Church Music

This is a song from a collection called The Source New Songs 1 compiled by Graham Kendrick and published in 1999.  You can be buy it, amongst other places, here, and it is very good value.  It is essentially full of P&W songs, which AOV is not, so I thought I’d drop a few of these into the mix.  I bought the book years ago just to see what was out there.  It has 82 songs in three useful formats – piano, guitar and for OHPs.  I’ve only ever learnt a few of them, so this will allow me to find songs that I know nothing about.  It will also help when the AOV stuff isn’t noisy enough to be fun.

Paul Oakley wrote this song, which is just a straight rocker. If the first verse is a bit over the top you could what they do here, and just leave it out.  The rest of the song is fine.

Chorus

All around the world there’s a new day dawning
There’s a sound coming round there’s a new song rising up
Ah, it’s a new day!
Everywhere you go you hear this story
There’s a power coming down, there’s a glimpse of glory now
Ah, it’s a new day!

Verse 1

There’s a sound of praise, there’s a sound of war, yeah
Lift the banner high, let the Lion roar
Can you hear the sound in the tops of the trees, yeah?
Heaven’s armies come! Crush the enemy!

Chorus

Verse 2

Let the lame run, let the blind see!
Let Your power come, set the captives free!
Let the lost return to the Lover of our souls, yeah
Let the prodigal find the way back home.
Bridge

Lift Your hands before the King
Sovereign ruler of the earth
Let the nations come to Him
Let the cry of hearts be heard
Revive us! Revive us! Revive us again! (Repeat)

Chorus

© Kingway’s Thankyou Music 1997.

Br Michael Herry’s song is very much in the folk tradition and reminds me of The Seekers.  You can hear the whole song at the Marist website.  It does sound very dated, perhaps because we don’t feel very joyful in hope these days – maybe it’s time to sing it again.  Not even the Marists could get it a Yes from the NLMB though.

Verse 1

Joyful in hope, your people pray.

Joyful in hope we’re on our way.

Though the road may not be clear,

We believe, Lord, you are near

In the smile and open heart of a friend.

Verse 2

Joyful in hope, your people pray.

Joyful in hope we’re on our way.

There’s sunshine after rain;

There’s laughter after pain;

And I am with you always, so rise again.

Verse 3

Mary, so open to the Lord,

When you answered, “Yes” our hope was restored.

Though you couldn’t understand,

In trust you took his hand.

So, joyful in hope, we live again.

© Spectrum Publications.

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

This is a great song by Marty Haugen, althought his version really doesn’t do it justice.  It has multiple liturgical uses and is a frequent choice by our liturgists.  I hadn’t noticed the 4th – 7th verses because we never get that far.  I’d love to sing to the whales at mass.  I suspect that’s what got it the Bishop’s tick from the NLMB.

The text is available here (just scroll down a little). It can be purchased at GIA and various download sites on the net.

The music says it is to be played “Light and detached”… any ideas?  Perhaps a bossa?

This traditional Shaker song turned up in a liturgy a few weeks ago locally.  I find it hard to keep up with the “fast and lively” instruction on the music.  This is a lively version.

Verse 1

I danced in the morning when the world was begun
I danced in the Moon & the Stars & the Sun
I came down from Heaven & I danced on Earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth:Chorus

Dance then, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said He!Verse 2

I danced for the scribe & the pharisee
But they would not dance & they wouldn’t follow me
I danced for fishermen, for James & John
They came with me & the Dance went on:Chorus

Verse3

I danced on the Sabbath & I cured the lame
The holy people said it was a shame!
They whipped & they stripped & they hung me high
And they left me there on a cross to die!Chorus

Verse 4

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back
They buried my body & they thought I’d gone
But I am the Dance & I still go on!Chorus

Verse 5

They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the Life that’ll never, never die!
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in Me –
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!Chorus

© Stainer & Bell 1963.

As One Voice have produced a mass booklet with melody line versions of eleven settings.  I think I need it for the responses too, because while they are meant to be on the overheads at our church it seems to disappear at the worst times.  Worth buying in bulk.

