Church Music

This is the ultimate sending out song – for school graduations it should ensure not a dry eye in the house.  It is Monica O’Brien and Gina Ogilvie’s “Eternity” No 42 in AOV NG.  If the assembly needs an affirmation it would be fine as an ordinary sending out song as well, but I doubt it could be used often.  Nothing wrong with the advice, but it might not bear frequent repetition.

It can be purchased for download at As One Voice.

Intro

Don’t be fooled don’t be led astray,

Don’t let anyone ever say;

You can’t reach your dreams today.

Know that you are special,

Know that you’re unique

Reach toward tomorrow,

To the future that you seek.

Chorus

We lift you up, we lift you high,

To become all that you can be.

We hold you close within our hearts

For all eternity.

Verse 1

Tomorrow is before you with all its grand designs.

The world will be your oyster if you keep your dreams alive.

Be watchful on your journey for signs that offer life,

For people who will guide you and make your voyage bright.

Chorus

Verse 2

Surround yourself with friendships that know the gift of love.

Don’t be afraid of suffering, its mystery makes us strong.

When disappointment beckons cling to the power within.

Have faith in all that you’ve become, your life will be filled with love.

Chorus

Bridge

We let you fly to live your dreams, to soar beyond the sky.

We hold you close within our hearts for all eternity.

We lift you up, we lift you high,

To become all that you can be.

We hold you close within our hearts

For all eternity.        Eternity.

© Monica O’Brien and Gina Ogilvie 2007

“Emmaus” is a pretty song with an obvious subject matter so when that reading pops up it is a natural.  It is also No 41 in AOV NG and is by GIA artist Tony Alonso.  The indicated tempo of 120-126 is too fast – it is better <110/min.  The bridge is musically a surprise to go with their eyes becoming open to the presence of Jesus in the stranger.  The arrangement of the CD is awfully polite and my backing has been influenced by this I’m afraid.

The sheet music is available at GIA, along with extra instrumental music.

My backing is for people who have the music but can’t just see how it goes (ie basic strumming guitarists like me).

Further to my impatience with the new settings I’ve heard so far, here is a companion to the Gloria I posted last week.  With some tweaking it would would work with all three of the new sets of words.

* I’ve taken this down as it has been reworked*

No 40 in AOV NG is another Hillsong, this one by Raymond Badham.  This song contains everything wrong with Hillsongs.  It is merely a recitation of names for God set to the most overblown setting that has ever heard breath.  As Tom Booth says, “It’s more than raising our hands.”

There… that feels better.

I suppose I can’t agree with every editorial decision made by the fine people at Willow.  Otherwise this book has saved us all a lot of trouble.  In “As One Voice: the Next Generation” they have delivered the cream of the overseas crop, found new songwriters, given greater prominence to great established Australian songwriters and… included a few Hillsongs as well.  Any stray Hillsong fans who come across this blog may wish to let me know what I’m missing.

Incidentally, the sheet music is also available at Audiofaith.

Together in this place of worship
Your greatness we proclaim
We stand as one in giving You
All glory and acclaim
To You our hearts are open
To You our hands we raise
Come take the place of honour in our lives

Emmanuel
Our God is with us
Prince of Peace Mighty One
The Ever-living God

See the praises of our Saviour
Rise to open skies
With the dawning of redemption
Your glory will aries
For You alone are worthy
Here in Zion you are praised
Our Lord and King forever
You will reign

© Raymond Badham / Hillsong Publishing 2000.

I should be careful what I wish for – two Hillsongs in a row.  No 39 is Reuben Morgan’s “Eagle Wings.”  What can I say?   This is a somewhat more restrained praise and worship/start very quiet and swell to ridiculous proportions/then come back to a quiet coda song.  The freak out here is limited to the band’s brass section going mildly berserk on the CD.  Still not a Hillsong fan but they do whatever it is that they do better than anyone else going.

It is available for purchase and download at various sites including musicnotes.

Not having their enormous band, Band in a Box has tried the slow build with mixed results for my backing.

Here I am waiting
Abide in me I pray
Here I am longing
For You
Hide me in Your love
Bring me to my knees
May I know Jesus
More and more

Come live in me
All my life
Take over
Come breathe in me
I will rise
On eagles’ wings

© Reuben Morgan / Hillsong Publishing 1998.

I heard Trisha Watts sing “Eagles Still Soar” (AOV NG 38) at the AOV conference when she should have been a mess from singing all day and she was just great – it is her big song after all.  Again not an obvious liturgical song except as a reflection, but a great song nonetheless.  I might add that her songs are dreadful to enter into Band in a Box – they are so fiddly.  It almost makes me yearn to do a Hillsong and get back to something simple to enter into the computer.

* I forgot to note that the song is clearly in G and yet the sheet music in resolutely in F leading to a whole lot of accidentals.  There must be some reason for it but I can’t for the life of me think of one.

