Church Music

The team has come up with these selections for this week, the last week before Lent.

Entrance: We Are Called (Haas) AOV 2/60

Psalm 62 (O’Brien)

Rest in God alone, my soul, rest in God.

Gifts: Isaiah 49 (Landry) AOV 1/89

Communion: Table of Plenty (Schutte) AOV 2/20

Our Supper Invitation (Bates) AOV 1/185

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

Recessional: Bring Forth the Kingdom (Haugen) AOV 2/4

This is the lovely Gospel Acclamation from Erica Marshall’s Missa Santa Clara.

Alleluia, alleluia! alleluia!

She suggests singing this twice, provides a tone for the Gospel verse then the alleluia is done once more.

I’ve been looking for songs for Lent and saw this one recommended here. It’s called “Journey for Home” and it was written by Ed Bolduc.

You can find the lyrics here or preview the music at WLP here, where you can also buy it.

My copy is in Voices As One Vol 1 No. 50.

Listening to the snippet at WLP it really sounds a solo performance piece and 16th notes always are a worry for the assembly. The music I have gives half the verses to a cantor, but the tricky parts appear to be in the chorus. That said, it has a Lenten feel and I suspect the assembly would straighten out the kinks and make a useful song for Lent out of it.

This is from another mass by Erica Marshall.  My daughter was impressed by it some time ago when she went to mass at Rockhampton, so I thought I’d have a look at it.

I’ve already blogged her “Mass of God’s People” with backings here, although I may not have done her any favours there — they are probably only just adequate to learn the tunes.

You can listen to snippets and purchase sheet music, CD’s and proper backing tracks at AOV.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.

Amen.

Music © Erica Marshall 1991,2010.

This is a mass that she revised to fit the new words but never having heard the old version there are no obvious seams poking out like in some of the revisions. The refrain is repeated the first time. It is another spirited 6/8 setting with a singable range that will not trouble the assembly, except perhaps for a held D in the last verse. The refrain has an agreeable hiccup in the first “glory” that gives it a memorable hook. I can see why my daughter liked it.

Rounding out the Mayfield Mass by Kate Keefe is the Agnus Dei.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: grant us peace.

 

Music © Kate Keefe 2013.

Again I’ve slowed this down a little from Kate’s backing but I think it is OK for a litany to be very restrained and the tune responds to the calmer tempo well I think.

If you think this Mass is a fine piece of work (which it is) you should follow her psalm settings etc here.

The Great Amen from the Mayfield mass.

We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection

until you come again.

 

When we eat this bread and drink this cup,

we proclaim your death, O Lord,

until you come again.

Save us Saviour of the world, for by your cross and resurrection

you have set us free.

 

all music © Kate Keefe 2013

These are all fine tunes and don’t leave the workman like taste for these acclamations that you get in some settings, although it is a huge challenge for anyone setting these shorter pieces. Someone more conventional (like me) would have repeated the last line of “when we eat” to have a resolution to the tune, but Kate leaves it hanging. The “Save us” tune is probably the pick of them, or at least the most distinctive.

Continuing with Kate Keefe’s Mayfield Mass, this is the Sanctus.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Music © Kate Keefe 2013

Kate’s sample backing is faster than mine and might be at a tempo more practical for the assembly, but this waltz could be taken in a more restrained fashion, as I have done, to allow the tune to blossom a little.

This week we are celebrating the installation of our new priest.

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

Psalm 102 (O’Brien)

The Lord is kind and merciful, kind and merciful.

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

Communion: Come to the Table (Burland) AOV NG 33

Bread Broken, Wine Shared (Horner) AOV 2/155

Thanksgiving: Here I Am Lord (Schutte) AOV 1/90

Recessional: Sing of the Lord’s Goodness (Sands) AOV 1/131

The Mayfield Mass was written by Kate Keefe and the sheet music is available here.

I have blogged the Gloria before here and I’ve finally got around to looking at the whole setting. Since then Kate has put up the real guitar chords for her music so you can ignore my guesswork on my previous blog post.

I’ve redone the Gloria with the proper chords. It has lots of good points: it is a straight through setting, there are gaps to catch your breath, the tune is memorable and it isn’t in 6/8 time. There is a fair range and while we groaners will baulk at the Ds and held Cs, much of the assembly will doubtless cope. What you have here is a lovely, professionally composed piece of music that we will all need to consider along with the avalanche of other settings out there.

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you,

we give you thanks for your great glory,

Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,

Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father,

You take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;

You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

 

Music © Kate Keefe 2013

I’ll get the rest of the parts of the mass up soon.