Church Music

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?

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.