Church Music

Frenzy Cool keeps throwing up amazing challenges.  This is a request and another song I’ve never heard of and don’t have the music for. You can listen to the choir freak out singing it here. There is also a pretty generous sample of the music (without guitar chords) there as well and I guessed the rest. You will need to purchase the music from Hope Publishing to have any chance of pulling this off and, of course, you should anyway if you intend to use it. I think it is beyond our sound, so I doubt we’ll have a go, but if Frenzy Cool has a go with her group singing it, it would be great to hear them.

I’ve left space at the end for the choir to handle the repeats of “we will not fear” on their own. My backing is based on chords I had to get off the keyboard music, put into BIAB, turn into a MIDI file and play through Pro Tools SE. It sounds more like Peter Gabriel’s “Shock the Monkey” than the choral version but it is a gross conceit to even try to make a simple computerised backing of such a complicated song.

Refrain

God is our refuge and strength

A present help in times of trouble

Though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,

Though the waters roar and foam, we will not fear.

Bridge

Come and behold the work of the Lord

The awesome acts of God

He is in the midst of his people, in all the earth

Verse 1

He is the word, we are his hands, he will lead us

He is the air, we are his song,

We will celebrate his presence all the day long.

Refrain

Bridge

Verse 2

He is the rain, we are the stones, he will cleanse us.

He is the air, we are his song,

We will celebrate his presence all the day long.

Refrain

Rpt we will not fear x4

© Hope Publishing

Another song from the highly esteemed and much missed Australian liturgical composer Br Colin Smith.

The snippet at AOV gives you the beginning of the cantor’s part. This is both a gathering chant and Eucharist song.

My backing is at 95 bpm but I have to admit I gave up getting the free timing of this chant going.  I tried it at 4/4 then 3/4 but that’s not correct because the cantor’s part is strictly not metrical. So I put a beat behind it and I know the timings are wrong. So use this to get an idea of the tune and then do it like a non metrical chant.

Introduction (Cantor – unaccompanied)

Though so many we are one, sharing now with Christ our Lord.

Bread of life and saving Love, we gather in his name.

Refrain

Though so many we are one, sharing now with Christ our Lord.

Bread of life and saving Love, we gather in his name.

Verse 1

Gather now to hear the story

of the loving Saviour Lord:

Heart and mind with voice uplifted

to proclaim his living word:

Bread of hope and wine of promise,

bringing life to all the world.

Refrain

Verse 2

When we eat this living bread,

When we drink this saving cup;

We proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,

’til You come in glory;

Christ has died and Christ is risen,

Christ will come in glory.

Refrain

© Colin Smith 1994.

This is a bilingual Spanish/English song from Donna Pena. Go to AOV to hear an extract. You can hear more here (starting at 5:38) and learn choreography for dancing along as well!

The text is available in the sample at GIA and can be purchased there.

This is the music chosen by the liturgy group for this week:

Entrance:

King of Glory (Jarbusch, trad Israeli folk song) Ritual Song 628

Psalm  My God, My God (Haugen) before and after psalm verses.

Gifts: Jesus, Remember Me  (Berthier) AOV1/152.

Communion: We Remember (Haugen) AOV 1/81

Shepherd Me O God (Haugen) AOV 1/33

Recessional: God of Day and God of Darkness (Haugen) AOV 1/56)

Marty Haugen goes all gospel on us here with this wonderful song of social action.  It is hard to sing, especially if your singers can’t syncopate. This is how it is meant to sound, although it works better if you sing “we” rather than “you”.

The text is here. It can be purchased in a collection at GIA or as a single sheet at sheetmusicplus.

For some reason this always sounded like a reggae song to me. I’ve put the key change after the fifth verse.

This is another request from Frenzy Cool in the Phillipines. I’m a big Dan Schutte fan but I didn’t know this gathering and Eucharist song. You can hear a snippet at OCP, where you should buy the sheet music if you like it.

I’ve done a backing for all ten verses based on the sample pages at OCP. I doubt anyone would do all ten verses for a gathering song, but if your priest is slow and your church huge you might need it.

Refrain:

Gather the people! Enter the feast!
All are invited, the greatest and least.
The banquet is ready, now to be shared.
Join in the heavenly feast that God has prepared.

1. Around this table we dine as kin,
beloved family of God.
We share the body of Christ, the Lord.
Here we become what we eat.

2. Around this table we tell great tales,
the wondrous stories of grace.
We hold the memory of Christ, the Lord.
So we become what we eat.

