No 25 in AOV NG is recommended as a recessional song – “be my hands be my heart for the world” says it all. Written by Tom Franzac a GIA/OCP artist and from the nineties, this is another one that I suspect is very familiar in the USA. The version on the AOV NG CD is very (too) smooth, almost lounge in style, with a 70’s sax solo and an MOR singing group mulching the chorus. If this song has a problem it’s that it’s too laid back for sending out. I’m also worried about rhyming “hasten” with “basin” and all the “t’wards”, which I note he avoids in the CD version.
The text is available here (scroll down to the bottom). You can purchase a copy for download at GIA.
My version isn’t lounge- it’s cool jazz man – and just to help you learn the song.
“Closer Than You Know” is a beautiful tune by James Maher MSC and is No 24 in AOV NG, but again I’m struggling to find it a liturgical place. Perhaps just as a Eucharist song and let everyone figure it out for themselves.
‘Without beauty, without majesty (we saw him),
no looks to attract our eyes;
a thing despised and rejected by all,
a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering …’ (Is 53:2b)
Verse 1
I am here, your God revealed,
Behind the veil,
Closer than you know.
Humble lamb, fragile flesh,
Crying out,
Closer than you know.
Refrain
I am here, close to you.
Tear the veil and see.
Your every step, your every breath,
I share eternally.
Verse 2
Disfigured face, wounded fool,
Rejected sign,
Giving all I am.
Torn away, tortured soul,
Sacrificed,
Giving all I am.
Refrain
Verse 3
I am here, your God revealed.
Crucified,
Closer than you know.
Abundant love, enduring hope,
Opened up,
Closer than you know.
No 23 in AOV NG is another great Australian composition, “Christ Lives in Me”. This is written by Rebecca Williamson and Simon Hyland. It is probably another praise and worship/high school song but more reflective than most. It can still build to a standard freak out if desired. The sheet music in AOV has a missing G chord 2nd line bar 2.
Chorus
It’s no longer I who live but Christ lives in me.
It’s no longer I who love but Christ who loves in me.
There’s no more fear because of my trust in you
Rpt
Verse
I have been crucified with Christ, and now rejoice in new life.
22 in AOV NG is this chant by Keith Duke. My backing doesn’t really do it justice so I’d watch the You Tube for this one. This one has lots of liturgical applications.
You can also buy it in a collection of prayer chants at Kevin Mayhew.
While I really haven’t found anything too terrible in this collection, some of the songs are outstanding. Like Gina Ogilvie and Monica O’Brien’s “Christ be Near Us” (No 21 AOV NG), which is such fun to sing it should be used for gathering, sending out, you name it – just use it. Fitting the words into the verses is a little awkward but really it’s all just there to get you rollicking into the chorus.
The single sheet can be purchased for download from As One Voice.
No 20 of AOV NG is an old song that we have sung occasionally over many years called ‘Canticle of Creation.” It is by Trisha Watts and Monica O’Brien and the version in this book is a new arrangement with an interesting leap on the second chorus into the repeat. The original sheet music we had was hard to follow and this is much better. Now, if we have sung it at mass it must have fit into a liturgy somewhere, perhaps as a gifts song, not sure.
If you don’t have the AOV NG collection (and why not?) you can download this as a single sheet at As One Voice.
Verse 1.
As night gives birth to the dawn
And I see all the grandeur of each day.
I long to have and to hold, all the wonder of your heart,
All the power in your love, all the mystery embodied in your word.
Chorus
Spirit breathe your breath of love!
Creation yearns for you to come.
Renew your earth, outpour your healing care.
Lord restore the harmony where humankind may learn to see
The hope, the dream, in your almighty plan.
Verse 2.
The earth is blessed and adorned
By the breath and presence of your love.
All those who dwell in this land – shall awaken to your voice,
They shall stand to give you praise, and your faithfulness will reign for evermore.
Chorus 2
Spirit breathe your breath of love!
Creation yearns for you to come.
Renew your earth, outpour your healing care.
Lord restore the harmony where humankind may learn to see
No 19 in AOV NG is “Can You See God”. This is another song by Chris de Silva and is not easy to sing but worth the effort. Again, I can’t see this one sung except as a performance piece, but it is a lovely piece of music. The breathless repetition works very well indeed.
The text is available here and you can purchase the music at GIA.
No 18 in AOV NG is “Can We Love?” by Tom Booth another spiritandsong performer. This is an important song as it is a kind of anti (praise and worship) song. It challenges the song without works theology that appears in some quarters and is a rousing song to boot. It’s a stretch but as a recessional chasing us out with a flea in our ear it would be a hoot.
