Church Music

This is another musical version of an ancient blessing from Numbers 6:22-27, but one we have actually used and found quite singable. This one is by Christopher Walker. The snippet at AOV has all you need to hear. I do it at ~90 bpm.  I also add a bar at the end of each time through to keep things peaceful.

May God bless and keep you,

May God’s face shine on you:

May God be kind to you and give you peace.

© Christopher Walker 1988.

This is another song from the seventies that had passed me by. It appears to have been a one hit wonder for Greg Hayakawa and although he was published by OCP there is little other trace of him on the net. The original is available for listening here. I like it’s relaxed style and pleasant harmony vocal.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

Obviously based on John, there are also nods to Matthew and Ephesians. Easter vigil is it’s natural home as in this clip.

My backing is uke based to keep it light.

Refrain
“I am the Light of the world,” says the Lord;
“They who follow me will have the light of life.”

Verse 1

“Arise,” says the Lord,
“Have no fear within you;
for in my presence there will be no darkness.
I am the Light of the world.”

Refrain

Verse 2

“Walk in the light,
there is no cause to stumble;
I have come to light the path before you.
I am the Light of the world.”

Refrain

Verse 3

“Listen to my words;
they are from the One who sent me:
For you, my friends, are called to share God’s glory.
You are the Light of the world.”

 

Refrain

© Greg Hayakawa 1978,1979.

Another traditional hymn, this time from the sixteenth century. A setting of Ps 90 by Isaac Watts and William Croft, I don’t think we’ve done it in living memory. AOV leaves out the second verse from the text below. It really needs organ and massed voices as heard here.

1.	O God, our help in ages past, 
	our hope for years to come, 
	our shelter from the stormy blast, 
	and our eternal home.

2.	Under the shadow of thy throne, 
	still may we dwell secure; 
	sufficient is thine arm alone, 
	and our defense is sure.

3.	Before the hills in order stood, 
	or earth received her frame, 
	from everlasting, thou art God, 
	to endless years the same.

4.	A thousand ages, in thy sight, 
	are like an evening gone; 
	short as the watch that ends the night, 
	before the rising sun.

5.	Time, like an ever rolling stream, 
	bears all who breathe away; 
	they fly forgotten, as a dream 
	dies at the opening day.

6.	O God, our help in ages past, 
	our hope for years to come; 
	be thou our guide while life shall last, 
	and our eternal home.

The advent song. It is a nineteenth century translation by John M. Neale of a ninth century latin text.  It is best sung unaccompanied. The order of the verses varies from source to source, but this is the order in AOV. Just for fun, this is Enya‘s version.

A song by Liat Chung Ham, about whom I can find little on the net.  It’s a gentle chant. You can hear a snippet from AOV here.

Holy, holy, holy Lord;

Praise and honour are yours,

For you alone are worthy to receive the glory and praise.

Holy, holy, holy Lord;

Praise and honour are yours,

For you alone are worthy to receive the glory and praise.

Lord, receive the glory and praise.

Lord, receive the glory and praise.

© Liat Chung Ham

Just in time for Christmas, I’ve reached the run of Christmas songs in AOV.  I can’t pretend anyone needs to find out about these songs for the first time and the lyrics are well known, so I’ll just put up the tunes for fun.

165 What Child is This? (William C Dix, tune: Greensleeves)

167 O Come, All Ye Faithful (John F. Wade  trans. Frederick Oakley)

168 Silent Night (Joseph Mohr, Franz Xavier Gruber)

169 The First Noel (trad.)

170 Joy to the World (Isaac Watts, G. F. Handel)

NB play this down 2 semitones in C and everyone will sing. (This backing is in D)

171 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (Charles Wesley, Felix Mendelssohn)

172 While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night (Nahum Tate, G. F. Handel)

…or the tune I associate with that text.

No, I haven’t forgotten song 165 – all will be explained tomorrow.

