Church Music

I’m looking at hymns from the Australian Catholic Worship Book, that I haven’t covered from other sources to date.

This is the Benedictine nuns of Stanbrook Abbey’s translation of of the c4 Nunc sancte nobis Spiritus, attributed to St Ambrose. It is from the Liturgy of the Hours.

It Is here set to NIAGARA by Robert Jackson.

I’ve seen a few settings suggested, but chararacteristically for CWB I, none suggesting this one. Similarly, this text is not listed by Hymnary as being set to this tune. Call the editors idiosyncratic with their matching of text to tune.

CWB I places the tune in the key of G rather than Ab as below, thanks be to God.

The text is here.

This is a pretty and joyful hymn with words by Sr Lucia Fay, Jean-Paul Lecot and R.B. Kelly based on St Paul according to CWB I. It is set by Paul Decha, so it is likely there is a French original and Kelly was a translator. Certainly Fay, Lecot and Decha have collaborated on other songs in French (eg here).

This hymn is way out of print and I can find no sources at all for the sheet music. It is a Kevin Mayhew copyright but I can find no sign of it there. Godsongs notes it is also in Alleluia! Amen! and Hymns Old and New, so it is probably known in Ireland. So the second hand market is currently looking the only option, unless someone can find the French version in print.

The text is a bit vague and unfocussed but I’ll blame St Paul for that.

I looks like I made up some simple chords for this one for my backing.

Antiphon

Christ our Lord has come to save his people!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

1 Baptised in Christ our Lord,

Reborn to new life in our Saviour and Lord, alleluia!

For we are the people whom God made his own

Throught the blood of his own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 O come then, bless the Lord,

The Father of all, who is love without end, alleluia.

Before he created the world with great power,

We were chosen then in Christ, God made us his own.

3 Since time itself began

God loved us and planned to adopt us in Christ, alleluia.

He chose us to live in his glorious name,

As his children and his friends, a people redeemed.

4 Be joyful in the Lord,

Rejoice and give thanks to the Father of all, alleluia.

For Christ is alive and we live now in him;

We are filled now with his life. Rejoice, praise his name!

5 With Christ we are made heirs

And called to belong to the family of God, alleluia.

Christ freed us from sin by his death on the cross,

And has raised us up to life, a life without end.

6 Give glory to God, the Father of all:

To his Son, Jesus Christ, alleluia.

And praise to the Spirit, the gift of his love.

Let us sing out to the Lord forever. Amen.

This is a song by Jean Lebon, the French liturgist, with the text translated by Pamela Stotter. It is the whole Easter story in song.

I’ve had no luck finding the sheet music outside of CWB I, but I don’t understand French so can’t search for Lebon’s original. My backing has my approximate chords. The antiphon is in C and the verses modulate to Eb. Looking this change up now suggests I should have used a G chord to get from the chorus the verse more smoothly – I didn’t as I have no music theory I’m afraid.

Antiphon

Christ is our Lord, he gives us life abundant.

Christ is our joy, we are one in him.

1 When the the time had come to return to his Father

And knowing that his hour was drawing near,

He longed to share the Pasch with his friends.

2 That he might celebrate the new covenant with all his men,

The Lord gives his body and his blood,

To reconcile all men to God once more.

3 The cross of Christ brings joy and slavation to all.

Our sins he has borne upon the tree.

His death brought life, and set all people free.

4 While Jesus slept in death, his disciples were dismayed.

So fearful in their loneliness and doubt,

But he arose and showed himself alive.

5 A stranger joined two friends who were talking of Jesus.

Their hearts burned within them as he spoke.

He broke the bread, they recognised the Lord.

6 “Peace be to you,” Jesus said to his disciples.

“Why are you afraid and full of doubt?”

With joy filled hearts they greeted Christ, their Lord.

7 Ascending to his Father, he speaks to his Church.

“Proclaim to all men the living word.”

The promised Christ has come to save the world.

Music © SEFIM, Words Pamela Trotter.

This is a version of the Breastplate of St Patrick and CWB I chose to set this version’s text by Cecil Francis Humphries Alexander to an old old Irish tune, DEIRDRE. I have already blogged this from the Praise to God parish hymn book, but I’ll post it again.

CWB I made it 6/4 rather than 3/4.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

This is another Canticle where CWB II decided to use the more usual setting, in this case KINGSFOLD, which I blogged here, instead of the more out there choice of David Clark Isele‘s setting for the Benedictus. Hymnary has suggestions for this text but none are this one.

The text is here, and written by James Quinn this time, rather than Frank who wrote yesterday’s canticle.

I had no luck finding this sheet music anywhere and it looks like I made up the chords for this backing

This was also in CWB II set to BANGOR, but the earlier edition used CONSOLATION aka MORNING SONG. This tune is more likely by Elkanah Dare than “Mr Dean” – see Hymnary.

The text is by Frank Quinn, which is perplexing because James Quinn’s text is more well known and gets in the way of research.

I’m not sure where I got the chords for my backing from as they are different to what is in Together in Song – probably from Hymnary.

1 My master, see, the time has come to give your servant leave to go in peace,

Long waited for your promise now fulfilled.