Verse 1

When you feel no one’s there

And the night is closing in,

Don’t give up, don’t despair,

There’s always hope on the horizon.

Refrain

And don’t forget that eagles still soar

Over the mountains

Angels watch over your cries

And don’t forget that the stars will shine

After the rainfall

Angels watch over your life.

Verse 2

The road is long and often cold

There is one who’s walked before you,

Whose loving gaze will guide.

Trust in your heart, love will lead you.

Refrain

Bridge

Take time to remember deep down inside

A broken wing can heal it just needs time.

Reach out in faith

Even when there’s trouble in your soul  you”ll  fly.

Refrain

© Trisha Watts 2007.

I spent a thoroughly dispiriting afternoon recently trying to get some idea what was music was available for the new mass settings.

First stop was the official site of the Catholic Bishops in Australia.  This gave the results of their deliberations with links to the successful six.  However only the canticanova one had any samples and I’m not going to be using that if I have any choice.  Amusingly and amazingly, they suggest they slip in latin phrases (eg in the Gloria) because the new English translation is so awkward it can’t be easily set to music!  None of the others are available to hear just yet…

Looking elsewhere at GIA – underwhelmed, OCP – Bobby Fisher’s had some life in it , otherwise dreary,  WLP uninspired.  I don’t think Willow has a specific section for new settings yet but they may be the last hope.  The last time I was that depressed I wrote a whole mass (don’t ask) so I spent the rest of the afternoon writing a Gloria for the new words, with a few repeats for continuity.  I don’t know if it’s singable but it isn’t dreary.

*I’ve taken these down as they have been reworked *

I’ve hit a reflective point in AOV NG.  The first of two consecutive Trisha Watts songs is “Desert Place” at No 37, this one written with Monica O’Brien.  This has a rich instrumental section and a lovely tune.  It has no liturgical function that I can spot, but does demonstrate the wonderful difference of feminist spirituality.  No man could get away with lyrics like that, I don’t think I could even sing it with a clear conscience, but they use valid metaphors to illustrate drawing life and creativity out of solitude and reflection.  It just can’t be sung by males.

Verse 1

Holy God of wonder, how this night is new.

Solitude and stillness draw me home to you.

Chorus

I will lure you into a desert place, there I’ll speak unto your heart.

There you’ll learn the the treasures of abandonment,

There you’ll know I am your God.

Verse 2

Holy God of wisdom, hear this wanderer’s prayer.

Moments bathed in quiet shield me from life’s blinding glare.

Refrain

Instrumental

Verse 3

Holy God, creator, plant your seed in me.

Penetrate the desert and call forth your dream.

Chorus

© Trisha Watts and Monica O’Brien 1987, 2009.

Ah a mystery to solve.  No 36 in AOV NG is “Deeper” written by Adam Menser.  It’s kinda weird to not be able to trace with certainty (via big name publisher bios) every minute detail of a songwriter’s existence. Nothing on the AOV site, but there are clues elsewhere.  A Myspace site that locates the song in the Broken bay area and lists the mysterious Mr Menser as a guitarist.  There are Triple J and Facebook sites of a young singer songwriter with the right name in about the right area.  I figure everyone in Sydney knows who everyone involved here is but I’m approaching this with no local knowledge.

The song is great.  Not for liturgy but lots of other applications and the bridge could be repeated basically forever.  The arrangement on the CD has a nicely jumbled approach.  For my backing I decided to regularise things somewhat and just repeat each verse each time.

Verse 1

Your love is a light in the dark,

Your love heals the broken heart.

Your love holds a destiny and purpose

For every soul, You gave it all.

Rpt

Chorus

My God of creation, my rock, my salvation,

I’ll never be forsaken, Lord,

It’s You I’ll keep on praising.

Far beyond all reason, there’s hope, there’s healing,

My Saviour, Redeemer.

Bridge

Draw me deeper and deeper to you my Lord,

Deeper and deeper

Rpt

Verse 2

By Your grace I have been set free.

Your grace is a light to my feet.

By grace Your blood was shed for me,

For every soul, You gave it all

Rpt

Chorus

Bridge

Verse 1 (once)

© Adam Menser 2008.

What to do with “Comfort Me”, Gina Ogilvie and Monica O’Brien’s song that is No 35 in AOV NG?  It is a beautiful reflective song and sung beautifully on CD incidentally.

You can purchase this for download at As One Voice.

It could be a reflective piece if such is needed in the liturgy.  I’m not sure it has a direct liturgical use otherwise – I suppose you can put most things for gifts if the song is good enough.

Refrain

Comfort me, comfort me,

Your love will comfort me.

Letting go, now I see

New hope embracing me.

Verse 1

When I’m lost in the shadows

And I can’t find my way.

When my heart is aching for wholeness

You call my spirit free.

Refrain

Verse 2

Time will heal all my sorrow

And I will sing again.

I will know the truth of this journey,

I will live again.

Refrain

© Monica O’Brien and Gina Oglivie 2007