Church Music

This is a song plotting the expectations of the three wise men, from Patrica Smith’s And the Angels Sang. This would particularly good for an end of year celebration sung by a choir, with the assembly invited to participate as it morphs into “O Come All Ye Faithful” at the end.

The sheet music for this piece can also be purchased separately at Willow.

My backing doesn’t really work but will give you the idea of the tune if you don’t read music. Otherwise, do check out the preview score at Willow. My backing sort of collapses into “O come let us adore him”. What she asked for was for the music to get slower and louder there. I use BIAB as a music sketch pad so the results vary.

I’d love to see a YouTube clip if if you do this song for Christmas this year.

1 We came to worship a king, a king of might and power,

A king of wealth, a king of glory.

We came to worship a king, with gifts costly and rare.

We looked for him in palaces, we followed a mighty star.

Refrain 1

We found God’s little one, warm in his mother’s arms,

Wrapped in a shepherd’s cloak, his bed of straw.

We found God’s little one, bathed in candlelight.

Only the ox and ass before him knelt.

2 We came to worship a king, his throne a manger,

The guard at his side wore a carpenter’s belt.

The calls of cattle rang from walls of barest wood,

And a floor of trodden earth, cold under the stars.

Refrain 2

We found God’s little one, throned in peace and joy,

Robed and crowned with love and gentleness.

The song of angels rang, “Hope of all the world.”

The earth and sky above rejoiced and sang.

O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

We came to worship a King…

© 2008 P A Smith administered by Willow Publishing.

And the Angels Sang is Patricia Smith’s new collection for Advent and Christmas. I have been going through the collection and have found a lot of songs for end of year celebrations for choirs, assemblies and schools.

She has once again chosen an old tune COVENTRY CAROL for this one, using the traditional lyrics for a refrain and adding new verses that evoke the Advent theme of watchful waiting. I haven’t seen an arrangement with a refrain before so that might be Smith’s idea.

The sheet music is available at Willow.

Refrain

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, by by, lully, lullay.

1 Softly we watch through darkest night, waiting for light to wake.

Into this world of dark and sin, Wisdom has found its way.

2 While this world waits for Heaven’s sign, swiftly, without a sound,

To heal the heart of humankind, silent the Word stoops down.

3 Mary with joy her answers makes, op’ning the way to light,

And in the place of perfect grace quickens the Lord of life.

Text © 2014 P A Smith administered by Willow Publishing

This is another new carol from Patricia Smith from her collection And the Angel Sang. This is a gentle song but I think it will survive choir and assembly. It is basically an audio nativity scene.

The individual sheet music is available at Willow.

This backing I kept simple for a change and let BIAB do its fingerpicking best:

1 See how he rests with his tiny hand under his cheek,

His breath barely stirring the straw in the manger bed!

See how the angels rejoice, the earth is singing for joy!

Come now and worship him, come now and worship the Lord!

2 See how he stretches and opens his eyes to the light,

Whose gaze dims the stars leaning down from the heavens above!

See how the darkness has fled before the Light of the world!

Come now and worship him, come now and worship the Lord!

3 Watch as he nestles so warm in his young mothers arms,

While shepherds and kings, kneel before him with worshiping hearts!

Let every heart offer praise before the throne of grace!

Come now and worship him, come now and worship the Lord!

Come now and worship him, come now and worship the Lord!

© 2021 P A Smith published by Willow Publishing

Patricia Smith uses O WALY WALY again for another new text she has written in her collection And the Angels Sang.

This has Mary singing to her baby and as such is suitable for end of year celebrations and Christmas celebrations. As for the previous song, her arrangement has a key change from E to G for the fourth verse and then echoing each line.

You can get the sheet music in the collection of as an individual purchase at Willow.

1 My darling son, my hearts delight,

Love born of love, light born of light,

Sleep softly now, my little one,

Sleep softly now, my darling son.

2 Fear not the dark, fear not the night,

For here we know the world’s true light.

Sleep softly now, my little one,

Sleep softly now, my darling son.

3 At the mangerside the shepherds kneel,

Adoring here their Shepherd King.

Sleep softly now, my little one,

Sleep softly now, my darling son.

4 Hear the angels sing great songs of joy!

Just so my heart for this little boy.

Sleep softly now, my little one,

Sleep softly now, my darling son.

© 2018 P A Smith published by Willow Publishing.

Continuing my survey of Patricia Smith’s essential resource for Advent and Christmas, And the Angels Sang, we come to this chant to the familar tune of O WALY WALY. There are minimal words and much repetition, which works very well. She changes key for the third verse from E to G and uses each line echoed.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.

1 Maranatha, Lord Jesus, come!

Maranatha, into our hearts.

Maranatha, Maranatha!

Lord Jesus, come! Lord Jesus come!

2 Prepare the way for the Lord to come!

Lift the valleys up, make the mountains low!

Maranatha, Maranatha!

Lord Jesus, come! Lord Jesus Come!

Verse 3 = verse 1 with echo

© 2018 P A Smith published by Willow Publishing.

