If I’m after liturgical music, then I can’t complain about No 15 in AOV NG. “Bread of Life” by Michael John Poirier is a Eucharist song, almost a chant really. The sample on the AOV site is quiet and reflective and is not the same as the tune in the book. The backing is the tune as written and I’ve gone all reflective with pan pipe and synth waves but you’ll get the idea at least. I don’t think it is up to the standard of the others I’ve looked at in the collection, but perhaps I need to hear it in a liturgical context to get its full effect.
The lyrics are available here and you can hear the song here. You can buy the single sheet from WLP.
My backing is to help those with the music learn the song.
Having interrupted the numerical order to get Advent suggestions out there, it’s back to No 14 in AOV NG.
“Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt and Beth Redman uses Ps78 so if you can find a use for this as a responsorial Psalm I can guarantee a noisy liturgy of the word. Even I’ve heard of Matt Redman – I’ve run across O Sacred King, Let Everything That Has Breath and Let Your Glory Fall in the Source volume 2 and he gets >1000000 hits on YouTube so he is well enough known.
The sheet music is available to buy and download at various sites on the internet including musicnotes. Worship Together has lyrics and chords.
This is another praise and worship slow build to freak out song but a good one for all that and really could be used as a psalm in a liturgy I suppose.
The sheet music is also available as a download from As One Voice.
The idea is to use each verse for a week of advent to bring a candle forward at the beginning of mass. This was a handout with ideas for the use of the song, given out at the AOV conference in September.
Thirteen in the collection is a wonderful song for the procession of the gifts. I am actually getting fond of some of the praise and worship songs in this collection, but from a practical point of view I’m looking for liturgical music and this song fits the bill.
Amanda McKenna is one of Willow’s artists so it’s no surprise she turns up in As One Voice: the Next Generation. I really like this one and it’s one of the songs I’ll be pressing for including at our church. I think it would be great unaccompanied once everyone has sung it a few (thousand) times. I’ve noticed she doesn’t sing it quite as she wrote it, but it’s her song so she’s allowed. My backing follows the tune as written.
No 12 in AOV NG is Bless the Lord (Ps 103:1-6) and is by Marcy Weckler Barr, a very experienced music liturgist from Chicago. The refrain would be fine for when this psalm comes up, as it is straight from ICEL text. The verses are noted to be written by the songwriter and if used makes this just a good song, not something to be used as a psalm in liturgy. If sung I suspect they are cantor material in any case.
If you haven’t got AOV NG you can buy at single sheet at WLP.
There is no sample at the AOV site and so I had no idea how it went apart from the tempo so the backing is basic and is just for learning the tune if you have the words and music.
Refrain:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, bless the Lord my soul!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, bless the Lord my soul!
No 11 in AOV NG is “Be Lifted High” by Joshua Blakesley and Matt Maher. I was skeptical about this song until I heard it sung full throttle at the AOV conference. It was great. It would be ideal for praise and worship settings and I’d love to use it as a recessional.
Downloadable versions are available from spiritandsong where you can hear a snippet and get the lyrics.
It has some tricky notes in the verse with the same chord progression having slightly different notes in the first and second lines compared to the third line. It actually sounds good but the youth group at AOV handled it by ignoring it and singing whatever they liked at the top of their lungs. The call and response worked fine. I did my sequence as a folk funk version.
1. Your voice is over the water.
Your voice is over the seas.
Your voice is mighty in power
and wisdom and love and charity.
The heavens thunder your glory.
The heavens testify.
The heavens shine in the darkness
for all of the nations a holy light.
Refrain
And you will be exalted.
And you will be lifted high.
And you will be our saviour forever and ever.
Our God be glorified.
2. You have made us your chosen.
You have set us apart.
You have poured out your spirit
and started a fire within our hearts.
(repeat and go to Refrain)
Bridge
Can I get an “Amen!”
Can I get a witness!
Can I get an “Amen!”
Can I get a witness!
You will be exalted!
You will be lifted high!
You will be exalted!
You will be lifted high!
Final Refrain
And you will be exalted.
And you will be lifted high.
And you will be our saviour forever and ever.
Our God be glorified.
You will be exalted!
You will be lifted high!
You will be exalted!
You will be lifted high!
I’ve been trying to figure out what I find underwhelming about “Christian” music. While there are all sorts of Christian versions of music genres – rap, country, deathmetal etc, there is also a genre of Christian sounding music and I find myself wondering if people sing like that just because they’ve heard other Christian singers sing like that and eventually it all sounds the same. The genre consists of bad MOR sounding, wimpy vocalled, badly written songs that are too direct and prosaic and loaded with cliches and over wrought with faux emotion. There is even a subgenre of Catholic Christian music.
The best “Psalm” I’ve heard in years is Damien Rice’s “Cold Water”. The best God song is “Distant Sun” by Crowded House. I find these songs moving and I think it is because they are indirect and acknowledge mystery and there are written by the best song writers in the world, which helps.
Church music on the the hand has a context in which a Christian song can make sense. I’ve been listening to the Catholic Music Express podcast in an effort to be proven wrong and not everything is terrible. I particularly liked a bluegrass song about St Augustine by a band whose name somehow escaped me. I like Gina Ogilvie because she sings like a singer not like a Christian singer.
I’ll keep listening and see if I can get closer to my problem with it.
As One Voice: The Next Generation has lots of songs that aren’t designed for liturgy. No. 10 “Be God’s” by Danielle Rose is however a terrific song for Eucharist, gathering or recessional. It does seem to work best with a cantor doing the first part of the line and the assembly answering but unison is not out of the question.
Danielle Rose has had an interesting life and it is worth reading her bio on her site.
The text is available here. You can buy an individual sheet at her website and the song, as well as in As One Voice: the Next Generation, appears in Voices As One Vol. 2.
Number 9 in AOV NG is “At the Cross” another Hillsong song by Reuben Morgan and Darlene Zschech. I can’t think of a liturgical place for it but it is the “slow song” for a praise and worship situation, you know the one that builds to a cacophanous crescendo. I’m trying to overcome my unnecessary prejudice but I’m sure this is the same tune as a Back Street Boys song.
Still, I just watched the video on You Tube that has had over 5 million views. That’s some sort of success.
You can purchase a digital copy at various sites including musicnotes, although the lyrics and chords are all over the place (eg here).
Oh Lord You’ve searched me
You know my way
Even when I fail You
I know You love me
Your holy presence
Surrounding me
In every season
I know You love me
I know You love me
At the cross I bow my knee
Where Your blood was shed for me
There’s no greater love than this
You have overcome the grave
Your glory fills the highest place
What can separate me now
You go before me
You shield my way
Your hand upholds me
I know You love me
You tore the veil
You made a way
When You said that it is done
And when the earth fades
Falls from my eyes
And You stand before me
I know You love me
I know You love me
“Among All” by Chris de Silva is number 8 in AOV NG. This is a recent Mary song of all things and for all that it’s fine, even for a recycled Presbyterian like me. De Silva is another GIA artist, is based in California and originally from the Philippines.
The song is in A major in the refrain and Em in the verse, which is a nice cycle between suffering and joy. It hits a few Ds but only briefly, so no complaints there. But why does everyone want to transition verse to chorus with a sustained chord?
You can listen to the whole song at De Silva’s Myspace page. You can buy a collection containing this music at GIA, or download a single sheet at musicnotes where there is a preview with some of the words. …or you could just buy As One Voice Next Generation and sing along with my Band in a Box backing to learn it.
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.
