Church Music

Entrance: Glory and Praise to Our God (Schutte) AOV 1/16

Psalm 15

Lord, you will show us the path of life.

Music by Amanda McKenna

Gifts: O Sacred Flame (Marshall)

Communion: Emmaus (Alonso) AOV NG 41

Recessional: Jesus is Risen (O’Brien/Ogilvie)

Entrance: Alleluia No. 1 (Fishel) AOV 1/15

Psalm 117

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

His love is everlasting.

(Music by Amanda McKenna)

Gifts: I Have Seen the Lord (Hurd) AOV 1/98

Communion: Bread of Heaven  (Manibusan-Hart)

Recessional: Alleluia! Love is Alive (Angrisano, Manibusan, Hart)

John Coleman is producing lovely church music in a folk idiom. This song, written with his late friend, Noel Davis, is a homage to John Henry Newman’s poem.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.

You can hear John’s version at Bandcamp.

Lead, lead O kindly light, lead thou me on O lead,

Lead O kindly light, lead thou me on.

Amidst this circling gloom I place my trust in you.

O lead thou me on.

Lead, lead O kindly light, lead thou me on O lead,

Lead O kindly light, lead thou me on.

My soul yearns for you, God of my life,

O lead thou me on.

Lead kindly light,

Lead kindly light,

Lead kindly light,

Lead kindly light.

© 2022 John Coleman and Noel Davis.
Published by Willow Publishing.

I really like Chris Currie’s music for this adaptation of a very old text. It is calming and refreshing.

You can purchase the sheet music and listen to an instrumental snippet at Willow.

He and Peter Grant did the refurbishment of Gerald Manly Hopkins’ poem inspired by Adore Te Devote by St Thomas Aquinas.

The Latin with translation for the Aquinas text is here.

Mary at Godsongs has the details on the Gerald Manly Hopkins version.

I made my own backing:

1 Jesus loving myst’ry, whom we do adore,

Though veiled from our senses, bread and wine no more.

Christ our souls are yearning for your healing power.

We are lost in wonder at the God you are.

2 Seeing, touching, tasting are in us deceived:

So we trust our hearing, your word is believed.

That God’s son has told us, we now take as true.

You yourself speak truly or there’s nothing true.

3 On the cross your Godhead gave no word or sign,

Truly human nature hid the true divine.

Both are our confession, both are our belief.

And we pray the faith prayer of the dying thief.

4 We are not like Thomas, wounds we cannot see,

But can surely name you Lord and God like he.

Deepen our faith daily, in this mystery,

Ever draw us closer to love perfectly.

5 Bread and cup remind us of you crucified.

Eucharist the life of us for whom you died.

Give your life to us now; feed and feast our minds,

In the loving union we are meant to find.

6 By this sacrament, Christ, shape our lives in yours.

May our daily living be love that endures.

Some day may we see you in your glory bright,

Joining saints and angels in your love and light.

Adapted by Chris Currie and Peter Grant

This is an enjoyable Advent song from David MacGregor. You could use it one verse at a time for each week (hope/peace/joy/love) or just sing the whole song.

It can be purchased at Willow.

In this time of waiting we will sing of hope
Hope in Jesus who alone makes whole
In our expectation we will sing of hope
Hearts of longing we will sing of hope

In this time of waiting we will sing of peace
Peace in Jesus: Saviour, Prince of Peace
In our expectation we will sing of peace
Hearts of longing we will sing of peace

In this time of waiting we will sing with joy
Joy in Jesus: darkness won’t destroy
In our expectation we bring sing with joy
Hearts of longing we will sing with joy.

In this time of waiting we bring hearts of love
Peace and hope and joy bound up in love
In our expectation we bring hearts of love
Hearts of longing we bring hearts of love

© 2019 David McGregor Published by Willow Publishing

I’ve found a song not by Patricia Smith at As One Voice. This is seriously good folk song about prayer from John Coleman and Noel Davis. It is probably best as a solo. Songs as nice as this make a good case for revisiting the Willow site for new songs and new artists frequently.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow. You can listen to John Coleman sing the song at Bandcamp.

The sheet music has a lengthy instrumental before the repetition of the words, presumably for contemplative prayer.

In the silence, we hear music.

In the stillness, we dance your prayer and our prayer comes alive

As we lose ourselves in the dance.

