Church Music

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

Ray Makeever is a Lutheran songwriter from the US and his song “Come to the Water” is No 34 in As One Voice: The Next Generation.  I like this tune, but I hate the sort of choral singing that is on the CD.  I think it must be cultural.  There is a certain American church sound that seems generic, you hear it on Marty Haugen’s albums as well, that strikes these ears as unlistenably smug and ruins the song. The flute and fiddle lines are great but the vocals need to be confined to American ears I fear.

Obviously this is the baptism song you use if you’ve had enough of John Foley or Frank Anderson’s “Come to the Water.”

The music in the AOV lacks the lyrics to the fourth verse so I’ve transcribed these from the CD.

This song is also found in Ray Makeever’s collection “Sing” available at the Pilgrim Press.

My backing only allows for five verses with the key change after the third, so pick the best five of the six verses and sing along.

All who are thirsty for justice,

All who are thirsty for peace.

All who are thirsty for peace, for justice, come,

Come to the water of life.

 

All who are thirsty for mercy,

All who are thirsty for love.

All who are thirsty for love, for mercy, come,

Come to the water of life.

 

All who are thirsty for healing,

All who are thirsty for touch.

All who are thirsty for touch, for healing, come,

Come to the water of life.

 

All who are thirsty for beauty,

All who are thirsty for truth.

All who are thirsty for truth, for beauty come,

Come to the water of life.

 

All who are thirsty for freedom,

All who are thirsty for hope.

All who are thirsty for hope, for freedom, come,

Come to the water of life.

 

All who are thirsty for laughter,

All who are thirsty for joy.

All who are thirsty for joy, for laughter, come,

Come to the water of life.

© Ray Makeever 1999.

At 33 in AOV NG is another song called “Come to the Table.”  John Burland’s song is stately, elegant and delightful.  Suitable for Eucharistic purposes, of course, and this song is another great Australian composition.  Even the key change seems very natural and doable.

Refrain

We come to the table of the Lord

As one body formed in your love

We come to the table of the Lord

As one body formed in your love

 

Verse 1

Bread broken and shared to nourish us

Bread broken and shared to nourish us

At the table of the Lord

At the table of the Lord

 

Refrain

Verse 2

Cup poured out so we will never thirst

Cup poured out so we will never thirst

At the table of the Lord

At the table of the Lord

 

Refrain

 

Bridge

Come, come share with me

Come, come to my feast

Refrain x2 key change

© John Burland 2004.

I’m up to 32 in AOV NG and might be getting sensory overload because I think I actually like one of John Angotti’s songs, “Come to the Table.”  It may not be as good as John Burland’s song of the same name (see next post) but it isn’t nearly as bad as some American Catholic music.  If you get to hear the CD it is even sung normally (ie not dreadful weird choir noise).  It sounds a little Andrew Lloyd Webber, especially in the verse, which is only fair since Lloyd Webber is dreadful plagiarist.  It is also obviously a Eucharistic song so my wish for liturgical music is fulfilled.

You can buy it as a single sheet from sheetmusicplus and from WLP.

The text can be seen on this YouTube clip.

My backing is to help you learn the song only.

31 in AOV NG is another Wild Goose Collective Song by Mike Balhoff, Gary Daigle and Darryl Ducote.  The cantor sings their piece and is joined after a couple of repetitions by the assembly singing verses that overlap the cantor part.  As always for these chants, gently does it and minimal instrumentation.  I’m not sure my backing achieves that.

You can buy this song in the collection “We Walk His Way” at Wild Goose where you can also hear a snippet of the song.

Cantor part

Come, O Lord, and set us free;

Give your people peace.

Come, O Lord, and set us free;

Come, Lord Jesus, come.

Verses (all)

O, come and set us free; and take our guilt away.

Come, give us your pardon Lord.

Come, O come, Lord Jesus.

O, come and set us free; free from our self obsession.

Come, free from each fond possession.

Come, O come, Lord Jesus.

O, come and set us free; free to affirm each other.

Come, as sister and as brother.

Come, O come, Lord Jesus.

Reshape the world you made; let what your hand created.

Come, always be celebrated.

© WGRG, Iona Community.

This choir with a very swinging cantor sing up a storm but I don’t think it is the same text.

No 30 in AOV NG is John Burland’s “Come O Holy Spirit.”  While John is best known as a children’s composer, like Michael Mangan, there is more to his songs than just school applications.  This song works well as a call and response and builds to a dramatic climax.  This is another worthy vene sancte song.

You can read more about this song at John Burland’s site.

I’m upset that I couldn’t get Band in a Box to do the dramatic triplet chords in the middle of the chorus.

Verse 1

Come O Holy Spirit.

Come O Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ promise is with us this day.

Jesus’ promise is with us this day.

Veni Sancte Spiritus.

Veni Sancte Spiritus.

We gather here with strength anew.

We gather here with strength anew.

Chorus

By the Spirit we are called

To be Your witness for all the world.

Your word alive burning in our hearts.

Though we are many we are one;

One voice that sings for all the world,

Come receive the power of God’s love.

Verse 2

Come O Holy Spirit.

Come O Holy Spirit.

Through Your life Jesus, we’ve learnt to live.

Through Your life Jesus, we’ve learnt to live.

Veni Sancte Spiritus.

Veni Sancte Spiritus.

Your word, the light that shows my path.

Your word, the light that shows my path.

Chorus

Come and know the power of God’s love.

© John Burland 2006.