Church Music

This setting of the twenty third Psalm wins the local popularity stakes.   It was written by prolific local Queensland songwriter, Brian Boniwell, about whom I know nothing in particular, but whose music I have been playing for simply ages. Despite departing from the text somewhat it still gets a Yes from the NLMB.

Paul Gurr’s version can be purchased on I-Tunes by following this link.

You can hear a tasteful version on guitar and vocal here…or you could learn it from the backing if you are not familar with it.

Verse 1

The Lord is my Shepherd, and I want to follow,
wherever he leads me, wherever he goes.
Over the mountains, the waters and by-ways,
valleys and highways he’s waiting for me.

Refrain

I want to go to meet him there, to lay myself down in his love.
The Lord is my shepherd, and I want to follow,
wherever he leads me, wherever he goes.

Verse 2

And while on the journey to where we are going,
he promised to be there to help us along.
And over the mountains we’ll walk on together,
to know all the wonders he’s given to me

Refrain

© Spectrum Publications, 1978.

http://www.spectrumpublications.com.au/

Another hymn set to the old hundredth, a setting of Ps 100.  The MIDI and score are available here.  Do watch it used as an entrance with all guns blazing here.  I’m surprised it got a tick from the NLMB being only 500 odd years old and from that hot bed of radical thought, Geneva.

My backings are a bit embarrassing after listening to the arrangement on Youtube.  BIAB does not do church organ well and they would do well to get some sampled church organ sounds.  On the other hand the silly faux Herbie Hancock version is for amusement only.

All people that on earth do dwell,
sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with mirth, his praise forth tell;
come ye before him and rejoice.

Know that the Lord is God indeed;
without our aid he did us make;
we are his folk, he doth us feed,
and for his sheep he doth us take.

O enter then his gates with praise;
approach with joy his courts unto;
praise, laud, and bless his name always,
for it is seemly so to do.

For why! the Lord our God is good;
his mercy is forever sure;
his truth at all times firmly stood,
and shall from age to age endure.

To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;

The God whom heav’n and earth adore,

From us and from the angel host

be praise and glory evermore.

Robin Mann is an Australian Lutheran songwriter from Adelaide. This song is reminiscent of “One Tin Soldier” and is a pleasantly simple and direct song.  It represents God as the familiar Abba to his children in a delightful way. He wrote it as a baptism song for his daughter, which is a pretty good motivation.  For a slow reverent American version watch this… or better yet on bells!

My backing is pretty obviously mostly MIDI.

Refrain

Father welcomes all his children

to his family through his Son.

Father giving his salvation,

life forever has been won.

Verse 1

Little children, come to me,

for my kingdom is of these;

life and love I have to give,

mercy for your sin.

Refrain

Verse 2

In the water, in the word,

in his promise be assured:

those who are baptised and believe

shall be born again.

Refrain

Verse 3

Let us daily die to sin,

let us daily rise with him —

walk in the love of Christ our Lord,

live in the peace of God.

Refrain

© Kevin Mayhew

Stuart Townend wrote this uplifting all purpose New Testament “psalm” and a fine thing it is too.  This is another song, not from “As One Voice”, but from “The Source New Songs 1.” Townend’s version is here.

The young calvanist who put up the video would be appalled, I suspect, but this might work at a second rite of reconciliation.

I hadn’t heard this before I did the backing but it sounds amazingly close, despite BIAB’s hatred of 6/8 time.  I suppose there aren’t many ways of doing P&W in 6/8.

Verse 1

All my days I will sing this song of gladness
Give my praise to the Fountain of delights
For in my helplessness You heard my cry
And waves of mercy poured down on my life

Verse 2

I will trust in the cross of my Redeemer
I will sing of the blood that never fails
Of sins forgiven of conscience cleansed
Of death defeated and life without end

Chorus

Beautiful Saviour Wonderful Counsellor
Clothed in majesty Lord of history

You’re the Way, the Truth the Life.

Star of the Morning, glorious in holiness,
You’re the Risen One heaven’s champion
And You reign You reign over all

Verse 3

I long to be where the praise is never-ending
Yearn to dwell where the glory never fades
Where countless worshippers will share one song
And cries of “worthy” will honour the Lamb

Refrain

*Rev Barry has noted omissions in the chorus that I have now plugged in – many thanks

© Kingsway’s Thankyou Music 1998.

What a great song by Joe Wise.  You don’t even have to check if this one got a tick from the NLMB, you know it hasn’t.  With lyrics calling to “old lovers” and describing God as “the Mother of all,” you know it won’t.

It can be bought as part of a collection here.

This song was written in 1982 and it sounds like it was written for a different Catholic Church than the fearful reactionary one we live in now. A call for radical equality in the church, even in the words of Paul,  just is not popular anymore – not enough respect for the hierarchy you know.

Refrain

Neither Greek, nor Jew, nor slave, nor free,

Neither woman nor man, but children are we,

Of the same God, the one Lord,

The Father of all, let it be.

Verse 1

From the four winds, and the high seas,

From the lowlands, and the valleys

We come to the table; to the Saviour, to the call.

Refrain

Verse 2

Your sons and your daughters, young brides and old lovers,

We come from the waters that spring from your side.

