Church Music

This very stately hymn is by Randall DeBruyn and you can listen to it here. This another one that my old guitar version of AOV had a misplaced page.  I coped with an assembly version and the chords from the OCP site and I’m sure the current AOVs are fine.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

I worry it is a delicate flower of a song that might wind up sounding like “Jerusalem” with too many voices. Here is a comment from a fan of the song.

 Verse 1

O most high and glorious God,

Cast your light into the darkness of my heart.

Give me right faith, and certain hope,

And perfect, perfect charity.

Give me true insight, Lord, and wisdom,

That I may always live within your ever holy will,

Lord may your light within me burn,

Shining out in perfect charity.

Verse 2

O most high and glorious God,

Open wide the door that leads me to your love.

Give me your firm, yet gentle strength;

May I live that perfect charity.

Lord, may your peace be ever in me,

That I may always seek to serve your children here on earth;

That I may find my home in you,

And live in perfect charity.

Verse 3

Then most high and thankful praise

I will sing unto the glory of your name:

To Father, Son, and Spirit bright,

Living Presence, Perfect Charity.

Praise to the Love that shines in splendour,

That lights the pathways of my heart,

And brings me close to you. O Holy One,

Invite me in, where you live in perfect charity.

© Randall DeBruyn 1982.

A Mary song from Owen Alstott. You can hear the original version here, in all its monkish delight.

It can be purchased for download at OCP. The text is here. (scroll down)

I’m not sure about this one – it would be good to hear it sung by a ordinary church choir.

More music from Bob Hurd and another Psalm setting -sort of (Ps 16&61 +Luke13). the original is here. TTK perform the song here. It must be popular as there are many Youtube versions out there of greatly varying quality.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

Refrain

Shelter me, O God; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

You alone are my hope

Verse 1

When my foes surround me, set me high above their reach.

Hear me when I call your name.

Refrain

Verse 2

As a mother gathers her young beneath her care,

Gather me unto your arms.

Refrain

Verse 3

Though I walk in darkness, through the needle’s eye of death,

You will never leave my side.

Refrain

© Bob Hurd 1984

Another Psalm setting, this time Psalm 27 by Christopher Walker. You can hear a snippet of a children’s choir singing the song at the OCP site and an adult singing along with a children’s choir at AOV. I don’t think that means it is only a children’s song, however.

It can be purchased at OCP.

 Refrain

O God, nothing can take us from your love,

Nothing can take us from your love. (Rpt 1st time only)

Verse 1

God, my light and my salvation, you are my help.

Refrain

Verse 2

You are always there to love me, you keep me safe.

Refrain

Verse 3

And when evil is around me, I have no fear.

Refrain

© Christopher Walker 1988, 1989, 1990.

Paul Inwood’s setting of Ps 128 is one we have frequently used as a refrain but never the whole song. It was last Sunday’s Psalm and we were going to sing the whole thing but other arrangements were made and we didn’t.  It is rather tricky and you have to get past all the women objecting being called a fruitful vine. You can hear the original here.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

Refrain

O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Verse 1

O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways!

By the labor of your hands you shall eat.

You will be happy and prosper.

Refrain

Verse 2

Your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house;

Your children like shoots of the olive around your table.

Refrain

Verse 3

Indeed thus shall be blest all those who fear the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life!

Refrain

© Paul Inwood 1981.

This song by Bernadette Farrell has seventeen verses so I doubt anyone would expect to sing them all in one go. It is not a favourite of mine as gets sing-songy after a while, but then we don’t do it like the gospel song it should be (listen here).

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

My backing only goes for a few verses.

God of Abraham, lead us, lead us to your kingdom.

Into fruitfulness, lead us, lead us together, lead us to freedom.

 

God of Sarah be with us, lead us to your kingdom.

Through our laughter and labor, lead us together, lead us to freedom.

 

God of Moses and Aaron, lead us to your kingdom.

Out of slavery, lead us, lead us together, lead us to freedom.

 

God of Miriam, lead us, lead us to your kingdom.

Into songs of hope lead us, lead us together, lead us to freedom.

 

God of Naomi, lead us, lead us to your kingdom.

Into love and care, lead us, lead us together, lead us to freedom.

 

God of Israel, lead us, lead us to your kingdom.

To the promised land, lead us, lead us together, lead us to freedom.

 

God of Samuel, lead us, lead us to your kingdom.

Into listening, lead us, lead us together, lead us to freedom.

 

God of Mary be with us, lead us to your kingdom.

Into trusting you lead us, lead us together, lead us to freedom.

(last time) Lead us to freedom now.

Remaining verses as above

God of Jesus Christ / Into your new creation

Guiding light for our journey / Out of shadows and darkness

By the waters of healing / Into life everlasting

Through the word that is spoken / Through the bread that is broken

God of all living people / Into unity lead us

God of ev’ry race lead us / In diversity lead us

God of women of all time / Out of history lead us

God of humankind, lead us / Into harmony lead us

Lead us now and forever / Give us now a new future

© Bernadette Farrell 1990.

Another David Haas song, this time with a text from Isaiah, with uses for encouragement, farewell and funerals. It has to compete with other shepherd and flying like an eagle songs.