You can purchase and download the sheet music and hear a snippet at spiritandsong.
Refrain
Can we love?
Can we lay down our lives?
Can we wear his crown of thorns?
Can we drink the cup that He drinks?
We must lay down our lives!
1. It’s more than raising our hands,
it’s more than singing this song.
It’s saying “yes” to the Giver of life,
it’s righting the ways that are wrong! (to Refrain)
2. It’s more than shouting God’s name,
it’s more than singing His praise.
It’s bringing forgiveness to injury’s wound,
and hope to those imprisoned by shame. (to Interlude and Verse 3)
3. Loving the Lord our God
with all our heart, mind and soul,
loving our neighbor as ourselves,
the kingdom of love we will know! (to Verse 4)
4. With feet secure on the ground
and hearts humbled by love
we stand before God’s anointed one
and ask the question, and ask the question: (to Refrain)
No 17 in AOV NG is from Brisbane locals emmanuelworship so this is one of the few groups providing music to the collection I’ve heard play a few times. This one is by Roby Curtis with Patrick Keady helping out with the lyrics.
We use Keady’s Fire Mass at Daisy Hill and I have several of their books of music but not “Revolution” that has this song on it. Apart from the Fire Mass I have trouble finding liturgical music from emmanuelworship as the songs are generally very much praise and worship songs and very good for getting very loud and emotional.
The text is available here where you can also listen to the song.
How beautiful are the feet of those
who bring good news of freedom
How powerful are the hands of those
who bring justice and healing
How wonderful are the lips of those
who speak mercy in Jesus
How beautiful are the hearts of those
who’ve been touched by Your love
Where would I be if I had not heard
You calling out to me?
Every man who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, shall be saved
And every woman who calls on
the name of her God shall give praise,
shall give praise
And every child who calls up-on
the name of the Lord shall be saved,
shall be saved
And all creation that bows
before the Lord our God
shall give praise, shall give praise to You
I’m a few songs ahead making backings for this collection “As One Voice: The Next Generation” than I have blogged yet and I’m very impressed indeed with the standard. I even like the songs that I don’t think are suitable for assembly use far more than I expected.
One of those is No. 16, “Call for Mercy” by Judy Bailey. She is from Barbados originally and now based in Germany and seems to have a broad following outside the Christian community as well. I don’t think there is a hope that this could turn up in a mass, but it’s a great song nonetheless. The lyrics are a world away from safe communities singing love songs to Jesus. The last two lines of the bridge are special and have stuck in my mind to her tune. My backing is not subtle enough as usual but I wanted the melody line very pronounced to help me learn it.
God Almighty we look to Thee
Our hearts are heavy so Yours must bleed
We pray for the victims of tragedy
That by Your grace O Lord somehow they’ll find relief
Chorus
For all who suffer we are calling on You Lord
O Lord Lord hear our call for mercy
For all who’re dying and need to know Your love
O Lord Lord hear our call for mercy
For those who are missing for those who wait
For anger that threatens to turn into hate
We pray for Your presence in their pain
And ask that You reveal Yourself in Jesus name
Chorus
Hear our prayer
Hear our cry O Lord Lord
Hear our prayer
Hear our cry O Lord Lord
Bridge Lord bless all the innocent, the families torn apart
Help those who care for them, Your rays of hope inside the darkness
Soften our hearts, don’t let us be deaf just because we’ve strayed from You
To the least of them whatever we do we’re doing it to You
To the least of them whatever we do we’re doing it to You
Chorus
Hear our prayer
Hear our cry O Lord Lord
Hear our prayer
Hear our cry O Lord Lord
Additional verse:
For nations evading the reality still
For those steeped in denial for the silence that kills
We pray for the governments that are overwhelmed
Secure their people’s future, shine Your light on them
I've worked my way through the As One Voice books and other collections making backings on Band in a Box to help me (& you if you're interested) learn new songs for church. This is aimed at churches and musicians that own the collections but haven't exploited them fully. If you don't have them they are certainly worth buying. This site is educational, nonprofit and designed to enhance the commercial prospects of songwriters. This site does not distribute copyrighted sheet music.
Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed here are personal views and not the responsibility of any Church.
All music backings posted are created by myself and the intention is for them to be used to learn the songs. If any copyright holder wishes me to cease publicising and promoting their wares and directing people to where sheet music can be legally purchased please let me know.
Mason’s “Mass of Glory and Praise”
To access my backings for Paul Mason's mass go to Feb 2011 in the archive.