A very useful chant from Taize.  Hear it here.

O Lord, hear my prayer,

O Lord, hear my prayer:

When I call answer me,

O Lord, hear my prayer,

O Lord, hear my prayer,

Come and listen to me.

© Ateliers Et Presses De Taizé.

This is the first song in AOV from Dan Schutte, another of the very popular composers of catholic music who is equally loved and reviled.  We use his Easter music every year locally and it works very well indeed.  This song, based on Ps 65 & 66, is very popular too, although we never seem to get to the interesting fourth verse with its different tune.  You can hear his version here.  You’ve got to love the bass run at the end of the verses.

It is available to purchase for download at OCP.

Chorus
Glory and praise to our God, who alone gives light to our days.
Many are the blessing he bears to those who trust in his ways.
Verse 1

We, the daughters and sons of him who built the valleys
and plains,

Praise the wonders our God has done in every
heart that sings.

Chorus
Verse 2

In his wisdom he strengthens us, like gold that’s tested in
fire.

Though the power of sin prevails, our God is there to save.

Chorus

Verse 3

Every moment of every day, our God is waiting to save,

Always ready to seek the lost, to answer those who pray.

Chorus

Verse 4

God has watered our barren land and spent his merciful
rain.

Now the rivers of life run full for anyone to drink.

Chorus

© Daniel L Schutte and New Dawn Music.

This group have put together in one page many of the problems in the Church. (see the story in SMH )

You can read the text here and sign the petition if you agree.

I don’t think it will make any difference to the current leadership in Rome, but I think is important to sign it, if only to put some discord into the echo chamber of self congratulation in support of reaction in the Church.

This piece by Donald Fishel is another Gospel Acclamation we have used a lot over the years, but less since we have been trying to do whole mass settings.  He is a flautist, which explains the solo instrument line that would sound great with a real live flute. There are four verses to pick from in AOV and while you could sing all four, it would disrupt the liturgical flow.  Fishel actually wrote it as a whole song to be sung with the five (? what is missing in AOV) verses, so perhaps we should forget about it as a piece for a specific part of mass and just sing it.  My backing is just refrain/verse/refrain, however.

Refrain
Alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the risen Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Give praise to his name.

1. Jesus is Lord of all the earth;
He is the king of creation.

2. Spread the good news o’er all the earth:
Jesus has died and has risen.

3. We have been crucified with Christ;
Now we shall live forever.

4. Come, let us praise the living God;
Joyfully sing to our Savior.

PS I’ve found the missing verse:

God has proclaimed the just reward
Life for all men, alleluia!

Having absolutely nothing to do with the liturgy or music today at Mass, I went and talked to people beforehand, sat in the pews and sang along, went to Eucharist and stayed behind to talk some more.

The music was provided by a pianist doing an extra spot, filling in for someone who was away.  The singers who led us were about ten strong and were led by an enthusiastic lady.  They have no pretentions for choral excellence but sing in normal voices that blend with the assembly.  We stumbled our way through the new version the Mass of Creation (and the responses for that matter) and we sang new songs and old songs.

…and the Spirit was there as much as any Cathedral and survived the lack of pretension (and incence) and was recognisably Catholic and there was a suitably short, apposite and to the point homily bringing the gospel into our lives from the Priest.  None of this is extraordinary and I’m sure it goes on all the time, but, for example, we used a Haugen recessional, “Bring Forth the Kingdom” without traumatising anyone noticeably.  We sang a reverant new song by Amanda McKenna, “Jesus, Bread of Life” that was picked up (the chorus anyway) by the pew sitters and sung.

We also sang Ruach, an old Hebrew melody according to the music:

Choir

Spirit, Spirit, Spirit of God

Descant

Not by might or power,

But by the Spirit of God.

None of this is to say that what happens in the Cathedral can’t be a work of the Spirit, although the anonymity of it all must make it a struggle, just to say that we have no power in the suburbs, we are the anawin of God, but the Spirit moves nonetheless and we shall see where it goes.