This setting of Ps 104 is by Christopher Walker. You can hear the original here and view a sample of the sheet music here. It’s gets high in verse 3 but there are lower harmony notes for groaners like myself helpfully included in the version of the music I have. It can be purchased for download at OCP.
I think I prefer Angotti’s setting in AOV NG and there are lots of other settings for this psalm, but see what you think.
Refrain
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord,
And renew the face of the earth. (x2)
Verse 1
Bless the Lord O my soul,
O Lord how great you are!
How many are your works, O Lord,
The earth is full of your riches!
Verse 2
You take back your Spirit, they die
Back to the dust from which they came;
You send forth your Spirit, they are created,
The whole earth is renewed!
Verse 3
Your glory will last forever,
May you rejoice in all your works.
May my thoughts be pleasing to you,
I find my joy in you Lord.
This isn’t from AOV at all, but a parishioner has found it and liked it so we are singing it this week at mass as the psalm. Carlos Rosas who wrote it is in the OCP stable. I initially thought she wanted us to sing in Spanish but there are English lyrics as well.
This Chinese choir sing it nicely, I think in Chinese. For an accordian version follow this link. My backing is MIDI style BIAB.
Verse 1
Let’s sing unto the Lord a hymn of glad rejoicing.
Let’s sing a hymn of love, joining hearts and happy voices.
God made the sky above, the stars, the sun, the oceans.
Their goodness does proclaim the glory of God’s name. Refrain
A – le – lu – ia! A – le – lu – ia!
Let’s sing unto the Lord. A – le – lu – ia!
Verse 2
Let’s sing unto the Lord a hymn of adoration,
Express unto the Lord our song of faith and hope.
Creation’s broad display proclaims the work of grandeur,
The boundless love of One who blesses us with beauty.
Refrain
Let’s sing unto the Lord.
A – le – lu – ia!
en Español
Can – te – mos al Se – ñor un him – no de_a – le – grí – a,
un cán – ti – co de_a – more al na – cer el nue – vo dí – a.
El hi – zo_el cie – lo_el mar, el so y las es – tre – llas
y vio_en e – llos bon – dad, pues sus o – bras e – ran be – llas.
Estribillo
¡A – le – lu – ia! ¡A – le – lu – ia!
Can – te – mos al Se – ñor. ¡A – le – lu – ia!
Can – te – mos al Se – ñor un him – no de_a – la – ban – za
que_ex – pre – se nues – tro_a – mor, nues – tra fe_y nues – tra_es – per – ran – za.
En to – da la crea – ción pre – go – na su gran – de – za,
a – sí nues – tro can – tar va_a – num – cian – do su be – lle – za. Estribillo
This is another of the masses that were bought by our parish in search of settings to use locally. Peter Grant is an Australian composer and this mass is part of As One Voice’s Liturgical series. There are samples of these masses in no particular order at the AOV site here. There are all worth a listen but do go and hear what Peter’s mass is supposed to sound like with piano and voice.
Since if I can convince anyone locally to do this mass next year it will be on guitar, I’ve used guitar based backings on BIAB to create my backings for the mass. While the backings are all computer based I have strummed these through and they are quite playable and singable to.
I’m not doing the Kyrie nor Our Father because we don’t sing them but do listen to the Lord Have Mercy in the samples as it is quite lovely.
The Glory to God is 6/8 and starts with 2 Glory’s before the refrain, which is a nice touch. I’ve done it on Trumpet first, then the vocal line before starting the refrain the first time. Even with a repeated refrain and a prolonged amen it clocks in under 3 minutes. It has a memorable chorus and navigates the clumsy text with aplomb with repeating melodic motifs that link similar lines in the text. The transition from chorus to verse is a little breathless but I’m sure manageable. My backing doesn’t give you the right dynamics for the full dramatic impact but, as always, may work for learning purposes.
The Gospel Acclamation follows the style of the Gloria and allows for a chant of the appropriate verse before a repeat. Since that can’t be done in BIAB I’ve just done the acclamation.
For the Holy, Holy, Holy, Grant switches to a 4/4 motif that goes through into the Lamb of God, and is in the Kyrie as well. He puts in a long rising crescendo on “hosts” before his party trick, two descending triplets with the words returning (Heaven and earth) on the second triplet. The triplets are repeated for “Blessed is he” again with the words coming in on the second triplet. I’ve put a piano line in the backing so you can hear what he is up to, but it is an original and effective device.
We use the “When We Eat This Bread” acclamation, so that’s the one I’ve done. This is 4/4 but more forceful than the Sanctus. He repeats “until you come again.”
The Great Amen returns to the 6/8 of the Gloria.
The Lamb of God is minor key version of the style of the Holy Holy with the triplet trick pulled off again. It also manages to be long enough that it won’t need repeating for your priest to finish all the liturgical business he wants done at this time. He repeats the “have mercy”
This mass is eminently playable, even on guitar, has memorable hooks and nuance. (perhaps not noticeable in my backings) For those who were sorry the revised Mass of Freedom was such a disappointment, this mass can have the same flow but with a lighter dancing touch. This one might have legs and it is certainly worth going to the AOV site and buying a full copy to try it out yourself.
This is Bob Hurd’s entry into the Good Friday Adoration of the Cross stakes. You can hear his lovely version here. I wonder if it works better as a solo, which is really OK because it is a situation where you may not want the assembly singing necessarily for a change. On the hand these kids do a nice enough job.
