This is one spirit song that has emerged from pack of spirit songs, which we do use. Another David Haas song and so automatically despised in some quarters. It is a gentle song with uses for Pentecost and confirmation but also a general entrance or recessional. The instructions “light and rocking” mean back and forth not ROCK.
This church has red hot go at this song with a soloist doing the verses with additional harmony vocals and ensemble (+ horns) for the chorus. I suspect this is the original being used for a liturgical dance. I’ve linked this one that is really a bit fast just because the person filming on his camera tries valiantly to follow the words in the songbook and such wierdness merits reward and attention.
Another spirit song, this time from Gregory Norbet. The version that you can listen to here has something of the chant about it, but is pleasant enough. There is however a lot of competition for these sort of songs and I’m not sure I’m going to rush to this one. That said “birthing our love” is a fine sentiment and sung gently and reverently it would work well.
This song in Spanish and English is by Bob Hurd is based on Ps104:30 and useful for Pentecost amongst other uses. The chorus in Spanish has an English counter melody that I have omitted in my backing for clarity that translates the Spanish as “Send out your Spirit, send out and renew the face of the earth.” There are verses in Spanish if you want to go monolingual here. You can listen to a very sedate version of it there as well. A more uptempo version can be heard here.
I wonder about English speakers singing this in Spanish, should we bother? It does seem singing in another language makes us think a bit about what we are singing, and John Bell certainly uses many languages in his search for congregational singing.
I think it would sound best a little slower than the 120 in the music so I’ve slowed my backing to 110.
Refrain
Envía tu Espíritu,
envía tu Espíritu,
envía tu Espíritu,
sea renovada la faz de la tierra.
Sea renovada la faz de la tierra.
Verse 1
Spirit of the living God, burn in our hearts,
and make us a people of hope and compassion.
Refrain
Verse 2
Wind of promise, wind of change, friend of the poor,
empower your people to make peace and justice.
Refrain
Verse 3
Breath of life and holiness, heal every wound,
and lead us beyond every sin that divides us.
I’m not exactly sure why I despise this song. I recall at Sunday school singing it off a large book with sickly sweet pictures on it, but that’s not a good enough reason. You can read the background of the song and its author here. Perhaps it was better in the original Swedish, who knows.
This gooey country version goes all out schaltz, but I think Elvis tops it. Hillsong do it here and Newsong here – slightly better. There are more versions of this on Youtube than I care to watch ( Susan Boyle anyone) but I am almost convinced by Johnny Cash, whose voice almost redeems it. Willy Nelson’s version is probably the best of all.
My backing is a bit country too, but unless Willy will sing it for me I think I’ll avoid it.
I’d never come across this song by Peter Kearney before. It sounds dated because of the folk idiom and the optimism of a song that says with hope, ‘ “Where to now?” is surely our concern.’ Listen to him sing it here and ignore the pictures if you wish.
This one turns up very occasionally in our liturgies. It is written by Bob Dufford whose mass I’m already missing. He based it on Ps 118, but I’m not sure why the Sanctus winds up in the second verse. It sounds a bit like the Star Wars theme in waltz time, but it is singable enough I suppose. The original in all its seventies glory can be heard here.
David Haas wrote this simple tune based on a Navaho Indian prayer. It is serviceable and so has been used a lot where such a prayer has been needed. It isn’t a great song but he does it simply and well here with added peaceable pictures.
Guitarists should be warned that 6 verses of a barred F will be unpleasant and capo 3 would ease the burden.
The text is available here. It can purchased at GIA.
My backing does it no favours but should be fine for learning the song.
It has occured to me that the point of making backings to learn new songs that was so relevant for As One Voice: the Next Generation, which I completed some time ago and can be searched for on this blog, is somewhat less relevant for the older AOV collections and especially songs like this one by Dan Schutte. There may be someone in a Catholic Church somewhere who doesn’t know this song, but I seriously doubt it. In fact he rates his own category of dismissal at Orthometer, where merely being composed by this man is grounds for dismissal. So Schutte is up there with Haas and Haugen in the loathing stakes for whatever reason. (The blogs say he is a gay ex-priest which whips up certain bloggers loathing for his music with a new and unnatural passion.)
You can hear his version here, complete with lots of prochoice photos for some reason.
I have posted a backing for this as an incidental note to a posting here. A little too bossa to use really.
Since I don’t think I can teach anyone this song, perhaps I can comment on it, with my only qualification being having played it inumerable times. It is a guitarists’ song that should be sped up to 108-120 and use jangly sounds when fiddling with the runs around the D chord and the interludes from chorus back to verse. Even better, do the bass run in the middle of the verses if you can (too hard for me). Done at the original speed it becomes a dirge. It is a song that is incredibly special to many people, especially those called through the RCIA. God (as sung by the assembly) calls in the verse and the people (singing for themselves) respond in the chorus. I would not want to minimise the obvious feeling this song can generate and the fact that it is despised by many is neither here nor there (as is the sexuality of the composer for that matter).
I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Refrain
Here I am, Lord.
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord,
if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
Verse 2
I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.
I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my word to them.
Whom shall I send?
Refrain
Verse 3
I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide
Till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?
This song is by Carey Landry and not my favourite piece of music in the world. He cops a lot of criticism for his a) folk style of music and b) leaving the priesthood and marrying. I’m not slightly worried by either of those things, but I still think the song is a bit soppy. The link suggests the demonic things he’s been doing since he left the priesthood – shame on you doing good works like that. You can hear the original here. Lots of people like the song here and hate Carey Landry here, although in between the vitriol poor innocent souls are asking for details for getting his music.
I will never forget you my people,
I have carved you on the palm of My hand,
I will never forget you,
I will not leave you orphaned,
I will never forget my own…
Verse 2
Does a mother forget her baby,
Or a woman the child within her womb,
Yet even if these forget,
Yes even if these forget,
I will never forget my own.
Stephen Robinson’s setting of Ps 34 has been used frequently at our church, but mostly just the refrain as a response. That’s a pity because the verse is more singable than the chorus with its jump from F to D to scare the groaners like myself. Listen to the snippet from AOV here to get an idea of the light touch that they use for this psalm. Stephen Robinson wrote the Mass for Moderns that we used a lot until very recently. I haven’t seen a revised edition of it about, which is sad.
Refrain
Taste and see, taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Taste and see, taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
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.
