Church Music

This song by James Walsh uses Ps 139 to make a meditation that alternates minor and major verses.  I couldn’t find any biographies of the songwriter, which is a rarity in these internet days but you can hear a snippet at OCP.  It is a beautiful psalm text.  I’m still deciding whether the setting enhances it or not.  I’ve included the descant line in the sixth verse for reference.

Verse 1

You know me, Lord, you search my heart,

My thoughts are open to your gaze.

Protect me, Lord, from evil ways

And guide me in the path of life.

Verse 2

Before a word is on my tongue

You know the secrets of my heart.

Be close to me, surround me, Lord

From all my terrors set me free.

Verse 3

Where should I go to flee from you?

How can I shelter from your face?

If heavenward, I find you there:

In earth’s dark depths you follow me.

Verse 4

If I could take the wings of dawn

And journey to the ends of earth,

Your hand would still be guiding me,

Your right hand still would hold me fast.

Verse 5

If darkness came to swallow me

And night surround me in its grasp,

No darkness would there be for you:

The light would be as light as day.

Verse 6

For it was you who fashioned me:

Knit bone to bone and flesh to flesh.

I thank you, Lord, Creator God,

That you should think and breathe on me.

Verse 7

You know me, Lord, you search my heart,

My thoughts are open to your gaze.

Protect me, Lord, from evil ways

And guide me in the path of life.

© James Walsh 1989.

Another Bernadette Farrell tune that can be used when these readings come up and more generally. The refrain is quite lyrical and flowing while the verses are essentially in a different key and the jolt matches the hard medicine in John’s text.. Because the verses are challenging, my recollection is that we have used the refrain more as a response than the whole thing. You can hear an assembly sing it here.

It is available to purchase for download from OCP.

 Refrain

Unless a grain of wheat shall fall up-on the ground and die,

It remains but a single grain with no life.

Verses
1. If we have died with him, then we shall live with him;

if we hold firm, we shall reign with him.

 

2. If any one serves me, then they must follow me;

wherever I am, my servants will be.

 

3. Make your home in me as I make mine in you;

those who remain in me bear much fruit.

4. If you remain in me and my word lives in you;

then you will be my disciples.

5. Those who love me are loved by my Father;

we shall be with them and dwell in them.

6. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you;

peace which the world can-not give is my gift.

© Bernadette Farrell 1984.

Erica Marshall wrote this light and delicate setting of Ps 51, which can also be used most other places in mass. She has also written some settings for the new translation of the Mass available at the AOV site.

In my backing I’m following the music that repeats the last line of the refrain, but I note in the snippet at the AOV site this is not done.

Refrain

Create in me, O Lord, a heart that is pure.

Shape in me a spirit strong.

Give to me your joy, a joy that will endure.

Then, O Lord, I’ll sing your song!

Then, O Lord, I’ll sing your song!

Verse 1

Have mercy, O Lord have mercy,

My sinfulness I see before me.

Let the waters of your love cover me,

To wash my guilt away.

I will rise up and say:

Refrain

Verse 2

Sincerity and truth are a joy to you.

Teach me the wisdom of your loving heart.

Let me hear the sounds of rejoicing and gladness

And through the dark and pain

I’m happy once again!

Refrain

Verse 3

O Lord, spare my life and rescue me

And I will gladly sing about your goodness.

My offering will be my humble heart.

You will not turn away

Your love, bright as the day!

Refrain

© Erica Marshall.

Ps 23 as set by Marty Haugen.  I think this is a terrific version with an unusual tune.  We should use the interesting fourth and fifth verses more but we often leave it at the first three.  You can hear his version here.  I think it would be hard for the assembly to keep it steady at the slow tempo, but it is beautiful.

The text is available at spiritandsong, which is odd for a GIA song. It can purchased for download at various sites on the net including musicnotes.

My backing is an MP3 render of an ancient MIDI that I made on Band in a Box for windows v.1 some time before the invention of the wheel.  For some reason I thought I needed tubular bells in the intro.

We’ve never used this alleluia by Christopher Walker, which is probably why I never noticed until now that in my old guitar version of AOV they put the correct heading but the music from No 32 of vol 2 here instead of the actual music for this song.  That may explain why this edition was on special for $20 when I bought it.

I do have a melody line edition and used that with made up chords for my backing so I have no idea how close it is to the original. It can be purchased as part of a collection at OCP.

This has an obvious place as a Gospel Acclamation and the words are useful, but don’t be put off by the snippet on the AOV website – it doesn’t have to be sung like that.

 Verse 1

Sing praises to the Lord, alleluia,

Sing praise to greet the Word, alleluia.

The Word is a sign of God’s wisdom and love,

Alleluia, alleluia.

Verse 2

God’s truth can set us free, alleluia,

Christ Jesus is the key, alleluia.

Our ears hear the Word but it lives in our hearts,

Alleluia, alleluia.

Verse 3

We listen for your voice, alleluia,

We praise you and rejoice, alleluia.

Your Spirit is with us she breathes in your Word,

Alleluia, alleluia.

Verse 4

Sing praises to the Lord, alleluia,

Sing praise to greet the Word, alleluia,

Creator and Son with the Spirit adored,

Alleluia, alleluia.

© Christopher Walker 1985.

A is for “Acronym”:

• AOV  =   As One Voice  (1,2 & NG ie Next Generation)
• SNS   =   The Source : New Songs
• NLMB = The National Liturgical Music Board

B is for “Board”

                   I have been somewhat critical of the whole idea of this board (the NLMB) having a “Yes” list because it implies a “No” list.  I have been assured that this was not the intention but those who would wish it were so have got the wrong end of the stick and have been beating around the bush with it.  For a defence from unlikely quarters try here.

