Church Music

This traditional Shaker song turned up in a liturgy a few weeks ago locally.  I find it hard to keep up with the “fast and lively” instruction on the music.  This is a lively version.

Verse 1

I danced in the morning when the world was begun
I danced in the Moon & the Stars & the Sun
I came down from Heaven & I danced on Earth
At Bethlehem I had my birth:Chorus

Dance then, wherever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said He!Verse 2

I danced for the scribe & the pharisee
But they would not dance & they wouldn’t follow me
I danced for fishermen, for James & John
They came with me & the Dance went on:Chorus

Verse3

I danced on the Sabbath & I cured the lame
The holy people said it was a shame!
They whipped & they stripped & they hung me high
And they left me there on a cross to die!Chorus

Verse 4

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back
They buried my body & they thought I’d gone
But I am the Dance & I still go on!Chorus

Verse 5

They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the Life that’ll never, never die!
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in Me –
I am the Lord of the Dance, said He!Chorus

© Stainer & Bell 1963.

As One Voice have produced a mass booklet with melody line versions of eleven settings.  I think I need it for the responses too, because while they are meant to be on the overheads at our church it seems to disappear at the worst times.  Worth buying in bulk.

A very useful chant from Taize.  Hear it here.

O Lord, hear my prayer,

O Lord, hear my prayer:

When I call answer me,

O Lord, hear my prayer,

O Lord, hear my prayer,

Come and listen to me.

© Ateliers Et Presses De Taizé.

This is the first song in AOV from Dan Schutte, another of the very popular composers of catholic music who is equally loved and reviled.  We use his Easter music every year locally and it works very well indeed.  This song, based on Ps 65 & 66, is very popular too, although we never seem to get to the interesting fourth verse with its different tune.  You can hear his version here.  You’ve got to love the bass run at the end of the verses.

It is available to purchase for download at OCP.

Chorus
Glory and praise to our God, who alone gives light to our days.
Many are the blessing he bears to those who trust in his ways.
Verse 1

We, the daughters and sons of him who built the valleys
and plains,

Praise the wonders our God has done in every
heart that sings.

Chorus
Verse 2

In his wisdom he strengthens us, like gold that’s tested in
fire.

Though the power of sin prevails, our God is there to save.

Chorus

Verse 3

Every moment of every day, our God is waiting to save,

Always ready to seek the lost, to answer those who pray.

Chorus

Verse 4

God has watered our barren land and spent his merciful
rain.

Now the rivers of life run full for anyone to drink.

Chorus

© Daniel L Schutte and New Dawn Music.

This group have put together in one page many of the problems in the Church. (see the story in SMH )

You can read the text here and sign the petition if you agree.

I don’t think it will make any difference to the current leadership in Rome, but I think is important to sign it, if only to put some discord into the echo chamber of self congratulation in support of reaction in the Church.

This piece by Donald Fishel is another Gospel Acclamation we have used a lot over the years, but less since we have been trying to do whole mass settings.  He is a flautist, which explains the solo instrument line that would sound great with a real live flute. There are four verses to pick from in AOV and while you could sing all four, it would disrupt the liturgical flow.  Fishel actually wrote it as a whole song to be sung with the five (? what is missing in AOV) verses, so perhaps we should forget about it as a piece for a specific part of mass and just sing it.  My backing is just refrain/verse/refrain, however.

Refrain
Alleluia, alleluia!
Give thanks to the risen Lord.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Give praise to his name.

1. Jesus is Lord of all the earth;
He is the king of creation.

2. Spread the good news o’er all the earth:
Jesus has died and has risen.

3. We have been crucified with Christ;
Now we shall live forever.

4. Come, let us praise the living God;
Joyfully sing to our Savior.

PS I’ve found the missing verse:

God has proclaimed the just reward
Life for all men, alleluia!

Having absolutely nothing to do with the liturgy or music today at Mass, I went and talked to people beforehand, sat in the pews and sang along, went to Eucharist and stayed behind to talk some more.

The music was provided by a pianist doing an extra spot, filling in for someone who was away.  The singers who led us were about ten strong and were led by an enthusiastic lady.  They have no pretentions for choral excellence but sing in normal voices that blend with the assembly.  We stumbled our way through the new version the Mass of Creation (and the responses for that matter) and we sang new songs and old songs.

…and the Spirit was there as much as any Cathedral and survived the lack of pretension (and incence) and was recognisably Catholic and there was a suitably short, apposite and to the point homily bringing the gospel into our lives from the Priest.  None of this is extraordinary and I’m sure it goes on all the time, but, for example, we used a Haugen recessional, “Bring Forth the Kingdom” without traumatising anyone noticeably.  We sang a reverant new song by Amanda McKenna, “Jesus, Bread of Life” that was picked up (the chorus anyway) by the pew sitters and sung.

We also sang Ruach, an old Hebrew melody according to the music:

Choir

Spirit, Spirit, Spirit of God

Descant

Not by might or power,

But by the Spirit of God.

None of this is to say that what happens in the Cathedral can’t be a work of the Spirit, although the anonymity of it all must make it a struggle, just to say that we have no power in the suburbs, we are the anawin of God, but the Spirit moves nonetheless and we shall see where it goes.

This setting is by the late Br Colin Smith. He was well known for his Mass Shalom, recently revised by Paul Mason.

My backing just gives the tones for the verses.  You get a better idea from this excerpt.

Response

Today is born our Saviour,

Christ, our Saving Lord.

Verse 1

Sing a new song to the Lord.

O sing to the Lord; bless his name.

Verse 2

Proclaim his help day by day and his glory among the people,

And his wonders among all the nations.

Verse 3

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad.

Let the land and all it bears rejoice.

Verse 4

For the Lord rules the world with justice,

And he judges the people with truth.

© Colin D Smith, 1990.

Everyone knows this Gospel Acclamation by Fintan O’Carroll and Christopher Walker.  It has lots of alternative verses and is most useful.  We have used it a lot less since we have been trying to do complete settings for the Mass.

It is often played capo 2 for guitarists, which is easier, but that didn’t occur to me for so long that I could play it as written in my sleep and just keep doing it that way.

The text is available here and it can be purchased for download at spiritandsong.

Mary Haugen’s ultimate gathering song.  According to As One Voice it was written by Mary, but we can safely assume they meant Marty.  You can follow pages of arguing over this song here.  Again, I think repetition and mangling have driven some people to distraction, but, this is a great song of realised eschatology, just perhaps in need of more delicacy in execution, as in the original.  I doubt my backing provides that.

You can get the actual text at Hymnary. The sheet music is here and the SATB can be purchased at J W Pepper. Oh…I suppose it can also be purchased in various collections at GIA.

Then again, there are the parodies:

Gather us in, the rich and the famous,
gather us in, the poor and obscure,
gather us in, the slightly eccentric
and all the late-comers out there by the door.

Gather us in, the hairy and balding,
gather us in, the skinny and fat,
gather us in, the chic and and frumpy
and anyone wearing a big flowered hat.

Gather us in, the handsome and homely,
gather us in, from near and from far,
and don’t forget the man in the Buick
who dropped off his wife and is parking the car.

Gather us in, the Packers and Bears fans
gather us in, who do not like sports,
gather us in from every direction
but keep out the flip-flops and tank tops and shorts.

It is perhaps beyond the wit of the parody writer to note that these people are indeed welcome, and some people dress in thongs and shorts as their normal attire.  They are invited to the feast because the pious were too busy.