2 For I have seen salvation, Lord, and this may all men see:

That light which is your Israel’s boast enlightening every land.

4 Almighty Father, hear out cry through Christ the only son,

Whom in the Spirit we adore for ages withour end.

© Frank Quinn

If you are happy to use Scribd the music is there.

…but this is the sheet music with a different text.

This has the same Michael Joncas tune MAGNIFICAT that I blogged here, but the text is listed as written by John Theodore Mueller, based on Luke 1:46-55.

Except that it is actually his translation of Hermann Bonuss’s text as noted at Hymnary. I sometimes wonder if some sections of the Church have ever read this passage.

1 My soul gives glory to the Lord,
In God my Saviour I rejoice.
My lowliness he did regard,
Exalting me by his own choice.
From this day all shall call me blest,
For he has done great things for me,
Of all great names his is the best,
For it is holy; strong is he.

2 His mercy goes to all who fear,
From age to age and to all parts.
His arm of strength to all is near;
He scatters those who have proud hearts.
He casts the mighty from their throne
And raises those of low degree;
He feeds the hungry as his own,
The rich depart in poverty.

3 He raised his servant Israel,
Rememb’ring his eternal grace,
As from of old he did foretell
To Abraham and all his race.
O Father, Son and Spirit blest,
In threefold Name are you adored,
To you be ev’ry prayer addressed,
From age to age the only Lord.

CWB II set this to RENDEZ A DIEU, which I blogged here, but CWB I chose WEISSE (GOTTOB, ES GEHT).

Hymnary lists ten possible settings for this text but none are this tune. They list 26 texts linked to this tune but none are this text. Were the editors of CWB I just being kind of obscure, or what?

The text is by Reginald Weber. I suppose a “mercy shed” is a place to store our “wine of the soul”.

The tune might be by Johann G. Wagner or Johann S. Bach or they may have just collected the tune from another German with a middle initial.

1 Bread of the world in mercy broken,
wine of the soul in mercy shed,
by whom the words of life were spoken,
and in whose death our sins are dead.

2 Look on the heart by sorrow broken,
look on the tears by sinners shed;
and make your feast to us the token
that by thy grace our souls are fed.

This is the tune:

This is a c17 translation by Walter Kirkham Blount of Victimae paschali laudes, attributed to Wipo of Burgundy c11 and set here to LASST UNS ERFREUEN, so you know the tune. It is an Easter hymn in Catholic Worship Book I.

Am I allowed to say the text rambles a bit – maybe it worked better in Latin.

Breviary Hymns has useful background. The sheet music of the tune is at Hymnary.

Gio will be upset, as the editors have got rid of the archiac language and rearranged some lines to fit that. They also replaced “napkin” with “shroud”, presumably to accomodate changes in language.

1. Bring, all you dear-bought nations,
   bring your richest praises to the king,
   Alleluia, Alleluia,
   That spotless Lamb, who more than due,
   paid for his sheep, and those sheep you,
   Alleluia.
2. The guiltless Son, who bought your peace,
   and made his Father’s anger cease,
   Alleluia, Alleluia,
   Then, life and death together fought,
   each to a strange extreme were brought.
   Alleluia.
3. Life died, but soon revived again,
   and even death by it was slain.
   Alleluia, Alleluia,
   Say, happy Magdalen, oh say,
   what did you see there by the way?
   Alleluia.
4. ‘I saw the tomb of my dear lord,
   I saw himself and him adored,
   Alleluia, Alleluia,
   I saw the shroud and saw the sheet,
   that bound his head and wrapt his feet.’
   Alleluia.
5. ‘I heard the angels witness bear,
   Jesus is ris’n; he is not here;
   Alleluia, Alleluia,
   Go, tell his followers they shall see,
   your hope and theirs in Galilee.’
   Alleluia.
6. We, Lord, with faithful hearts and voice,
   on this your rising day rejoice.
   Alleluia, Alleluia,
   O you, whose power o’ercame the grave,
   by grace and love, us sinners save,
   Alleluia.

This is something special. This is a fairly early work by Christopher Willcock SJ. It has all his hallmarks – gorgeous off kilter melodies, modulations all over the place and suitable texts – what’s not to like if you are up for it.

I can find no sign of this one anywhere except CWB I. If you want to use it you might have to find him through the local Jesuits, as it it not on One Licence.

This one has a call and response between the choir and the assembly during the refrain, with all singing the verses. With no idea what it is meant to sound like and no sheet music beyond my melody line edition I just monumentally fudged chords and timing. It appears to go 4/4, 7/8 in the refrain, which I smoothed out.

I suspect it was originally a commissioning hymn but made more accessible in this way, maybe it could be resurrected as a welcoming entrance or challenging recessional. The pilgrim reference suits this year’s Jubilee.

Refrain

Be in the midst of us, we who believe.

Gather and shepherd us, we who believe.

Tell out God’s word to us, we who believe.

Worship and pray with us, we who believe.

1 You are Christ’s servant now, bearer of God’s good news,

Worker for unity, pilgrim with those you guide.

2 May God the Father’s Son, Christ our redeeming Lord,

Be through your ministry praised, honoured and adored.