Church Music

A folk song from the sixties from Sydney Carter, a songwriter best known for “Lord of the Dance.” His Guardian obituary is fascinating.

The kingdom of heaven as a journey is well sung in this allusive song where the repetition is very effective.  We must sing it occasionally because I had already made a backing for it – I made it a while ago and I don’t think I can do better.

Chorus

Travel on, travel on, there’s a spirit that is flowing,

a spirit that is flowing night and day.

Verse 1

Travel on, travel on with the spirit that is growing,

the spirit will be with us all the way.

Travel on, travel on with the river that is flowing,

the spirit will be with us all the way.

Chorus

Verse 2

Travel on, travel on there’s a spirit that is growing.

The spirit grows like flowers night and day.

Travel on, travel on with the flower that is growing.

The spirit will be with us all the way.

Chorus

Verse 3

Travel on, travel on, there’s a spirit that is playing.

The spirit plays like music every day.

Travel on, travel on with the music that is playing.

The spirit will be with us all the way.

Chorus

Verse 4

In the Kingdom of heav’n is our end and our beginning

and the road that we must follow every day.

Travel on, travel on to the kingdom that is coming.

The Kingdom will be with us all the way.

© Stainer & Bell Ltd 1969,1972.

This is a Marty Haugen song I’ve never got quite right.  This is what it is meant to sound like. I always played it 4/4 instead of cut common and that makes it flounder somewhat. You have to admire the guts of Haugen – this song is little more than “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and he even hints at that with the lyric “Twinkling star and burning sun.” Nevertheless, it is in high rotation as a joyful recessional around here.

The text is at spiritandsong. It can be purchased for download at OCP and in a collection at GIA.

I’m not sure if my jug band version is “light and dancing” but I hope I’ve fixed the timing problem somewhat with this backing:

This traditional sounding hymn, a setting of Ps 139, was written in the nineties by Bernadette Farrell. Listen to it here. You can hear what an average church sounds like singing it here and here. If you want feel really inadequate listen to this magnificent version from Songs of Praise.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

1. O God, you search me and you know me.
All my thoughts lie open to your gaze.
When I walk or lie down you are before me:
Ever the maker and keeper of my days.

2. You know my resting and my rising.
You discern my purpose from afar,
And with love everlasting you besiege me:
In ev’ry moment of life or death, you are.

3. Before a word is on my tongue, Lord,
You have known its meaning through and through.
You are with me beyond my understanding:
God of my present, my past and future, too.

4. Although your Spirit is upon me,
Still I search for shelter from your light.
There is nowhere on earth I can escape you:
Even the darkness is radiant in your sight.

5. For you created me and shaped me,
Gave me life within my mother’s womb.
For the wonder of who I am, I praise you:
Safe in your hands, all creation is made new.

© Bernadette Farrell 1993.

Another gentle folk style song from Fr Kevin Bates. You can get the feel of it from the portion available at AOV. You could pick verses for Advent or Eucharist or just sing the whole thing.

Open hearts and open minds

Give the spirit freedom.

Let God’s dream be born in us –

Let God’s dream be born.

 

Hearts that wonder at the Word

Hear the Word with freedom.

Let God’s Word be gently heard –

Let God’s Word be welcome.

 

Voice and hands that speak the Word

Give the Word with freedom.

Let God’s truth be well explored –

Let God’s truth be spoken.

 

Mary help of Christians hear

Our prayer that we might carry

The Word with open hearts and hands

Enflesh the words for many.

 

Open hearts and open minds

Break the bread of freedom.

Jesus, bread for all our needs,

Break our heart gifts open.

 

Come, Lord Jesus, live in us.

Come to life among us.

Let us breathe your Spirit free.

Be the gift we carry.

 

Open hearts and open minds

Give the spirit freedom.

Let God’s dream be born in us –

Let God’s dream be born.

© Kevin Bates 1991.

The snippet at AOV of Christopher Walker’s song, “Jesus Lives!” has a childrens’ choir, organ and brass. I suspect all it really needs is the children. OCP lists Paule Freeburg as a co-author who is uncredited in AOV.

The sample music at OCP says it is a joyful march and that we are invited to make up more verses, the suggestions being: “Over death Jesus lives…” “Where there’s joy…” “We proclaim…”

1. Jesus lives, Jesus lives today.
He is Lord and he lives today.
Jesus lives to show us the way.
Jesus lives today.

2. Jesus lives, Jesus lives today,
in you and me, Jesus lives today.
Jesus lives to show us the way.
Jesus lives today.

3. Jesus lives, Jesus lives today.
Where there’s love, Jesus lives today.
Jesus lives to show us the way.
Jesus lives today.