Refrain

Verse 3

From the one cup, from the one bread,

At the one meal we are all fed

Once more in the body, in the Spirit, in the dream

Refrain

The Mother of all, let it be.

© Joe Wise 1982.

This beautiful call to prayer by Bob Hurd has obvious liturgical applications.  You can hear his version here or a MIDI version here. It can be purchased for download at OCP.

They are pretty good prayers too.  I would have thought this was a shoe in for the tick from NLMB but alas no.  We don’t use it – I suppose we use Taizé’s “O Lord Hear My Prayer” instead.

 Refrain

O God, hear us; hear our prayer.

O God, hear us, hear our prayer.

Verse 1

You who chose the lowly to confound the proud of heart,

Give us the heart of Mary.

Hear us, O God.

Refrain

Verse2

May we be your justice; may we be your kindness and truth;

May we be your mercy.

Hear us, O God.

Refrain

Verse 3

Only earthen vessels are we who gather today.

Make us vessels of glory.

Hear us, O God.

Refrain

© Bob Hurd 1984.

Bernadette Farrell wrote this song that will be forever associated for me with my childrens’ confirmation and first Eucharist.  The music in AOV is adamant that this is acapella, apart from the bongo solo, but I must have got chords for it somewhere along the way and I based my backing on those.  However, it might be worth singing unaccompanied, once learnt.  Certainly, the version at spiritandsong has instruments. It can be purchased for download at spiritandsong.

Verse 1

God has chosen me, God has chosen me
to bring good news to the poor.
God has chosen me, God has chosen me
to bring new sight to those searching for light:
God has chosen me, chosen me:

Refrain
And to tell the world that God’s kingdom is near,
to remove oppression and breakdown fear,
yes, God’s time is near, God’s time is near,
God’s time is near, God’s time is near.

Verse 2

God has chosen me, God has chosen me
to set alight a new fire.
God has chosen me, God has chosen me
to bring to birth a new kingdom on earth:
God has chosen me, chosen me:

Refrain

Verse 3
God is calling me, God is calling me
in all whose cry is unheard.
God is calling me, God is calling me
to raise up the voice with no power or choice:
God is calling me, calling me:

Refrain

© Bernadette Farrell 1990.

This is a song from a collection called The Source New Songs 1 compiled by Graham Kendrick and published in 1999.  You can be buy it, amongst other places, here, and it is very good value.  It is essentially full of P&W songs, which AOV is not, so I thought I’d drop a few of these into the mix.  I bought the book years ago just to see what was out there.  It has 82 songs in three useful formats – piano, guitar and for OHPs.  I’ve only ever learnt a few of them, so this will allow me to find songs that I know nothing about.  It will also help when the AOV stuff isn’t noisy enough to be fun.

Paul Oakley wrote this song, which is just a straight rocker. If the first verse is a bit over the top you could what they do here, and just leave it out.  The rest of the song is fine.

Chorus

All around the world there’s a new day dawning
There’s a sound coming round there’s a new song rising up
Ah, it’s a new day!
Everywhere you go you hear this story
There’s a power coming down, there’s a glimpse of glory now
Ah, it’s a new day!

Verse 1

There’s a sound of praise, there’s a sound of war, yeah
Lift the banner high, let the Lion roar
Can you hear the sound in the tops of the trees, yeah?
Heaven’s armies come! Crush the enemy!

Chorus

Verse 2

Let the lame run, let the blind see!
Let Your power come, set the captives free!
Let the lost return to the Lover of our souls, yeah
Let the prodigal find the way back home.
Bridge

Lift Your hands before the King
Sovereign ruler of the earth
Let the nations come to Him
Let the cry of hearts be heard
Revive us! Revive us! Revive us again! (Repeat)

Chorus

© Kingway’s Thankyou Music 1997.

Br Michael Herry’s song is very much in the folk tradition and reminds me of The Seekers.  You can hear the whole song at the Marist website.  It does sound very dated, perhaps because we don’t feel very joyful in hope these days – maybe it’s time to sing it again.  Not even the Marists could get it a Yes from the NLMB though.

Verse 1

Joyful in hope, your people pray.

Joyful in hope we’re on our way.

Though the road may not be clear,

We believe, Lord, you are near

In the smile and open heart of a friend.

Verse 2

Joyful in hope, your people pray.

Joyful in hope we’re on our way.

There’s sunshine after rain;

There’s laughter after pain;

And I am with you always, so rise again.

Verse 3

Mary, so open to the Lord,

When you answered, “Yes” our hope was restored.

Though you couldn’t understand,

In trust you took his hand.

So, joyful in hope, we live again.

© Spectrum Publications.

http://www.spectrumpublications.com.au/

This is a great song by Marty Haugen, althought his version really doesn’t do it justice.  It has multiple liturgical uses and is a frequent choice by our liturgists.  I hadn’t noticed the 4th – 7th verses because we never get that far.  I’d love to sing to the whales at mass.  I suspect that’s what got it the Bishop’s tick from the NLMB.

The text is available here (just scroll down a little). It can be purchased at GIA and various download sites on the net.

The music says it is to be played “Light and detached”… any ideas?  Perhaps a bossa?