Church Music

I enjoy playing this song by Dan Schutte and it makes a lively Eucharist song. You can hear the original here, but don’t expect it to live up to the instruction on the sheet music to be actually lively. A tour of Youtube versions will, however, show even more turgid, slow and most definitely NOT lively versions … what to do?

I general avoid changing a song that a talented songwriter has gone to so much trouble over, but here I made an exception.  I’ve upped the tempo to 180 bpm and removed the bar leading into the verse and I think it makes more sense musically and flows much better from chorus to verse. The chorus is joyful and yes, lively, and we sing the verse more quietly building up through the last line back to the chorus. When we play it like that it is just about my favourite communion hymn.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

Refrain

Come to the feast of heaven and earth!

Come to the table of plenty!

God will provide for all that we need,

here at the table of plenty.

Verse 1

O come and sit at my table

where saints and sinners are friends.

I wait to welcome the lost and lonely

to share the cup of my love.

Refrain

Verse 2

O come and eat without money;

come to drink without price.

My feast of gladness will feed your spirit

with faith and fullness of life.

Refrain

Verse 3

My bread will ever sustain you

through days of sorrow and woe.

My wine will flow like a sea of gladness

to flood the depths of your soul.

Refrain

Verse 4

Your fields will flower in fullness;

your homes will flourish in peace.

For I, the giver of home and harvest,

will send my rain on the soil.

Refrain

© Daniel Schutte 1992.

More learning curve material adding VST instruments to BIAB:

David Gagnon wrote this song but I can’t find any biographical information about him on the net. We’ve never used this one locally but it is a Eucharist song and they are always welcome.

There is a snippet at AOV to give you the idea. My backing is at 85 bpm and sounds rather different.

Refrain

In the bread may we be broken.

In the cup may we be out poured.

May we come to know the healer,

may we come to know the Lord.

Verse 1

Though many are we, we are one in the Lord.

We are all welcome to his table of new life.

Refrain

Verse 2

We come to the table to remember the Lord,

who gave his life that we might live for ever more.

Refrain

Verse 3

In breaking the bread, in sharing the cup,

may we be filled as we come to know the Lord.

Refrain

© OCP Publications 1988.

This is a very good song by Monica O’Brien and Trisha Watts that I have already blogged because I made a very wrong backing for it.

It can be purchased for download at As One Voice.

I’ve had yet another go with hopefully improved results.

This another song I don’t look forward to playing. I’m sure there is a Village People song that sounds a bit like it (?Go West), although this was probably written first.  You can hear Henry Smith himself sing it here or a much schmaltzier one here. You can read more about the song in this book excerpt at Google.

It can be purchased for download at musicnotes.

My backing is at 91bpm.

A song for Ash Wednesday by Tom Conroy, that we sing once a year I suppose. This version is about as spirited a rendition as you are likely to hear. It isn’t my favourite song to play or sing, so I can use that as a penance. That’s not due to it being called heretical, I just think it mistakes dreariness for solemnity – but lots of people love it and we are going to sing it every Ash Wednesday forever, so I best just get over myself. The text evokes a northern hemisphere Lent, which is mildly annoying in the southern hemisphere.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

We rise again from ashes, from the good we’ve failed to do.
We rise against from ashes, to create ourselves anew.
If all the world is ashes, then must our lives be true?
An offering of ashes, an offering to you.

We offer you our failures, we offer you attempts,
The gifts not fully given, the dreams not fully dreamt.
Give our stumblings direction, give our visions wider view,
An offering of ashes, an offering to you.

Then rise again from ashes, let healing come to pain.
Though spring has turned to winter, and sunshine turned to rain.
The rain we’ll use for growing, and create the world anew,
From an offering of ashes, an offering to you.

 

An extra verse not in AOV:

Thanks be the Father who made us like Himself,
Thanks be to His Son who saved us by His death,
And thanks be to His Spirit who creates the world anew,
From an offering of ashes, and offering to you.

© New Dawn Music 1978.

A hymn by Patrick Matsikenyiri from Zimbabwe. AOV also gives texts in Tongan, Samoan, Fijian, French and English and you can hear their snippet here.

Jesu tawa pano;

Jesu tawa pano;

Jesu tawa pano;

Tawa pano, mu zita renyu.