See Chris’s suggestion below to use CONDITOR ALME SIDERUM as an alternative setting.

This is clever. Patrica Smith has written a new setting for the Christina Rossetti’s text that can sung simultaneously with “Away in a Manger”, which opens up all sorts of options for both performance and participation.

It is from her new collection for Advent and Christmas called And the Angels Sang.

The sheet music is available in three versions at Willow.

My backing has the counter melody over the fourth verse.

1 Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine;

Love was born at Christmas, star and angels gave the sign.

2 Worship we the Godhead, love incarnate, love divine;

Worship we our Jesus: but wherewith the sacred sign?

3 Love shall be our token, love be yours and love be mine;

Love to God and all men, love for plea, and gift, and sign.

4 Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, love divine.

Love was born at Christmas. Star and angels gave the sign.

This is yet another great song for end of year celebrations for children at Christmas from Patrica Smith’s collection, And the Angels Sang. She gently and sweetly puts the celebration into context and the message is for all of us.

The sheet music can be purchased as part the collection or as an individual downloadable sheet at Willow.

1 It’s not about the Christmas tree, it’s not about the toys.

It’s not about the tinsel, the parties and the noise.

Refrain

It’s all about the Christ child, the giving not the gifts.

It’s all about remembering that Love was born for this.

2 It’s not about the Santa suit, the reindeer, or the sleigh,

It’s not about the angels wings, the carols or the play.

Refrain

Bridge

It’s taking hands and making peace, and sharing what we have.

It’s welcoming the lost and lonely home.

3 It’s not what we are getting, it’s giving from our hearts,

It’s making peace and bringing joy, that’s where Christmas starts.

Refrain x2

© 2912 P A Smith Administered by Willow Publishing

This another great song from the And the Angels Sang from Patrica Smith.

Carols by Candlelight is an Australian tradition that makes use of the fact it is hot leading up to Christmas and it’s nice to be outside where it might be cooler and sing together by candlelight. Back in Queensland when my children were at school it always seemed to attract spectacular thunderstorms, so there was an element of danger as well!

This song would suit a choir at such a carols event and would be fine for secular as well as religious gatherings.

Since I can’t play Smith’s piano arrangement I made my usual BIAB backing to learn the song:

1 In the candlelight voices are lifted;

In the candlelight faces aglow,

In the candlelight, voices are singing

A promise made ages ago.

2 Of a child who would shatter the darkness,

And dispel every shadow of night,

Of a king who was born in a stable bare,

On a holy and glorious night.

Refrain

And every light tells the story of a blazing star

Shining bright on the face of a child,

And every voice is an echo of the angel choir

That sang when a child was born in the candlelight.

3 As the darkness grows, people are gathering,

Joyful music and songs fill the air.

Every heart is aflame with a single prayer

For a world full of peace and goodwill.

Refrain

© 2921 P A Smith Published by Willow Publishing.

This is a very new Christmas Carol from Patrica Smith from her collection And the Angels Sang.

Because of the familiar tune, WILD MOUNTAIN THYME, an assembly would be quickly able to participate with this one at Christmas.

There are keyboard, melody and SATB versions for download available at Willow very cheaply.

I made a backing:

1 If an angel stood before me, crying, “Glory in the highest!

A Saviour has been born who is joy to all the world!”

I would go, I would go.

And my heart would kneel before him, the child of my desire.

All I have I’d lay before him.

I would go, I would go.

2 If a band of shepherds running said, “Come with us to the stable

Where the child that we have longed for lies sleeping in a manger.”

I would go, I would go.

And my heart would kneel before him, the child of my desire.

All I have I’d lay before him.

I would go, I would go.

3 If the sky above caught fire, with a star of mystic wonder,

I would gather all my treasure and follow where it lead me,

I would go, I would go.

And my heart would kneel before him, the child of my desire.

All I have I’d lay before him.

I would go, I would go.

© 2023 P A Smith Published by Willow Publishing

This a Marian Christmas Carol from Patrica Smith’s new collection, And the Angels Sang. It really is a very useful resource for any parish or school.

This song is also available as downloadable sheet music from Willow.

It is probably best as a delicate solo.

My backing will give you an idea of the melody.

1 I saw a star over Bethlehem, and I wondered.

I saw a star and it filled my heart with hope,

A star so bright that it shattered the night,

And filled the stable with glorious light.

I saw a star over Bethlehem and I wondered.

2 I saw a baby all wrapped in white, and I wondered.

I saw a baby that filled my heart with love,

A child whose face gave back God’s grace,

Whose radiance warmed that humble place.

I saw a baby all wrapped in white and I wondered.

3 I laid my gift before the child and I wondered.

I laid my gift, my heart, my hope, my joy.

I worshipped there and I spoke my prayer

That peace might banish the world’s despair,

And my heart rejoiced, this gift to share, and I wondered.

And I wondered,

And I wondered,

And I wondered.

© 2020 P A Smith Published by Willow Publishing.