John Angotti’s song “I Send You Out” is No 75 in AOV NG. It has an obvious application for sending forth and baptism. If you listen to the CD the refrain is repeated at the end several times with key changes, guitar solos and lots of different parts thrown in, which would be fun, but is not in the music as written in AOV NG. I suspect the tune is too fiddly for an assembly.
The text is available here. The sheet music can be purchased at WLP.
This is a song of encouragement from Gina Ogilvie and Monica O’Brien called “I Raise You Up.” You will find it at No 74 in As One Voice: the Next Generation. It’s one of those songs sung from God’s perspective that are meant to be discouraged these days. That’s enough reason for liking it. Another is the oddly restrained short refrain, the key change and the coda repeating the initial thought. In other words it doesn’t just follow a formula. It’s sounds like a song for a school assembly, but that doesn’t mean it could not be sung in other contexts where encouragement is needed.
It is available to purchase for download at As One Voice.
error p230 second line bracket marked 1 should start over the first bar.
This one seems to have sheet music all over the net including arrangements for many instruments here. There are also purchase for download copies (eg here).
I’ve tried to capture their 70s lounge feel in my backing.
Verse
This is my desire:
To honour You.
Lord, with all my heart,
I worship You.
All I have within me,
I give You praise.
All that I adore,
Is in You.
Chorus
Lord, I give You my heart,
I give You my song.
I live for you alone.
Every breath that I take,
Every moment I’m awake,
Lord, have Your way in me.
“I am the Bread of Life” (No72 AOV NG) is a welcome song if only because the commonly used song (Toolan) of that title has ridiculous vocal range requirements. It is by WLP artist, Tom Kaczmarek.
It is a laid strum along with a little R&B styling in it. The vocal on CD is not to my taste, much too bland, so there’s lots of potential to sing it better. Then again, I have closely followed their arrangement in my backing, so I’ll say at least that was worth stealing. The sample of the song available from his parish website link above, is very different from the one on the AOV NG CD and sampled on their website and you might prefer the more traditionally sung version.
The last phrase of the verse has something musically interesting – honestly, have a listen. The verses are really quite well written and you could pick and choose the appropriate thought for the particular liturgy – like picking verses in “All Are Welcome”.
Another failed attempt by myself to make a backing for a TAIZE chant. “I am Sure I Shall See” is No 71 in AOV NG. Better to learn it from Youtube and do it unaccompanied I think.
I am sure I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
“How Great is Our God”, music by Ed Cash, words by Chris Tomlin and Jesse Reeves, is No 70 in As One Voice: the Next Generation. This is designed for stadium worship with acres of swaying arms held aloft. Wouldn’t be sad if no-one would “sing with me”? Nevertheless it would be hard to resist the song in the right setting. The CD has Joshua Blakesley’s version. The video version below has Chris Tomlin overemoting (OK probably fine in context).
VERSE 1
The splendor of a King,
clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice,
all the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light,
and darkness tries to hide
it trembles at his voice,
trembles at his voice
CHORUS
How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great
How great is our God
VERSE 2
And age to age He stands
and time is in His Hands
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End
The Godhead, three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
the Lion and the Lamb,
the Lion and the Lamb
CHORUS BRIDGE
Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
how great is our God
Name above all names
you are worthy of all praise
and my heart will sing
how great is our God
Gina Ogilvie and Monica O’Brien’s song, “Hope is Found Again,” is No69 in AOV NG. This is lovely simple song that would be useful as part of a second rite service or a funeral. Gina’s vocal on the CD takes the song well beyond the arrangement but for those not so blessed I’m sure it will work fine as written.
There is a missing tie in the top line on p218.
Your people long to know the wonder of your grace,
To know forgiveness for the times we’ve turned away.
You have called us to yourself, we are longing to be whole,
For you call us back to you and hope is found…again.
No height or ocean deep, no pain or loss through death,
No power within this world can keep us far from you.
You have called us by our name and you claim us as your own,
For you call us back to you and hope is found…again.
No 68 in As One Voice: the Next Generation is “Holy Spirit, Come Now” by Jesse Manibusan. Does that sound like an order? Perhaps spiritandsong have the third person of the Trinity at their beck and call. Or maybe it is just a heartfelt plea. I like the line “Serving each other, God’s presence is known.”
The video has an interview with the composer as well as the song. He sings the song with a simple guitar accompaniment, which is lovely, but at the end of the video is a snippet of the recording on the CD that gets to a gospel crescendo that does sound a bit too pushy for the lyric.
This would work for Pentecost, Confirmation and even as a gathering song.
It can be purchased for download at spiritandsong. There is a choral arrangement here.
Refrain
Holy Spirit, come,
Holy Spirit, come now, come now.
Holy Spirit, come,
Holy Spirit, come now, come now.
Verse 1.
Oh, the sweetness of your mercy and grace!
Bring us true wisdom right here in this place.
Bring a glimmer of the depth of God’s will.
Bring understanding; God’s plan be fulfilled.
Refrain
Verse 2.
In the faith we share, flowing from truth,
bring us the knowledge that brings us to you.
Through the darkness of despair and of fear,
give us the courage to know you are here.
Refrain (key change)
Verse 3.
With the rev’rence of the Lord, love is shown.
Serving each other, God’s presence is known.
Oh, the goodness and the glory of God!
Hearts overflowing with wonder and awe.
No. 67 in As One Voice: the Next Generation is another song by Michael Mangan called “Holy Spirit Come”. We seem to have used it for confirmation with the kids forever (It can’t be that long – it was only published in 2007) and it works beautifully. I used to do it much too fast, but it benefits from slowing it down. The chorus really lifts things nicely. My backing isn’t wonderful – it works best with simple instrumentation and voice. I’m quite disappointed with the recording on the CD, I think the arrangements lets the song down badly – the sax never lets up. You can hear it on MySpace.
You can buy the music as a single sheet at sheetmusicplus, but WLP and Litmus would also stock this Mangan collections.
You can sing “vene sancte” against the verse and “Holy Spirit Come” against the chorus the second time through.
Verse
Holy Spirit come.
Holy Spirit come.
Holy Spirit come.
Holy Spirit come. x2
Chorus
Blow winds of change, breathe in our lives.
Stir in our hearts, shine through our eyes.
Come and pour out your gifts, work through our hands
This is another excellent Chris de Silva song, “Hold Us, Jesus.” In As One Voice: the Next Generation, you will find it at number 66. This is another song invoking the presence of Christ that I think makes sense as a communion song. Even the latin Kyrie fits unobtrusively and the recording on the CD isn’t sickly.
The text is available from GIA in this preview and can be purchased as part of a collection here.
The music says “very simply” and de Silva ignores that completely… as do I with my backing!
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
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Mason’s “Mass of Glory and Praise”
To access my backings for Paul Mason's mass go to Feb 2011 in the archive.