© Patrick Matsikenyiri 1995

Alternate version with VST instruments:

A setting of Ps 25 by Bob Hurd that we use a lot and also as a substitute for the set Psalm through a season like advent. I heard it years ago at a music session organised by the Brisbane Archdiocese when it was played at breakneck speed on an organ.  We still do it in a lively fashion, as it should be done, and it is a great song. The last repeat of “To you O God…” is meant to slow down, but I often don’t bother.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

This is a fine version but it could be even more uptempo. A cantor with a fine voice does a slower version here.

Refrain
To you, O God, I lift up my soul;
lift up my spirit to my Lord.
To you I lift up my soul. (Rpt 1st time)

Verse 1

Make me to know your ways, O God;
teach me your paths, guide me.
You are my Saviour.

Refrain

Verse 2

Good and upright our gracious God,
showing the way,
guiding the humble to justice.

Refrain

Verse 3

Steadfast and kind your ways, O God;
all who revere your covenant
know your friendship.

Refrain

To you I lift up my soul.

To you I lift up my soul.

© Bob Hurd 1991.

VST version:

This is a song by Maggie Russell of Mass of Freedom fame based on 1 Cor 12:4ff. The snippet at AOV gives you an idea of the song. The verses are listed as optional and the chorus could stand on its own, especially as a children’s song. It would be an interesting choice for the procession of the gifts.

It can be purchased for download at As One Voice.

Refrain

Diff’rent gifts, yet we are one, one in Christ’s body.

Each of us uniquely made; diff’rent, yet the same.

Celebrate our diff’rences, working together;

Needing each one’s special gifts to make the body whole.

Verse 1

Come and celebrate the many diff’rent colours:

Each a glimpse of a loving gen’rous God.

Precious are the gifts we bring to one another:

Each a gift of love.

Refrain

Verse 2

Come and wonder at the shades of God’s creation:

All a part of the Truth that sets us free.

In diversity we celebrate our story:

Called to unity.

Refrain

© Maggie Russell 1994.

VST version:

This is a sweet folk style song from the seventies by Robin Mann who writes about it here.  The real meat is in the optional third and fourth verse and I see no reason not to sing the lot. A snippet is to be heard here at AOV.

The music in this AOV collection is rarely unclear, but here in the guitar edition it is not clear enough that the last bar on the fourth line is only sung at the end and does not lead into the verses at all.

Refrain

Comfort, comfort all my people

with the comfort of my word.

Speak it tender to my people:

All your sins are taken away.

Verse 1

Though your tears be rivers running,

though your tears be an ocean full,

though you cry with the hurt of living,

comfort, comfort.

Every valley shall be lifted,

every mountain shall be low,

every rough place will be smoother:

comfort, comfort.

Refrain

Verse 2

Though your eyes see only darkness,

though your eyes can see no light,

though your eyes see pain and sorrow:

comfort, comfort.

Every night will have its morning,

every pain will have an end,

every burden will be lightened:

comfort, comfort.

Refrain

 Verse 3

 Though we build strong walls for prisons,

though we feast while others starve,

though we fill this world with weapons:

comfort, comfort.

Every prisoner will be rescued,

every hungry mouth be filled,

every gun will rust, forgotten:

comfort, comfort.

Refrain

 Verse 4

Though we fracture God’s creation,

though we stand so far apart,

though we fail to love each other:

comfort, comfort.

Every wall will crack and crumble,

every stranger will be friend,

every one embrace another:

comfort, comfort.

Refrain

© Robin Mann 1975.

Further experiments in the land of VST melodies:

A song written by Chris Robinson who appears to have written educational songs for children.  This one starts off sounding like “My Girl” by The Temptations but becomes a jaunty singalong. You can hear a snippet here at AOV.

Verse 1

Like a warm breeze on a winter’s day,

Like a seed that grows in my heart everyday.

And it grows wuth the love we share.

It grows when people care.

We’re building, building the Kingdom everywhere.

Chorus

And we’re building, building the Kingdom

with our hearts and with our hands.

What the Lord of us all commands (is)

to be building, building the Kingdom everyday.

Verse 2

And it grows when we are hopeful.

It grows when we forgive.

From the things that we create,

To the times that we celebrate,

We’re building, building the Kingdom every day.

Chorus

© Chris Robinson and Creative & Musical Resources 1987.

Another VST experiment: