to learn what intercedes means.

By the way I’m open for comments, suggestions, criticisms and letting me know where I have subconsciously lifted tunes from other songs.

Verse 1

When words cannot express. (Pray properly)

When friends can’t ease distress. (Pray properly)

God knows what’s in our hearts.

God knows just what we mean.

So the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness

to pray properly.

Verse 2

Our God is always there. (Pray properly)

Our God will always care. (Pray properly)

God knows what’s in our hearts.

God knows just what we mean.

So the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness

to pray properly.

Bridge

Sighs too deep for words.

Sighs too deep for words.

The Spirit intercedes

with sighs too deep for words.

Verse 3

God hears when we repent. (Pray properly)

We feel the grace he sent. (Pray properly)

God knows what’s in our hearts.

God knows just what we mean.

So the Spirit comes to help us in our weakness

to pray properly.

© Geoffrey Madden 2014

Sheet Music: Pray Properly

While this is in David Haas’s “Table Songs” it is a communion processional by Rob Glover.

The refrain is lovely and singable, but the verses are chant style, go very high, switch from 2/2 to 3/2 and are full of tricky triplets — and so require extremely competent and talented cantors. I think the refrain could be used on its own to great effect.

The text is here (on page seven of the bulletin) and it can be heard at David Haas’s Myspace page.

I’m working through the communion songs in David Haas’s “Table Songs”. This one is especially suited for Christmas and perhaps Advent services. The refrain is gentle and singable but the verses may needs a cantor.

The text is here and you can hear it at Haas’s MySpace page, which shows the countermelodies that lift the piece out of the ordinary.

This is a Taizé style song by David Haas from “Table Songs” in that it has an ostinato refrain that continues under the verses sung by cantors. It differs from Taizé in that it much more theatrical in style and the verses are definitely cantor only – high held notes abound.

The text is here and you can hear it in all its splendour at Haas’s Myspace page.

My backing drops the refrain out for clarity during the verses but do keep singing if you are doing that part. I’ve given different voices to the soprano and tenor parts and put them in opposite speakers so you can hear the duet in the third verse. If you have two excellent cantors give it a go.

Getting back to David Haas’s “Table Songs” book, this song is based on the Berakoth.

When you listen to his version at Myspace, you will see how much it depends on the harmonies in the refrain and the skill of the cantors. I suspect it is too fragile a tune for stomping on by the assembly.

The text is here.

My backing is a bit basic but will be OK for learning purposes.

We are still using The Mass of St Francis but looking ahead to late August when we will start with Mason’s Mass of Glory and Praise, we will start using his Gospel Acclamation from this week.

Entrance: As A Fire is Meant For Burning (Duck) GA481

Psalm 86 (O’Brien)

Lord, you are good and forgiving, good and forgiving.

Gifts: A Trusting Psalm (Bates) AOV 1/115

Communion: Seed, Scattered and Sown (Feiten) GA 195

Hosea (Norbet) AOV 1/30

Thanksgiving: The Summons (Maule-Bell) AOV NG 149

Recessional: Send Down the Fire (Haugen) AOV 2/164

This is another of David Haas’s communion songs from “Table Songs.” The refrain has a simple tune but things get more interesting in the verses. The text sings in the voice of God, which is no longer as accepted, but really obvious enough to handle here.

The text is here (but they’ve rearranged the verses). The original version  is at David Haas’s MySpace page, with harmonies and countermelodies that enhance the song enormously.

My backing gives space for all seven verses.

This is another of the collection “Table Songs” that we have never used locally.

It has ten verses but everything is short and to the point. The tune is simple (?too simple) in the refrain, but some time changes in the verse and a more adventurous melody help there.

The text is here (scroll down). Some people love it, some hate it.  I’m fine with the text, but would have liked more lines emphasising the commitment a shared cup symbolises.

Haas states the obvious when he says this song can’t be used if the cup is not offered, it would be ridiculous. I fear that means it has been sucked up into the liturgy wars and those who are not comfortable with the cup being widely available will despise the song on principle. Then again, Haas is hardly a poster boy in those circles.

I’ve challenged myself to look at the readings for the following Sunday and write a song inspired by them to be ready in that week. I’m hoping to get practice with BIAB and my version of Finale, so I don’t have to relearn everything from scratch when I need to make some sheet music.

The plan is for short, singable songs with allusive texts. Where appropriate, images will reflect an Australian origin.

My first effort based on the readings for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary time Year A,  is called “Red Dust.” It starts too low and it goes to high, for some reason it changes key for the chorus and it’s a country waltz. …other than that its fine.

Verse 1

Red dust and drought here.

Creation is groaning.

Our dry land is waiting

for God’s Word to come down.

Refrain

May Your Word come down like rain

to grow the seed, flower our deeds.

Will the seed grow into the first fruits of the Spirit?

Verse 2

Scorched earth we live in.

Creation is waiting.

In the Kingdom of Heaven

wild flowers will grow.

Refrain

© 2014 Geoffrey Madden

Sheet Music: Red Dust

No I’m not going to do Bach’s mass on Band in a Box – what a thought!

No blogging today because I’ve been out seeing this mass done at City Hall, Brisbane as part of the Intervarsity Choral Festival – it was magnificent.

There is more next Saturday July 19th at St John’s Anglican Cathedral, Brisbane with a program called “Out of Darkness”:

Fauré  Requiem
Taverner  Two Hymns to the Mother of God
Whitacre  When David Heard – Sainte Chapelle
Sisask  Benedictio
O’Regan  Threshold of Night

Ticketing details are here.