Church Music

The words are by Henry van Dyke and the tune by Beethoven. They sing it in Sister Act 2 don’t they, and this choir copies that pretty much. In fact You Tube is full of gospel choir versions if you want to seek them out. What I was looking for was a more traditional version and it took some finding.

This is a render of a MIDI file I made soon after the discovery of fire:

1. Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
   God of glory, Lord of love;
   Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
   Op’ning to the sun above.
   Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
   Drive the dark of doubt away;
   Giver of immortal gladness,
   Fill us with the light of day!
2. All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
   Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
   Stars and angels sing around Thee,
   Center of unbroken praise.
   Field and forest, vale and mountain,
   Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
   Singing bird and flowing fountain
   Call us to rejoice in Thee.
3. Thou art giving and forgiving,
   Ever blessing, ever blest,
   Wellspring of the joy of living,
   Ocean depth of happy rest!
   Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
   All who live in love are Thine;
   Teach us how to love each other,
   Lift us to the joy divine.
4. Mortals, join the happy chorus,
   Which the morning stars began;
   Father love is reigning o’er us,
   Brother love binds man to man.
   Ever singing, march we onward,
   Victors in the midst of strife,
   Joyful music leads us Sunward
   In the triumph song of life.

Perhaps not the greatest song Dan Schutte’s ever written, it is designed for the Easter period up to Pentecost. You can hear a sample with its trumpet fanfare here, and You Tube seems to have the whole thing. You can buy it here or get it in Spirit& Song volume 2.

Perhaps it’s only their version but it seems much too polite and not nearly jubilant enough.

Refrain
Join in the dance of the earth’s jubilation!
This is the feast of the love of God.
Shout from the heights to the ends of creation:
Jesus the Savior is risen from the grave!

1. Wake, O people; sleep no longer:
greet the breaking day!
Christ, Redeemer, Lamb and Lion,
turns the night away!

2. All creation, like a mother,
labors to give birth.
Soon the pain will be forgotten,
joy for all the earth!

3. Now our shame becomes our glory
on this holy tree.
Now the reign of death is ended;
now we are set free!

4. None on earth, no prince or power,
neither death nor life,
nothing now can ever part us
from the love of Christ!

5. Love’s triumphant day of vict’ry
heaven opens wide.
On the tree of hope and glory
death itself has died!

6. Christ forever, Lord of ages,
Love beyond our dreams:
Christ, our hope of heaven’s glory,
all that yet will be!

© Daniel Schutte 1991.

I’m back to the mysterious miscellaneous file where the faded, crumpled and often hand written relics live. This is a very old Easter hymn from the fourteenth century and first noted in English translation in the eighteenth. More information and a MIDI rendition can be found here. Meant for organ and enthusiastic assembly (as here), there are lots of free versions of the sheet music on the net (eg here)

For no particular reason, other than BIAB’s less than brilliant grasp of church organ, my version is somewhat reggae.

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once, upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!

But the pains which He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation hath procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s king, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing, Alleluia!

Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise eternal as His love, Alleluia!
Praise Him, all you heavenly host, Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia!

Tina also wanted this hymn, which is another one new to me.  That is not surprising as it the American national hymn written for the centennial of their declaration of independence, an event of less interest elsewhere.

It was written by Daniel C Roberts and George W. Warren and there is a blurb about it here with a MIDI file to listen to. I’ve seen it as “God of All Ages” and there are various sites to download tabs, sheet music etc for money or for free on the net.

I had terrible trouble getting this one going so I apologise if the backings are less than stellar. I had several goes in several styles so take your pick of these three.

God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast,
Be Thou our Ruler, Guardian, Guide and Stay,
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Shirley wanted this Fr Frank Andersen song (music available at his site) and it is one of my favourites.  I like songs with lots of spaces to breath and contrast. It is based on Ps115 and 1 Cor 10:15 and has a wonderfully unresolved ending.

My backing is at 87 bpm.

Chorus

This blessing cup is our communion in the blood of Christ!

Each time you drink this cup

You proclaim his death until he comes!

Verse 1

How can I repay the Lord for His goodness to me?