Other than that, can I say again that I’m making these backings to learn for myself songs I don’t know, and to have a look at songs I play at lot at church afresh.  I use Band in a Box because it is a fast way of doing that, but the quality of the backings will vary.  BIAB is great for jazz and OK for rock and country and lousy at a lot of other things.  It also repays the amount of work you put in, so my quick backings aren’t always fantastic and remain untouched by human hands so give the computer a break for the occasional howler.  I haven’t put up a fail backing for a while but there are enough horrible old MIDIs in existence for which I have to claim responsibility so mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

I have a lot of overseas (ie not Australian) hits on the site.  Can I suggest that even with the current strength of the Australian dollar, the As One Voice books are excellent value?  They contain the cream of US and British material and you won’t find the Australian songs collected like this anywhere else.  End of unsolicited sales pitch.

Please feel free to contact me with corrections and requests.  From the search terms it is clear that a lot of people are still using MIDI backings in their churches. I suspect they play them through keyboards directly or through computers. It is an old technology that leaves a lot to be desired but seems to be fulfilling a need.  All I would suggest is that people doing that at least learn how to change the tempo and key and to remix the tracks to your own requirements or you are going to be stuck with some horrors.

This song is just about the most commonly sung song at our church.  It is by Sr Deidre Brown, a Loreto sister, although for years I thought it was by Fr Frank Andersen.  As it purports to speak for God it had no chance of getting an NLMB “Yes”, but it appeals to many people.  (eg this blog – even though they don’t know who really wrote it, and this one too.)  Hear it done simply and sincerely here.

You can buy Paul Gurr’s version on I-Tunes by following this link.

On the other hand for others it is a pelagian heretical monstrosity and they want to rewrite it.  I found some very nasty threads that I won’t link to about this song.

Sometimes we need to be confronted with our failings and challenged with our sin. At other times God’s grace needs to be emphasised.  Our lives have a lot of gray margins where certainty is a bit useless and being open to God’s love is all that is important.  I think that is why this little song from a Loreto Nun means so much to people and why it would scandalise the people of God to have it anathemetised.  If you need to, why not sing it now.

Verse 1

Come as you are, that’s how I want you
Come as you are, feel quite at home
Close to my heart, loved and forgiven
Come as you are, why stand alone?

Verse 2
No need to fear, love sets no limits
No need to fear, love never ends
Don’t run away, shamed and disheartened
Rest in my love, trust me again

Verse 3
I came to call sinners, not just the virtuous
I came to bring peace, not to condemn
Each time you fail, to live by my promise
Why do you think, I’d love you the less?

Verse 4
Come as you are, that’s how I love you
Come as you are, trust me again
Nothing can change, the love that I bear you
All will be well, just come as you are.

© Deidre Browne

Published by Spectrum Publications.

http://www.spectrumpublications.com.au/

I really like this song by Gregory Norbet, a former Benedictine monk.  We play it a lot and we don’t even get phased by the third verse suddenly disappearing halfway through anymore.

I do think the instructions, “Gently with movement” are better if somewhat ignored. I quite like the way he sings it ( & listen to the snippet on his site as well) but even a good assembly singing like this one struggle to be gentle.  The other option is to rock it up and add slide guitar instead the beautifully written interlude… at least that’s what I did, so this is “roughly with movement.”

Verse 1

Come back to me with all your heart,
don’t let fear keep us apart.
Trees do bend, tho’ straight and tall;
so must we to others’ call.

Refrain

Long have I waited for your coming
home to me and living deeply our new life.

Verse 2

The wilderness will lead you
to your heart where I will speak.
Integrity and justice
with tenderness you shall know.

Refrain

Verse 3
You shall sleep secure with peace;
faithfulness will be your joy.

Refrain

Interlude

Verse 1

Refrain

Copyright © 1972.
The Benedictine Foundation of the State of Vermont, Inc.,
Weston Priory, Weston, Vermont.

www.westonpriory.org

You can tell the first AOV volume was designed to be all things to all churches and includes a lot of old (and out of copyright) favourites.  This song even has its own website and wants your money. Before you buy the book of the song, this site might have all you really wanted to now about the John Newton who wrote the song.

These old songs are the hardest ones to do on BIAB, but since you know it already that hardly matters. We don’t sing the fifth verse and I’d ditch the fourth. I think it’s one of those hymns that works by the tune and communal voice but lyrically is a text of the 1700s and has worn poorly.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

 

T’was grace that taught my heart to fear.
And grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

 

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far
and grace will lead me home.

 

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

 

When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

Another song from As One Voice that is very popular with our liturgy teams, probably because it slots in just about anywhere. It is another song by Bernadette Farrell.  A very fast version in piano + vocal can be heard here.  Warning for groaners like me – it hits an E.  If you take the key down to Dm the guitarists will be unhappy, so perhaps some advance warning and creative capoing will do the trick. I find it hard to decide if I like songs like this that I have played so many times. I think this song lends itself to insensitive over playing and perhaps needs a more delicate touch than I have been able to give it.  The lyric itself is fine and even the NLMB give it a tick.

Refrain

Praise to you, O Christ, our Saviour,
Word of the Father, calling us to life;
Son of God who leads us to freedom:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Verse 1

You are the Word who calls us out of darkness;
you are the Word who leads us into light;
you are the Word who brings us through the desert:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Refrain

Verse 2

You are the one whom prophets hoped and longed for;
you are the one who speaks to us today;
you are the one who leads us to our future:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Refrain

Verse 3

You are the Word who calls us to be servants;
you are the Word whose only law is love;
you are the Word – made flesh who lives among us:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Refrain

Verse 4

You are the Word who binds us and unites us:
you are the Word who calls us to be one;
you are the Word who teaches us forgiveness:
glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ!

 Refrain

© Bernadette Farrell 1984.