Donna Pena wrote “Digo ‘Si’ Senor” and AOV has the English version. As a recessional it would cap a service with a justice theme very well. I suspect the original language fits the tune better and the tune varies a little from verse to verse to accomodate the extra English words.
The – I say “Yes”, my Lord – is echoed throughout the song and has a stirring build into the chorus.
You can hear a snippet of the original here. This is a nice version although what is going on the video is interesting to say the least – great hats.
The text is at Cantus Mundi and the sheet music can be purchased at GIA.
This is a South African hymn so naturally you’d want to listen to it in this video from Holland. For a bigger sound this choir from the West Indies does their arrangement here. You can find lots of other versions on Youtube, which is an indication of some popularity. It would be a great recessional in the right hands, but I’m not sure how you would know when to stop.
The AOV version has three english verses before switching to Zulu. The leader’s part starts at the last note of the unison part and in my backing they are separated to help you learn the piece.
A wildly popular song by Michael Joncas based on Ps 91. Sometimes called the “Yoohoo” song because of its startling and inventive opening two notes it is rightly lauded as a beautiful and subtle tune but also the cause of a few disasters if you don’t pitch the first note correctly. Each verse has minor variations in the tune to watch out for.
You can hear the original here. I’ve noted that a lot of the versions on Youtube start with the refrain, which robs the song of a lot of its interest.
Verse 1
You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
who abide in His shadow for life,
say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!”
Refrain: And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of His hand.
Verse 2
The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
and famine will bring you no fear:
under His wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield.
Refrain
Verse 3
You need not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day;
though thousands fall about you, near you it shall not come.
Refrain
Verse 4
For to His angels He’s given a command
to guard you in all of your ways;
upon their hands they will bear you up,
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
A Taize chant for Good Friday by Jacques Berthier. Best done with little or no backing and repeated until all are suitable drained, teary and upset. Listen here.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.
Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.
This is another Marty Haugen song that I’ve never heard sung, except in the sample at AOV and the sample from GIA. We use Dan Schutte’s “Table of Plenty” instead, which is in AOV 2.
It is very long and as written is a solo piece with the assembly singing responses. I see no reason why the assembly couldn’t sing the whole thing but I suspect you would have to pick and choose the verses to sing and possibly dispense with the key change since I doubt you’ll make it to the fifth verse. That is unless you are baptising an awful lot of people at once, in which case, knock yourself out.
I’m still using my battered (so battered it is no longer combined) combined AOV Vol1&2 guitar book I bought years ago. I was looking around the AOV site for something else and discovered it has been reissued with the new mass settings (and Yahweh expurgated). It gives you 320 songs for $70 so if you don’t own AOV 1&2 and just want melody line and chords this is a great idea. AOV 1&2 have the cream of the overseas repertoire and Australian songs collected that are pretty much unavailable elsewhere. … and don’t forget AOV Next Gen that I blogged from last September, which has a higher proportion of Australian songs than the original AOV collections and a more contemporary feel.
They also have an increasing number of individual songs for download as sheet music. These are all Australian songs I believe, so this helps if you don’t really need the whole collection.
This song sounds very seventies from the perspective of lyrics. Writen by Gregory Norbet in the seventies when he was still a monk, there is something vaguely disturbing about a line ” and for me that’s just where it is”. We’ve sung it a lot and I suppose in fifty years it will be a shining example of the best of mid twentieth century hymnody.
You could just use the refrain as a mantra and in that form it has been combined with what I think is a sufi chant.
Christopher Walker wrote this paraphrase of the Nicene Creed back in the 80s when that was OK. I suspect it isn’t any more as “we” don’t believe anymore, “I” believe. Incredibly he manages this without ever using the word consubstantial.
It is not easy to set the creed to music, even in paraphrase, but this is not a bad piece of music at all. I can’t find much on the net about it but there is this solo guitar/vocal version.
If you don’t have AOV or have it in another collection and so need the music, the downloads of these songs are ridiculously cheap. If you scroll through the OCP site you can add this piece to the cart for about $2. The sample pdf suggests playing capo 3 and that will hurt your guitarist a lot less. (ie You can purchase this for download at OCP.)
Refrain
We believe in God the Father, we believe in God the Son,
We believe in God the Spirit, God the three and God the one.
Verse 1
God who made all there is, all of the things we see:
The earth, the sky, the land, the seas,
The flowers, the fishes, animals and trees.
God who made heaven and earth,
Mighty God who gave us birth.
Refrain
Verse 2
Jesus was born for us, Jesus, God’s only Son.
He was crucified, on the cross he died,
But then he rose again, ascended into heav’n.
Jesus, God’s only Son,
You will judge us every one.
Refrain
Verse 3
And we believe in you, Spirit of God
The Lord, who speaks God’s word through holy people,
Spirit of the Father, Spirit of the son.
Spirit of God the Lord,
Gives us life and makes us one.
Refrain
Verse 4
And we believe in one Church filled with the saints of God.
This song by David Haas has always been in high rotation at our church. You can hear it done properly here. There is no way an assembly can do the light and shade shown there and the long high notes at the end of the verse are a little hopeful really. It’s popularity suggests the words must be resonating.
Anglican Sr Sandra Sears from South Australia had a couple of her songs from the eighties turn up in As One Voice. I suppose this is a children’s song but you have to applaud creativity when applied simply and Christmas is upon us so it may have a place this year.
My heart is a stable, all lowly with animals.
My heart is a manger, all bedded with hay.
My heart is a wrapping, a mantle of swaddling bands.
My heart is a cradle where my Lord Jesus lay.
My heart kneels before him, my Jesus in a manger.
My heart pleads forgiveness for so mean a bed.
My heart offers incense and gold to this kingly child.
My heart lays these gifts at his feet and his head.
My heart is a stable he takes for his mansion.
My heart is a manger he takes for his throne.
My heart is a wrapping of thanks for his loveliness.
I've worked my way through the As One Voice books and other collections making backings on Band in a Box to help me (& you if you're interested) learn new songs for church. This is aimed at churches and musicians that own the collections but haven't exploited them fully. If you don't have them they are certainly worth buying. This site is educational, nonprofit and designed to enhance the commercial prospects of songwriters. This site does not distribute copyrighted sheet music.
Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed here are personal views and not the responsibility of any Church.
All music backings posted are created by myself and the intention is for them to be used to learn the songs. If any copyright holder wishes me to cease publicising and promoting their wares and directing people to where sheet music can be legally purchased please let me know.
Mason’s “Mass of Glory and Praise”
To access my backings for Paul Mason's mass go to Feb 2011 in the archive.