The cup of salvation I will raise and call on his name!

Chorus

Verse 2

Father please hear my prayer! May this chalice pass by!

But if You want that I should drink, Your will be done.

Chorus

Verse 3

To You I give my heart! You are Father to me!

And I will live within Your house! Strong in Your love!

Chorus

© Frank Andersen msc

This is an odd one.  I’m back in the mysterious miscellaneous folder of Church songs and this is an ancient song that appears to have been part of a musical drama for children, but I think we used it as a sort of mantra. It has not been spotted for a very long time. It is by Harry D. Clark and was originally published in the 1920s. You can download the sheet music from the publisher here. This is a solo vocal version.

Into my heart, into my heart.

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

Come in today, come in to stay.

Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.

© Hope Publishing Co.

Tina wanted this song that we’ve never used locally but I noticed it in the liturgy Chris put up in the comments here a couple of weeks ago. It is by Dan Feiten and you can hear a sample at the publisher here and I found the sheet music in Gather Australia. It is also available to buy from Ekklesia. It is a serene Eucharist song drawing on beautiful images from the Didache, 1 Cor 10 and Mark 4.

My copy of Gather Australia has no chords so BIAB had to work them out for me.

Refrain:
Seed, scattered and sown,
wheat, gathered and grown,
bread, broken and shared as one,
the living Bread of God.
Vine, fruit of the land,
wine, work of our hands,
one cup that is shared by all,
the living Cup, the living Bread of God.

1.
Is not the bread we break, a sharing in our Lord?
Is not the cup we bless, the blood of Christ outpoured?

Refrain

2.
The seed which falls on rock will wither and will die.
The seed within good ground will flower and have life.

Refrain

3.
As wheat upon the hills was gathered and was grown,
So may the church of God be gathered into one.

Refrain

© Ekklesia Music 1987.

The liturgy team (including me) for this week have selected these songs:

Entrance: Gather As One (McKenna) AOV NG48

Psalm: This Blessing Cup (Frank Andersen)

Gifts: Something Wonderful (Kerr) AOV NG 115

Communion:

Table Song (Haas)

Come to the Table (Burland) AOV NG 33

Recessional: Anthem (Conroy)

A Eucharist song from Monica Brown that we don’t seemed to have played for a while.  Is the tune too subtle, because it is rather gorgeous?    If you go here and scroll down to “A Special Collection” you can hear a sample of this song and buy the sheet music.

 Verse 1

Before His death Jesus gathered His friends

Longing to share His life with them,

Longing to make them one,

And at the table of God’s love.

He took the bread, He said the blessing,

He broke the bread saying, “Take this and eat.

This is my body given for you”.

Chorus

It is as You have asked, O God,

That we do the same in memory of You,

As You have asked, O God, in memory of You.

Verse 2

Before His death Jesus surrendered Himself,

Pouring out His life for all

Giving hope to a broken world,

And at the table of God’s love,

He took the wine, He said the blessing,

He shared the cup saying, “Take this and drink

This is my lifeblood given for you”.

Chorus

© Monica Brown 1991.

I wasn’t at all sure about this song when a fellow musician at church brought it along but it has grown on me. It is a Eucharist song and so always welcome, written by Jimmy Owens. I gather it is from a musical he wrote called “The Witness.” There is a sample to listen to here.

This is a normal church group singing the song.

You may need to contact the author (jimmyowens@adelphia.net) to get the music, unless you can get an old copy of Scripture in Song Book 2.

This is my body, broken for you,
Bringing you wholeness, making you free.
Take it and eat it.
And as you do, do it in love for Me.

This is my blood poured out for you,
Bringing forgiveness, making you free.
Take it and drink it,
And as you do, do it in love for Me.

I found these extra lyrics on the net that aren’t used in the musical:

Back to my Father soon I shall go
Do not forget me, then you will see
I am still with you, and you will know
you’re very close to me.

Filled with my Spirit, how you will grow
You are my branches, I am the tree
If you are faithful, others will know
you are alive in me.

Love one another, I have loved you
and I have shown you how to be free
serve one another, and when you do
do it in love for me.

© Lexicon Music 1978.