© Daughters of Charity & Christopher Walker 1993.

When I get to songs by icons like Br Colin Smith, I acknowledge a degree of cheek in attempting his sort of music on Band in a Box. A portion of this stirring song can be heard at AOV here. He has taken elements of Ps 27 for the verses and possibly Ps 104 for the response.

 Response

I will sing and make music for the Lord,

make music for the Lord my God.

Verse 1

The Lord is my light and my help:

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

before whom shall I shrink?

Response

Verse 2

There is one thing I ask of the Lord;

for this I long:

to live in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life.

Response

Verse 3

O Lord, hear my voice when I call;

have mercy and answer me.

Of You my heart has spoken:

seek his face.

Response

Verse 4

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness

in the land of the living.

Hope in Him, hold firm and take heart;

hope in the Lord.

Response

© Colin Smith 1994.

When I get a chance I’ll put up what is to be played each week at our local Catholic church.  We have four liturgy teams that put together music to match each Mass for each week. I’m part of one of the teams and so have input one week a month.  Last week they were pretty much all songs from As One Voice: the Next Generation, but this week they are more familiar songs.

We are currently singing the mass parts from the revised Mass Shalom.

Entrance – We Are Called (AOV 2/60)

Psalm response – If Today You Hear His Voice (AOV 2/72)

Gifts –  Beatitudes (Ducote)

Communion  – Blessed Be Our God (AOV NG 13)

                       – Table Song (Haas)

Recessional – All the Ends of the Earth (AOV 1/76)

A call and response song from Carey Landry that sounds like a childrens’ song in the AOV snippet. Each line is repeated.

It can be purchased in a collection at OCP.

My backing has the two melody lines at opposite ends of the stereo spectrum.

God is rich in mercy,

full of compassion.

Our God has mercy on us.

 

Jesus is forgiving,

full of compassion.

Jesus has mercy on us.

 

We must be forgiving

as we are forgiven.

Our God has mercy on us.

© Carey Landry and NALR 1986.

Gabriel Anthony Doheny’s setting of Ps 33 has a touch of the show tune about it, so I’m not sure it will necessarily work for the assembly. Listen for yourself here to a slice of it.

Refrain

Glorify the Lord with me.

Together let us praise God’s name.

I sought the Lord and he answered me;

from all my terrors I was set free.

Verse 1

I will bless the Lord at all times,

his praise always on my lips;

in the Lord my soul shall make its boast,

the humble shall hear and be glad.

Refrain

Verse 2

Look towards God and be radiant;

let your faces not be abashed.

The helpless called; the Lord heard them

and rescued them from their distress.

Refrain

Verse 3

They call and the Lord hears them,

and rescues them in their distress.

The Lord is close to the broken hearted;

whose spirit is crushed, he will save.

Refrain

© Gabriel Anthony Doheny 1993.

Normally I don’t fuss much if the backing is pretty average but I trashed a couple of versions of this one.  Just for fun, listen to the train wreck:

Another folk tune from Fr Kevin Bates, which can be heard in part here. This is a good example of creativity using the voice of God that should not be discouraged. Like many items at AOV, this can be bought separately.

Verse 1

Come to my table, taste of my Word.

Bring me the life that you’ve lived.

Bring in the dancing. Bring in the pain,

Bring me the whole of your journey.

Verse 2

The parts of the story no-one’s ever heard.

The times on the road you were scared.

Bring me the gifts no-one wanted to share.

Let’s open the whole of your journey.

Verse 3

There’s nothing in you that can’t taste my Word.

There’s nowhere out spirit can’t fly!

I’ve laughed in the dancing and cried in the pain.

I’ve loved the whole of your journey.

Verse 4

I’ve lived in the desert where hearts have run dry.

I’ve loved in the gaol of your pain.

I live in the poor and I give you my name.

I live the whole of your journey.

Verse 5

Remember my arms open wide on the tree.

Remember the tears in my eyes.

Remember the wonder when death fell away

and love called you back to the journey.

Verse 6

Come to my table, taste of my Word.

Bring me the life that you’ve lived.

Bring in the dancing. Bring in the pain,

Bring me the whole of your journey.

© Kevin Bates 1991.