Church Music

“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.

This is the first of several sending forth (Go! songs) and it is a good one to start with, Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek’s “Go Make a Difference”. (No52 AOV NG)  They are both famous (in the USA) Christian artists and I’ve heard this song as a rocker with massed voices belting it out to great effect.  It presses all the right recessional buttons – uplifting and with a message ringing in our ears as we leave.

The sheet music can be purchased for download at spiritandsong.

Very minor musical point – p160, second line, third verse, there is an unnecessary tie on the notes above “dif-f’rence”.

My backing is more latin than rock- it’s just felt right.  Steve’s more usual arrangement is in the You Tube video.

Refrain
Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
Go make a diff’rence.
We can make a diff’rence.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Verse 1

We are the salt of the earth,
called to let the people see
the love of God in you and me.
We are the light of the world,
not to be hidden but be seen.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Refrain

Verse 2

We are the hands of Christ
reaching out to those in need,
the face of God for all to see.
We are the spirit of hope;
we are the voice of peace.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Refrain

Verse 3

So let your love shine on,
let it shine for all to see.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.
And the spirit of Christ
will be with us as we go.
Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Refrain

Go make a diff’rence in the world.

Go make a diff’rence

In the world.

© Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek, 1997.

At last – a funeral song – No51 in AOV NG is “Go in Peace” by Sarah Hart and Dwight Liles.  They are experienced artists from the US and have collaborated on a gentle, appropriate hymn for the mourning. If Psalm 23 and “Abide with Me” aren’t for you, perhaps this is.  The You Tube video with just piano and vocals is probably a better approach than, the admittedly nice, arrangement on the CD and much better than my fussy hamfisted attempt at a backing.

Verse 1

There will be no more darkness.
There is no more night, no more night.
There will be no more sadness,
only joy and light, joy and light.
Lift your eyes beyond the hills
and see the dawn.
There is beautiful mercy
in the arms of the holy one.

Refrain
Go in peace, God be with you.
Go in peace, be at rest
with the saints and the angels.
Now you are free. Go in peace.

Verse 2

See the Father is waiting
with a robe of white, purest white.
Go and feast at his table
with the bread of life, bread of life.
Lift your heart, rejoice and sing
for you are home;
home at last and forever
in the arms of the holy one.

© Sarah Hart and Dwight Liles 2004, 2005.

“Glorify Thy Name” by Donna Adkins must be the oldest song in this collection, dating back to 1976.  I’ve reached 50 songs in only a couple of months, so I should be finished by Easter at this rate.

This is a sedate and stately hymn of praise.  It is probably better a little slower than 86 bpm – I used 78. There is some background and a list of other collections that contain this song at Hymnary.

Verse 1

Father we love You
We worship and adore You
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name in all the earth

Verse 2 

Spirit we love You
We worship and adore You
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name in all the earth

Verse 3

Jesus we love You
We worship and adore You
Glorify Thy name in all the earth
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name
Glorify Thy name in all the earth

© Donna Atkins 1976.

No 49 in AOV NG is another lovely Gina Ogilvie song, “Gift of Grace.”  It starts as a reflective piece and winds up a festival.  I’m not sure I was able to get the flavour in my backing, so seek out the CD and give it a listen.  If you were having quiet reflective mass, the first verse could be the gathering, done as a chant and the second the recessional.  It would also be wonderful for a healing service.

It can be purchased for download at As One Voice.

 

Bless this land and your people

As we gather on this day.

Lead us to a place of healing

Where we know the gift of grace.

Bless this land and your people

As we journey from this place.

May our lives reveal your promise

As we become your gift of grace.

© Monica O’Brien and Gina Ogilvie 2007.

“Gather As One” is a great slice of funk gospel from Amanda McKenna and is found at No48 in AOV NG.  Obviously a gathering song, it is a great singalong. Some of it is very reminiscent of “Power to the People” – I challenge you not to sing “power to the people right on” coming into the verses.  My backing tries to be funk gospel as well.

There is a missing chord on the very last bar of the song – pencil in an E.

Chorus

Gather as one.  Gather as one.

Gather all the people of God!

All of our days singing God’s praise,

Gather all the people as one!

Verse 1

We will sing a new song unto the Lord,

Of truth and beauty surrounding our God;

Of holiness and glory,

Sing out to the Lord all the earth!

Chorus

Verse 2

Gather all the nations unto the Lord.

Bring us together our Lord and our God

And we will come rejoicing,

Proclaiming the Lord’s holy name!

Chorus

Verse 3

Come, now let us worship unto the Lord,

And let us bow down in honour of God.

We come into God’s presence

And shout out with joy to the Lord!

(key change)

Chorusx2 (then)

Gather all the people as one!

Gather all the people as one!

© Amanda McKenna 2007.