Church Music

A song for nativity plays that allows for a lot of dressing up. It was written by Leigh Newton and you can hear a sample at AOV.

1. At Christmas time the birds all sing
The rabbits jump, the lizards crawl
At Christmas time the outback rings
All for the birth of God

Chorus

For the birth of God, the wallabies hop
For the birth of God, the cockatoos squawk
For the birth of God, the platypus swims
For the birth of God, the kookaburra laughs
For the birth of God was such exciting news
They’d never heard before
They came from all the land
To see this baby in the straw.

2. And if you were there you would have heard
The wise old kangaroo
“Oh, I’ve starved in droughts, I’ve swum the floods,
“I’ve hopped around, both up and down,
“Through hills and plains I’ve never seen
“Such a baby in the straw.”

Chorus

3. And if you were there you would have heard
The wise little bandicoot.
“Oh, I’ve snuffled and fossicked the midnight scrub
“I’ve been in logs and fogs and bogs,
“Well bless my days, I’ve never heard
“Of a baby in the straw.”

Chorus

4. And if you were there you would have heard
The wise old noisy crow.
“Oh, I’ve flown this land, seen many a baby
“Born in burrows, trees and furrows,
“Yet this one outshines them all,
“This baby in the straw.”

Chorus

© Leigh Newton 1984.

Another Taize chant from Jacques Berthier. Go to AOV for a sample in English.

Also known as La Tenebre you can hear it in French here, and AOV has it in eleven languages.

Our darkness is never darkness in your sight:

The deepest night is clear as the daylight.

© Ateliers Et Presses De Taizé

This is a socially aware text by Shirley Erena Murray set to a traditional sounding tune by Hal Hopson. Listen to the sample at AOV. You can get a copy of the sheet music, without chords, from Hope publishing.

My backing is fake organ at 90 bpm.

 1. Here in the busy city now let the Church be seen

Where lesser gods are worshipped in money and machine;

Where news is but sensation, the Good News hardly heard

Now let the Church take action in living out the Word!

2. In policies and planning the Church be there to speak

To moderate the powerful, to argue for the weak:

Where law must sit in judgment and love is little known,

There at the crisis centre the Christ concern be shown.

3. Where litter chokes the gutter and people go to waste,

Where joblessness is bitter and living lost its taste

To underleavened people the proof of rising yeast,

In lives devoid of flavour be saltiness released.

4. Here in the busy city God walks on every street

In generous or greedy, the honest or the cheat,

And daily we must offer the good that goes unpriced

With vigour and with vision the lifestyle of the Christ.

© Hope Publishing Company & Shirley Erena Murry

NB Shirley Erena Murray’s work may be accessed here at Hope Publishing and may be printed as a one off copy. Absolutely no alterations are to be made to the text. Any other use requires permission from the author.

This song comes up from time to time and I’ve never found a way of singing it that I approve of.  The text is by Damian Lundy and no-one will admit to have written the music.

The sample at AOV is about as good as it gets. Perhaps it can be saved by children singing it. This organ version sounds like a hurdy gurdy.

My version is a little Latin in desperation.

1. The Spirit lives to set us free,
walk, walk in the light.
He binds us all in unity,
walk, walk in the light.

Refrain

Walk in the light,
walk in the light,
walk in the light,
walk in the light of the Lord

2. Jesus promised life to all,
walk, walk in the light.
The dead were wakened by his call,
walk, walk in the light.

Refrain

3. He died in pain on Calvary,
walk, walk in the light,
to save the lost like you and me,
walk, walk in the light.

Refrain

4. We know his death was not the end,
walk, walk in the light.
He gave his Spirit to be our friend,
walk, walk in the light.

Refrain

5. By Jesus’ love our wounds are healed,
walk, walk in the light.
The Father’s kindness is revealed,
walk, walk in the light.

Refrain

6. The Spirit lives in you and me,
walk, walk in the light.
His light will shine for all to see,
walk, walk in the light

Refrain

© Kevin Mayhew Ltd 1978.

We use this Marty Haugen song a lot. It is 3/4 in AOV but has more of a 6/8 feel and is an excellent recessional. The sample has a bored sounding children’s choir, some nice percussion and is somewhat slower than I’m used to doing it.

The text is at Cantus Mundi. It can be purchased at GIA.