We have a fairly set list of songs we have done for years on Good Friday but we never have done this one and I think we should consider it for next Easter.
Verse 1
Behold the cross on which was hung
life’s very Lord, God’s only Son;
Mary’s own babe, so cold and so still,
helpless before her on Calvary hill.
Verse 2
Nails in his hands, nails in his feet,
a traitor kiss upon his cheek;
and his pierced heart, now broken in two,
love crucified for me and for you.
Verse 3
Eyes that won’t see, ears that won’t hear,
lips that deny the friend once so dear;
slowly he turns and captures your eye,
then passes on to Calv’ry to die.
Verse 4
Behold the cross of Christ in our midst:
all those who bear his wounds in their flesh.
Suff’ring for crimes of mercy and peace,
signs of the kingdom on Calvary street.
Verse 5
Behold the cross on which was hung
life’s very Lord, God’s only Son;
Mary’s own babe, so cold and so still,
helpless before her on Calvary hill.
Michael Lynch, who wrote this song is part of the OCP stable. He wrote the more famous (around these parts anyway), “Bread , Blessed and Broken”, but much more importantly he is Ukelele Mike Lynch, which makes him all things important and wonderful in the world. (gotta love ukes) Listen to the snippet on AOV to get the idea. The text is Matt 21 and, yes, it does appear to have been written for schoolchildren, but that does not mean it has no other use. Each verse has a liturgical use, eg Palm Sunday, Easter, Christmas etc and rather than sing the whole song, I suspect picking the appropriate verse is the best idea.
I wish I’d known this earlier that he was Ukelele Mike, because this song might have sounded better with a ukelele backing. Instead I just build more instruments each verse, but, if nothing else, the backing may help you learn the song. I set it at 130 bpm.
Refrain
Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessings on the King!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Son of God, we sing!
Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessings on the King!
We praise you, we bless you, our gifts to you we bring.
This is a traditional African American song, suitable for Good Friday services if you can handle it.
Johnny Cash and the Carter family do an extraordinary version here. Even better are Sam Cooke and the Souls Stirrers (listen from 1:45) here. Less wonderful, but a better guide for use in a church here. The last word goes to Paul Robeson as is fitting here.
My backing is at 90bpm and just goes.
Verse 1
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Verse 2
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Verse 3
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
This is by one of the lesser known St Louis Jesuits, Tim Manion. A setting of Ps 26 it is up against it because it was written before the illogical “Yahweh” ban – incidentally the ban reminds me of the Jehovah scene in Life of Brian. I suppose to replace Yahweh you’d need “Lord God” but it doesn’t work well. Hurd’s setting (AOV 2/14) is the one we use and is a rousing energetic psalm, whereas this is more relaxed and reflective. I suppose it depends what you are after.
The original can be heard here with all the lovely harmonies that remind of the Mitchell Trio. This is a very nice version on Youtube by DD on vocal and guitar.
Refrain
To You, Yahweh, I lift up my soul O my God.
To You, Yahweh, I lift up my soul, O my God.
Verse 1
Yahweh, show your ways to me.
Teach me Your paths and
Keep me in the ways of Your truth,
For You are the God that saves me.
Refrain
Verse 2
The Lord is so good, so holy.
Sinners find the way,
And in all that is right He guides the humble.
The poor he leads in His pathways.
Refrain
Verse
All day long I hope in Your goodness.
Remember Your love,
The love that You promised long ago.
And the kindness that you gave from of old.
This is another song by the mysterious Robyn Horner who has made herself scarce internet wise. There is a Robyn Horner who is a theologian at ACU, perhaps she wrote songs in an earlier iteration of her life. If anyone knows if that is so, I’m all ears.
You can hear a snippet of this beautiful song here at the AOV sample site. It is taken from Isaiah 61.
We’ve never done it in these parts and if isn’t being sung much these days it is a lost classic worth revisiting. I don’t think my backing does it justice but have a listen. I’ve set the tempo at 110.
Verse 1
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because the Lord our God has anointed me
To bring the good news to the afflicted,
Bind up the hearts of those who are broken;
To proclaim liberty to those who are bound.
Verse 2
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
To proclaim that God is here, to set hearts on fire,
To comfort the lost and all those in sorrow,
To bring them great joy and strengthen their spirits;
And in praise we will raise our voices to God.
Verse 3
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
To proclaim that God is just and will set us free;
Will raise up the poor and honour the humble;
True to the promise, will live with all people.
I will dance, I will sing, for great is the Lord!
Coda
The Spirit of the Lord,
The Spirit of the Lord moves on the face of the earth
I’ve been concentrating on As One Voice Vol 1, but here is one from The Source: New Songs 1 instead. By Chris Bowater and Ian Taylor it appear to be a power ballady sort of P&W song. For an astonishing brass band version of this song listen here. I can’t find any snippets of the original on the net, so unless you have better luck than me you are going to have to learn it from my backing.
Verse 1
Creation is awaiting the return of the King.
The trees are poised to clap their hands for joy.
The mountains stand majestic to salute their God;
The desert lies in wait to burst into bloom.
Chorus 1
The King is coming, the King is coming,
The King is coming, to set creation free.
The King is coming, the King is coming,.
The King is coming to set creation free.
Verse 2
The church is awaiting the return of the King.
The people joined together in his love.
Redeemed by his blood, washed in his word.
As a bride longs for her bridegroom the church looks to God.
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.
