Church Music

More Praise and Worship, this time from Hillsong, No 61 in AOV NG is “Hear Our Praises”, written by Reuben Morgan. It is simple – the sequence took only about 15 minutes on Band in a Box – memorable and pretty singable – only a few D’s to crack up on. It is also unadventurous, plain and bland but you just add your own inspiration and sing out loud.  Instead of putting the repeat on the second chorus, I just repeated the verse as well – call me lazy, but the verse is no more nor less plain than the chorus so I figured it doesn’t matter, especially as I’m sure most people know this one already and Hillsong throw innumerable Hallelujah’s in their version, which you could sing as a third verse.

One nice thing about this run of P&W songs, is that most have lyrics on the net, so that means less typing for me.

You can purchase the sheet music for download at several sites on the net including musicnotes.

Verse 1

May our homes be filled with dancing
May our streets be filled with joy.
May injustice bow to Jesus
As the people turn to pray.

Chorus
From the mountains to the valleys
Hear our praises rise to You,
From the heavens to the nations
Hear our singing fill the air.

Verse 2

May a light shine in the darkness
As we walk before the cross
May Your glory fill the whole earth
As the water o’er seas.

Chorus

© Reuben Morgan / Hillsong Publishing 1998.

No 60 is not noisy but fits the “slow song” paradigm of the P&W genre.  It is “Healing Waters” by Chris Sprenger and Eric Thomasen.

I’m not sure an assembly would cope with the intervals here.  The version on the CD is too saccharine for my cynical ears, but as previously noted, it might suit an American sensibility. It would benefit from a much more stripped back arrangement, I suspect, but I regrettably have largely followed the lead of the recorded version in my backing.  You could try this piano instrumental for size.

Sheet music is available at audiblefaith. Lyrics and chords are here, but they don’t match the published ones – they might be better.

Verse 1

Lord, I’ve come to touch Your face

Just to feel Your warm embrace

Come descend, Lord, like a dove

Touch my heart with Your love for me,  for me.

Chorus

Let Your healing waters flow in this place
Let Your healing waters flow in this place
You’re the giver of life giving new life
You’re the living Word of God
Let Your healing waters flow in this place
Let Your healing waters flow in this place
Mighty waves of power
Followed by Your grace
Let Your healing waters flow in this place

Verse 2
Standing in this place
Even now You’re giving grace
We have seen and we believe
It’s by faith that we receive
We receive

Chorus

© Chris Sprenger and Eric Nuzum Thomason 1999.

We are in a P&W run at the moment, which isn’t much use from a liturgical perspective but is allowing a fair bit of noise.

No 59 in As One Voice: the Next Generation is Tim Hughes and Ben Cantelon’s song “Happy Day”.  Again this song has a very wide vocal range for a shouter and I can‘t see the crowds managing it – it remains a pop/rock song of some merit.

There is a lead sheet here but you can purchase to download a fuller version at musicnotes.

Verse 1:
The greatest day in history, Death is beaten
You have rescued me
Sing it out Jesus is alive
The empty cross, The empty grave
Life eternal You have won the day
Shout it out Jesus is alive
He’s alive

Chorus:
Oh happy day, happy day
You washed my sin away
Oh happy day, happy day
I’ll never be the same
Forever I am changed

Verse 2:
When I stand, in that place
Free at last, meeting face to face
I am Yours Jesus You are mine
Endless joy, perfect peace
Earthly pain finally will cease
Celebrate Jesus is alive
He’s alive

Chorus

Bridge:
Oh what a glorious day
What a glorious way
That You have saved me
Oh what a glorious day
What a glorious name

Hey

Chorus

© Tim Hughes and Ben Cantelon 2006.

58 in AOV NG is Matt Maher’s “Great Things.”  More P&W with possibly too many lines telling God that it is his name we are shouting out loud.  However in its context a fine song with the usual start low build up and freak out pattern.  It gets fairly high (E) for this sort of song so might be hard to sing along to.

You can purchase the sheet music for download at spiritandsong.

My soul proclaims Your greatness, Lord
Rejoicing in my Saviour
Your mercy belongs to those who fear Your Son
His blessings You have given them forever

And holy is His name, holy is His name

You alone have done great things
I can’t boast of anything
Mighty one, and King of kings, Jesus
You alone have done great things
By Your living word in me
Mighty One, and King of kings, Jesus

My soul proclaims Your greatness, Lord
Rejoicing in my Saviour
Your mercy belongs to those who fear Your Son
His blessings You have given them forever

And holy is His name, holy is His name

You alone have done great things
I can’t boast of anything
Mighty one, and King of kings, Jesus
You alone have done great things
By Your living word in me
Mighty One, and King of kings, Jesus

And it’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud
It’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud
And it’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud
It’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud

And it’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud
It’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud
It’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud
It’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out

You alone have done great things
I can’t boast of anything
Mighty one, and King of kings, Jesus
You alone have done great things
By Your living word in me
Mighty One, and King of kings, Jesus

And it’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud
It’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud
It’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out loud
It’s Your name we’re shouting out
Shouting out

© Thankyou Music/spiritandsong.com 2008.