3. Around this table God’s bounty falls
on all who hunger and thirst.
We drink the fullness of Christ, the Lord.
So we become what we eat.

4. Around this table God’s mercy flows
to hearts imprisoned by shame.
We know compassion in Christ, the Lord.
Let us we become what we eat.

5. Around this table new hope is born,
the flame of faith in our hearts.
We find our courage in Christ, the Lord,
till we become what we eat.

6. Around this table God’s healing flows
to all the wounded and worn.
We join the sufferings of Christ, the Lord,
as we become what we eat.

7. Around this table God’s peace will reign
in hearts imprisoned by fear.
We live in freedom through Christ, the Lord,
as we become what we eat.

8. Around this table our hearts rejoice
in love that’s stronger than death.
We’ll rise in glory with Christ, the Lord.
Then we become what we eat.

9. Around this table God’s justice reigns
in hearts that labor for peace.
We breathe the spirit of Christ, the Lord,
till we become what we eat.

10. Around this table God’s lowly ones
are clothed in splendor and grace.
We share the banquet of Christ, the Lord.
Here we become what we eat.

© Daniel Schutte 2004.

A Christmas favourite of some charm, this song was written by Geoffrey Ainger.

This is an odd looped version. The extract at AOV is more normal.

You might want to take it down a couple of notches for kids to sing.

The copyright is administered by the lovely people at Hope Publishing who will let you make one copy of the sheet music.

My backing is an old MIDI file I made in the last millennium put through my cut down version of Pro Tools and spruced up a bit.

Born in the night, Mary’s child,
a long way from your home:
coming in need, Mary’s child,
in a borrowed room.

Clear shining light, Mary’s child,
your face lights up our way:
light of the world, Mary’s child,
dawn on our darkened day.

Truth of our life, Mary’s child,
you tell us God is good:
prove it is true, Mary’s child.
Go to your cross of wood.

Hope of the world, Mary’s child,
you’re coming soon to reign:
king of the earth, Mary’s child,
walk in our streets again.

© Stainer and Bell 1964.

Another song by Robyn Horner with an interesting tune especially in the verses.  It is suggested as an Advent or Lent song, and I can see how that would work. You can hear an extract at AOV here. The last refrain repeats and starts echoes that are quite beautiful.

Refrain

Something we have known from the beginning.

That we have seen with our eyes:

The word of life from whom all living takes its voice and cries.

This is all our joy in Christ.

Verse 1

God is light, in God there is no darkness.

God is love and if we live in God,

Love will be our promise.

Refrain

Verse 2

See the love of God we have been given!

We are called God’s children and in love,

That is who we are.

Refrain

Verse 3

Let us love, for this is God’s own being.

God, in Christ, has shown us how to love,

Living for each other.

Last Refrain

Something we have known from the beginning.

That we have seen with our eyes:

The word of life from whom all living takes its voice and cries.

This is all our joy (This is all our joy)

Something we have known from the beginning

(Something we have known)

That we have seen with our own eyes:

(Something we have seen)

The word of life, from whom all living takes its voice and cries

This is all our joy, (This is all our joy)

This is all our joy in Christ

© Robyn Horner 1994.

A fairly recent classic sounding hymn with music by the great Br Colin Smith to a text by Owen Alstott. A traditional sounding entrance or communion song of majesty and beauty, with a strong dose of Eucharistic theology. Each verse has a different tune so you might only get the assembly for the chorus.

My backing finds me struggling with the buggy nature of free online VST instruments!

Refrain

We gather here, O Lord, to hear your saving word,

To feast upon this finest bread, this richest wine outpoured.

Come set our hearts ablaze! Come fill our nights and days

With purpose strong and vision clear and songs of thankful praise!

Verse 1

Your word is breath to us, our life, our truth, our way.

A blessing far beyond our dreams, the sun that lights our day.

Refrain

Verse 2

We come to break the bread, to witness to the sign

Of God and flesh in covbenant until the end of time.

Refrain

Verse 3

We gather in your name, Your name we have become!

See in our dance and songs of praise Your daughters and Your sons! (key change on “sons”)

Refrain

© Colin Smith 1994

A traditional American folk hymn with a tune that’s sounds familiar but I can’t place. See if you know it listening to the excerpt at AOV. It must be famous, everyone from Joan Baez to Frank Sinatra has sung it. This choir does a rousing version.

My version goes at 95 bpm.

Let us break bread together on our knees,
Let us break bread together on our knees.
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us drink wine together on our knees,
Let us drink wine together on our knees.
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us praise God together on our knees,
Let us praise God together on our knees.
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

Accompaniment © OCP 1993