You can hear it with choralography here and that is more the tempo we use.

My backing is an old MIDI file put through Pro tools.

I have a vague recollection of doing this Brian Boniwell song many years ago, but certainly not lately. It is a gentle 6/8 song with a bridge after the second refrain. The sample gives the feel of the song, but is not an especially strong performance.

Refrain

Open the heavens, Lord; come to your people.

Hide not your face, O God.

Open the heavens, Lord, come to your people.

Open the heavens and come.

Verse 1

Look on the sheep of your pasture, Lord.

Water your vineyard again.

Scattered and broken, return to our aid.

Open the heavens and come.

Refrain

Bridge

Wake, awake, O Israel;

See the light has come.

Rise and clothe yourself in strength,

Know your Lord is near

Verse 2

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, today.

Listen to hear when he comes.

Know that salvation will break like the dawn.

Open the heavens and come.

Refrain

Open the heavens and come.

Open the heavens and come.

© Brian Boniwell 1986.

We’ve used this quite a lot and it has the advantage as a second communion song of being very adjustable to match the liturgical flow. It is by Maggie Russell and you can hear the sample at AOV here. It has a solo part for flute, which is lovely if you have a tame flautist. Guitarist should play it capo 3 in G and save your poor aching hand. This one is good for singing without instruments as well.

Take and eat, this is my body.
Take and drink, this is my life blood.
Whenever you share this meal with others
Do so in memory of me.

© Maggie Russell 1988,1994.

Another song by Robyn Horner. You can hear the excerpt at AOV here. It is based on Ps147 and 139.  The tune of the verses varies somewhat to fit the text.

Antiphon

I will dance, I will sing, for great is the Lord!

How good it is to praise You, my God!

You gather those who cry alone,

And the wounded, Your touch will heal.

I will sing forever of Your love, O Lord!

I will sing praise to you!

Verse 1

You light the stars, You speak their horizons:

Infinite, all are named.

You are so great, abundant in power,

Your understanding beyond me!

Antiphon

Verse 2

You bear the earth, the clouds in the heavens,

The rain to bring life and cleansing.

You feed the creatures, You colour the fields,

You call us to hope in your love!

Antiphon

Verse 3

How You have searched, how You have known me,

Even before my birth.

Where could I go where You weren’t before me?

Lord I will sing Your praise.

Antiphon

© Robyn Horner 1995.

What a lovely idea from Fr Kevin Bates. I remember sung graces from my youth (not Catholic) like “Be Present at our Table Lord.”

The first and second parts of these two part rounds have different chords, but I’m not sure that would be a problem. They remind me of something Tolkien’s creations might sing.

Gathered ’round our table hearts and voices raised in song.

Thanking God for all we share; thanking God who calls us here.

Gift of food, gift of time; God of grace, we thank you.

Love it is that brings us here. God all love we thank you.

Like a tiny seed we grow, fed by love and mercy.

Sun and rain and love’s good soil will see our fruitful growing.

© Kevin Bates 1994.

A song for Australian churches only, although perhaps it should be made mandatory in the Northern Hemisphere so they get a taste of what singing something from the wrong hemisphere is all about – welcome to our world. It is by Geoff Bullock who has had a remarkable journey. The sample at AOV shows what it is meant to sound like. This is Geoff Bullock doing it live and somewhat faster. This is a nice guitar version.

My backing is a slower one, at 65 bpm.

1. This Is Our Nation, This Is Our Land
This Is Our Future, This Is Our Hope
A Land Of Reaping, A Land Of Harvest
This Is Our Land, This Is Our Home

Chorus
This Is The Great Southland Of The Holy Spirit
A Land Of Red Dust Plains And Summer Rains
To This Sun-Burnt Land We Will See A Flood
And To This Great Southland His Spirit Comes

2. This Is Our Nation, This Is Our Land
This Land Of Plenty, This Land Of Hope
The Richest Harvest Is In Her Peoples
We See Revival, His Spirit Comes

(Chorus)

3. This Is Our Nation, This Is Our Land
This Lucky Country Of Dreams Gone Dry
And To These Peoples, We See A Harvest
And To This Land, Revival Comes

(Chorus)

© Nightlight Music 1993.

* 15/2/2015

I found this revised version that is worth a look.

Great-South-Land