I’m not sure what to make of “God of Wonders” by Steve Hindalong and Marc Byrd, No57 in As One Voice: the Next Generation.  It is another P&W song and the tune is insistent and memorable – I can’t get it out of the vacant spaces of my brain at the moment.  Lyrically, I have issues with “God of wonders beyond our galaxy.”  I’d be happier with beyond the corner shop to make sure no-one is thinking spatially about God.  I know it is a Psalm (Ps 136) but I forgive the Psalmist his temporal frame – I’m not sure Byrd and Hindalong get the same privilege.  They are, at least, experienced musicians with careers outside Christian music, which gives them brownie points from me – and Steve is a drummer, for which we forgive much.

There is a piano arrangement here that takes it from the key of G to Bb (?a good idea), but the official version can be purchased for download from spiritandsong.

Incidentally the composer’s version on the CD is another great pop song.  The internet again informs me that this associated with Chris Tomlin who has good taste in pop songs I suppose.  The clip is from a band called Third Day.

Lord of all creation
Of water, earth, and sky
The heavens are Your tabernacle
Glory to the Lord on High

God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy

Lord of heaven and earth (2X)

Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
And as I stumble through the darkness
I will call Your name by night

God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy

Lord of heaven and earth (2X)

Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth (3X)

God of wonders, beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
Precious Lord, reveal Your heart to me
Father holy, holy
The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy, holy, holy

Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth (6X)

Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth

Early in the morning
I will celebrate the light
And when I stumble in the darkness
I will call Your Name by night

God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
The universe declares your majesty
You are holy, holy

Lord of heaven and earth
Lord of heaven and earth

Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth

God of wonders beyond our galaxy
You are holy, holy
Precious Lord reveal Your heart to me
Father hold me, hold me

The universe declares Your majesty
You are holy, holy, holy, holy

Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth
Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth

© Meaux Mercy and Storm Boy Music 2000.

“God of This City” (No 56 in AOV NG) appears to have been written by a committee (six of them) and is a P&W song.  Like a lot of these songs it follows a spoken voice rhythm that is a challenge to make sensible in notation.  It also has the confusing variable repeat disease.  For all that it is a pretty good pop song.

The gang who wrote this has certainly been listening to a lot of Coldplay.  The internet tells me song is associated with Chris Tomlin who sings it on the clip below.   Simon Brading does the version on the CD with a very similar arrangment but a less gushy vocal and all the better for that.

Verse 1
You’re the God of this City
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are

Verse 2
You’re the Light in this darkness
You’re the Hope to the hopeless
You’re the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Chorus
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

Verse 1

Verse 2

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Chorus
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

[Chorus]
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here.

© worshiptogether.com Songs / sixstep Music 2006.

At No 55 in AOV NG we find a Taize chant, “God is Forgiveness.”    You can find an introduction to Taize here.

This would be lovely for a second rite or Mass of Forgiveness.  I have not had much success doing backings for chants so I didn’t try very hard here – best use it just to learn the tune.  Taize sing it in several languages as in the video.

God is forgiveness,
Dare to forgive and
God will be with you
God is forgiveness,
Love and do not fear.

© Ateliers et Presses de Taize.

Another great recessional from As One Voice: The Next Generation – at No 54 is “Go Out in the World” by Ed Bolduc, an American composer from the WLP stable.  It is full on gospel with acapella bits, call and response, key changes and energy and all that.  It is amazing what a difference is made by repeating the “good” in the last line of the chorus.  If you aren’t using a cantor there is a much lower singable line in the music for the verses.

You can hear the song at Ed Bolduc’s MySpace page. There is a preview at WLP where you can see the lyrics and you can purchase to click and print there as well.

My backing is to help those with the music learn to play the song.

I looked at this song earlier.  We have started using it at mass and the liturgists have been selecting it for gifts and communion.  It is working well and has been learned quickly by the assembly.

A couple of things became obvious when playing the song a few times.  For a lazy guitarist (like me) capo 3 puts the repeated bass note G to an open E and the bass note C to an open A – much easier, although it means playing a C#m at one point.

I also thought that Amanda McKenna was singing it differently to the music because she finishes on the C not the F to E in the top line of the printed music.  When more than one voice is used the main vocal stays on the C and the harmony goes FtoE.  This was probably always obvious to trained musicians, but I had to hear it sung by a group first to figure that out.

No 53 in As One Voice: The Next Generation is, of all things, an uptempo recessional from Trisha Watts.  This is an excellent expression of social gospel and, like the previous song, a good one to have ringing in our ears as we leave mass.    Does anyone musical know what key this should be in – Trisha seems to float between them sometimes – and perhaps the secret to her unique style. It certainly leads to interesting chord progressions.

Band in a Box 2011 has arived with lots of new goodies including the style used here.

Chorus

Go Out! Go out!

Spread the good news now;

Know that I’m with you always.

Go Out! Go Out!

Tell everybody

I’m here ’til the end of time

Verse 1

Go down to the refuges where homeless sleep,

Lend a hand to all you meet.

Go down to the prisons and the hospices,

Don’t be afraid to speak of peace.

Refrain

Verse 2

Search high and low for freedom’s sake,

Help the oppressed, do whatever it takes.

For I’ll not crush the wounded heart,

Nor quench the hope of a brand new start.

Chorus

Verse 3

See with the eyes of integrity,

Walk the ways of equality,

Recognise our differences,

By living the word, this is what it says.

Chorus

© Trisha Watts 2007.