© 2022 John Coleman and Noel Davis. Published by Willow Publishing

This is more liturgically useful music from Patricia Smith at the As One Voice Digital shop at Willow Publishing.

This is for the Sprinkling Rite at Easter Vigil and uses a text from Ezekiel 47.

I saw water flowing from the Temple, from its right hand side, alleluia;

And all to whom this water came were saved and shall say:

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

© 2016 P A Smith. Published by Willow Publishing.

Using the same chords she also wrote a piece as a response to the Blessing of Baptismal Water at the Vigil that can double up as a descant to the Sprinkling Rite.

Springs of water, bless the Lord; praise and exult him.

Springs of water, bless the Lord; praise and exult him above all forever.

© 2016 P A Smith. Published by Willow Publishing.

Both pieces are sold in the one lot at Willow. There is also a snippet of the music to listen to there.

This is meant to be a trawl through the digital archive at Willow but for some reason, having sorted things alphabetically, I’m getting a lot of Patrica Smith in a row.

This is from John 15:4-17 and has some competition as a setting, but stands up well with a gentle, memorable and singable tune.

The sheet music is at Willow, but I couldn’t get a grasp on what her arrangement was. I decided to do 2 verses then the chorus and 2 verses and the chorus again. Once again note how she adds nothing more than necessary to the text and keeps things simple enough for all ages.

As usual there is nothing to listen to at Willow to get an idea what the songwriter had in mind. That said, you can at least sing along to my BIAB backing to learn it, then do the best way that suits you.

1 I give you a new commandment,

To love each other as I love you.

To give your life for one another

Is to love as I have loved you.

2 You did not choose me, no, you were chosen

To be my presence in all the world.

To bear great fruit that lasts forever,

You must love as I have loved you

Chorus

You will abide in me, abide in me,

Abide in me, and I will abide in you.

3 You are my friends, you are disciples.

Take up you cross now, and follow me.

Be one with me in heart and spirit,

And love as I have loved you.

4 All you who love me, keep my commandments,

And love will fill you, my kingdom come.

You will have life in all its fullness,

If you love as I have loved you.

Chorus

Abide in me.

© 2021 P A Smith. Published by Willow Publishing.

This year we will be playing Friday and the Vigil with another group doing Thursday and Sunday. Last year’s post covered most of the territory.

Our priest has asked for Good Friday to be low key and quiet. We can enter and leave in silence and just play softly for Veneration and Communion.

“Behold the Wood” by Dan Schutte with his “Holy Darkness” if needed will be good for Veneration. “Jesus Remember Me” (Berthier) will cover quiet music for Communion.

For Vigil we use Tony Alonso’s Exsultet. This is now at GIA.

Here we use three psalms in the readings and we will sing the responses using Amanda McKenna’s settings.

Psalm 32

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord,

The goodness of the Lord.

Psalm 15

Keep me safe O God; you are my hope.

Keep me safe O God; you are my hope.

Exodus 15

Let us sing to the Lord;

He has covered himself in glory.

Otherwise we use Taylor’s Mass of St Francis except for the Celtic Alleluia.

Sprinkling Rite: River of Glory (Schutte)

Gifts: Blessed be Our God (McKenna)

Communion: Glory in the Cross (Schutte) – Easter verses

After Communion: Alleluia! Love is Alive (Angrisano, Manibusan, Hart)

Recessional: Jesus is Risen (O’Brien/Ogilvie)

This is a sung prayer by Patricia Smith for children. She covers many sorts of prayer in an accessible way.

You can buy the sheet music at Willow or go the whole hog and by the book, Don’t Just Stand There.

The break between verses is for moving around and following the leader so I left it in my backing. I know it is meant for movement and dancing but as a simple chanted prayer for adults it might be surprisingly direct and powerful.

1 Hey God! How’re you going? It’s so good to talk to you!

Hey God, help me always be your friend and follow in your ways.

2 Hey God, I’m so thankful for the things you’ve given me.

Hey God, help me always use your gifts and follow in your ways.

3 Hey God, I’m so sorry for the wrong things I’ve done.

Hey God, help me always do what’s right and follow in your ways.

4 Hey God, There’s a problem. help me know what I should do.

Hey God, help me always make good choices and follow in your ways.

5 Hey God! Thanks for listening! It’s been good to talk to you.

Hey God, help me always be your friend and follow in your ways.

© 2014 P A Smith Published by Willow Publishing.