This is a solo country version, but this is more like what it would sound like in church. This one has a beautiful violin and piano duet for a minute and a half before the singers start that is worth a listen.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

We’ve never used it, but with so many Youtube clips it must be popular in the US. Each verse has a subtlely different tune over the same chord progression, so it would need care.

Verse 1

Like a shepherd I will feed you; I will gather you with care.
I will lead you and hold you close to my heart.

Refrain

We will run and not grow weary, for our God will be our strength,
and we will fly like the eagle, we will rise again.

Verse 2

I am strength to the weary; to the weak I am new life.
Though the young may grow weary, I will be their hope.

Refrain

Verse 3

Lift up your eyes, and see who made the stars.
I lead you, and I know you, I call you each by name.

Refrain

Verse 4

Fear not, I am with you; I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; uphold you with my hand.

Refrain

© David Haas 1985.

Our parish has so far used the new Mass of Creation for 2 months; Paul Mason’s Mass of Glory and Praise for two months and now we have just started using Mason’s revision of the Mass Shalom. The consensus at a liturgy teams meeting recently was NO MORE. So I think we will be cycling through them for a while.  I’m not convinced about the revised masses (I know Mass of Glory and Praise is a revised mass, but as we had never done it, we don’t need to unlearn it.) so I am still looking at other masses.  With the USA starting this journey soon, the flood gates have well and truly opened – this site will give a taste of it.

I’ve seen lots of good comments about Ed Bolduc’s Mass of St Ann, and enough grumbling from the usual suspects to think it worth a look.  You can hear it played properly here, although it has that odd American choir sound that sounds strange to me.  You can download the sheet music cheaply from WLP, or look at the sample pages to see what you think.

I think it’s really very good.  It keeps to two basic patterns and the same tunes get tossed around to help with remembering the pieces. It is joyful and apart from a few high Ds to annoy groaners like me appears singable. (The is an alto line for those in trouble.)

I’ve made some backings to help learn the pieces. The real music has a fair bit of contrast, excitement and nuance that I don’t quite capture with BIAB and I’ve kept the Lamb of God somewhat rougher than the official version, but feel free to sing along

As always, I’m omitting the very pretty Kyrie, because we never sing it at our church.

I’ve done the Gloria with refrains, although there is a sing through version. It isn’t actually that long and the chorus is probably the best bit. The text is according to Hoyle except the refrain adds an extra Glory:

Glory! Glory to God in the highest.

Glory! Glory to God in the highest.

And on earth peace to people of good will.

It is in the 6/8 motif that Bolduc uses throughout the mass, except for the Kyrie, the Memorial Acclamations and the Lamb of God.

The gospel acclamation continues the upbeat mood set by the Gloria. There are four alternative verses given and I’ve chosen the first.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

My sheep hear my voice says the Lord.

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Bolduc keeps the 6/8 uplift into the Holy, Holy and the statacco “Glory” from the Gloria is now three rapid fire shots of Holy’s. He diverges from the text by repeating Hosanna at the beginning of the last line, then repeats the whole line:

Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

He reverts to a more sedate 4/4 beat for the Memorial Acclamations.  I’ve picked “When We Eat This Bread.” He repeats the last line here as well.

The Great Amen – there are 6 amens –  is back in the joyful 6/8 rhythm.

The Lamb of God completes the mass and has only one token minor chord at the start of the last verse, which is a bit unusual for the Agnes Dei, which is often written in a minor key.

I suspect this one will be popular in Australia as well as the US and is probably coming to a parish near you.

I can hardly claim to be teaching anyone this song on this blog, but it is there in As One Voice, so for what it is worth I’ll include it.  A traditional gaelic melody with words by Eleanor Farjeon and made famous by Cat Stevens. In his version he has “from the world” rather than “Word”, which is an interesting change.

My backing keeps things simple.

Morning has broken like the first morning,

Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.

Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!

Praise for them springing fresh from the Word!

 

Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven,

Like the first dewfall on the first grass.

Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,

Sprung in completeness where his feet pass.

 

Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning.

Born of the one light Eden saw play!

Praise with elation, praise every morning,

God’s recreation of the new day!

© Eleanor Farjeon 1957.

PS  Many years ago I MIDI’d the Cat Stevens arrangement including the piano part by hand.  This gives a piano roll effect like this:

This is a huge song by Christopher Walker that will need all your resources to pull off. Listen to the massed choir, brass and pipe organ perform the piece at this site … and a lovely job they do too, the questions is, can it by done in the suburbs with minimal resources?

Probably not… This church has a go and get a bit ragged and race the song somewhat. There are other youtube versions that appear to be massive occasions and I suspect that is where this hymn belongs, as a magnificent processional when you have the resources.

It can be purchased for download at OCP.

My backing is an attempt at the orchestral with BIAB that has to fail.

 Refrain

Out of darkness God has called us,

Claimed by Christ as God’s own people.

Holy nation, royal priesthood,

Walking in God’s marv’lous light. (Rpt 1st time)

Verse 1

Let us take the words you give,

Strong and faithful words to live.

Words that in our hearts are sown;

Words that bind us as your own.

Refrain

Verse 2

Let us take the Christ you give,

Broken body Christ we live.

Christ the risen from the tomb;

Christ who calls us as your own.

Refrain

Verse 3

Let us take the love you give,

That the way of love we live.

Love to bring your people home;

Love to make us all your own.

Refrain

© Christopher Walker 1989.