This song by Jesse Manibusan is very useful and is played often at our church.  We have used it to frame the prayers of the faithful for special occasions and we did use it as a gospel acclamation for a long time. The very beautiful original can be heard here. It is very restrained, which is difficult to achieve with an assembly singing it, so don’t expect the subtlety heard there. This is more what your going hear in church.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

Jesse Manibusan sings it with a preamble here where you can see and hear the fingerpicking style he uses. For more basic guitarists (ie me) capo 2nd fret.

Open my eyes, Lord
Help me to see your face
Open my eyes, Lord
Help me to see.

Open my ears, Lord
Help me to hear your voice
Open my ears, Lord
Help me to hear.

Open my heart, Lord
Help me to love like you
Open my heart, Lord
Help me to love.

I live within you
Deep in your heart, oh, love
I live within you
Rest now in me.

© Jesse Manisuban 1988.

Bernadette Farrell’s song is a Eucharist song, so always something I’m looking for.  It is awfully slow and would need expert singing to avoid problems I suspect. A version (though not the lyrics as in AOV) can be heard here. You can hear an organ and voice version here that is not quite as slow and seems to sing more easily.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

The lyrics on the recording are:

Refrain.
Bread of life, hope of the world,
Jesus Christ, our brother;
feed us now, give us life,
lead us to one another.

Verse 1.

A child is born for us,
a son is given to us,
in our midst, Christ, our Lord and God
comes as one who serves.

Refrain

Verse 2.

With our own eyes we see,
with our own ears we hear
the salvation of all the world,
God’s incarnate Word.

Refrain.

Verse 3.

You are the hope of all,
our promise and our call,
radiant light in our darkness,
truth to set us free.

Refrain.

AOV has another set of lyrics with the same chorus but different verses:

Verse 1

As we proclaim your death as we recall your life,

We remember your promise to return again.

Verse 2

The bread we break and share was scattered once as grain:

Just as now it is gathered, make your people one.

Verse 3

We eat this living bread, we drink this saving cup:

Sign of hope in our broken world, source of lasting  love.

Verse 4

Hold us unity, in love for all to see;

That the world may believe in you, God of all who live.

Verse 5

You are the bread of peace, you are the wine of joy,

Broken now for your people, poured in endless love.

© Bernadette Farrell 1982,1987.

Bob Hurd‘s song is new to me but is very pretty and suitable for baptismal situations.  We would probably use Andersen’s “Come to the Water” or even Rita Baloche’s “Flowing River” but this is worth a listen.  The original can be heard here.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

Refrain
Flow river flow, flow over me.
O living water, poured out for free;
O living water, flow over me.

Verse 1

You will be mine
and I will be your God,
for I will wash you clean.
And a new heart,
a heart of flesh and feeling,
I will place within you
for your heart of stone.

Refrain

Verse 2

The blind shall see,
the mute shall find a voice,
the lame shall leap for joy.
Rivers will flow
into dry and barren desert,
flowers bloom in splendor,
glory fill the land.

Refrain

Verse 3

Whoever drinks the water I will give
will never thirst again.
The drink I give is an ever-flowing river,
welling up within you to give eternal life.

© Bob Hurd 1986.

Another hymn from Christopher Willcock that sounds as if the the tune is ancient but was published in 1991. The snippet at AOV gives you the idea. It’s not the sort of hymn I’m used to – sort of recent but traditional. The text is a fine one from 2nd Corinthians and makes a subtle eucharistic hymn.

Verse 1

No longer slaves in strange and foreign lands,

Nor children shunned, we build a home with you.

We learn to speak a word that drives out fear.

Refrain

Be reconciled as one, to God in Christ;

Be newly fashoned now, and sent to heal;

Become God’s goodness now to all in need;

Advance the grace of God that you’ve received.

Verse 2

Gathered at bread, and reconciled by blood,

We yield our hate, since life has conquered death.

What is estranged is welcomed and restored.

Refrain

Verse 3

Sent out in peace, we hold within our hands

One Word made flesh, that’s broken and makes whole,

Carried in earthen jars along the way.

Refrain

© Christopher Willcock SJ 1991.