Church Music

Patricia Smith has also used the Breastplate of St Patrick as her inspiration along with Matt 5:1-12.

This is a gentle swung tune with much charm and feeling.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow, where you can view the sample sheet music.

There is no musical preview at Willow of the tune, so my backing might give you the idea.

1 In the hungry and the poor, Christ is beside us,

Those who suffer and endure, Christ is before us,

In the gentle and the weak, in the humble and the meek,

Christ is with us now.

Refrain

Christ in our rising, Christ is our resting,

Christ our beginning, Christ in our giving,

Christ in our keeping, Christ is with us now.

Christ with us.

2 In the merciful and kind, Christ is around us,

Those who seek and those who find, Christ is among us,

In the ones who long for peace, those who mourn and those who weep,

Christ is with us now.

3 In the ones who dwell in shame, Christ on our right hand,

Those who work for justice’ sake, Christ on our left hand,

In the hated and oppressed, those who thirst for righteousness,

Christ is with us now.

4 In the homeless and the lost, Christ is below us,

Those who hope when hope is gone, Christ is above us,

In the broken those in pain, those who give and give again.

Christ is with us now.

© 2020 P A Smith, Published by Willow Publishing.

This is the late Colin Smith‘s stately setting of the Breastplate of St Patrick. The text he uses is adapted by Hugh Sharpe.

The sheet music is available to purchase at Willow, along with sample pages and a snippet to listen to.

This the traditional text:

1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand;
Christ with me where’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.

2 Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined;
Christ control my wayward heart;
Christ abide and ne’er depart.

3 Christ my life and only way,
Christ my lantern night and day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
Guide and shepherd to the end.

This is the adaptation:

1 Christ be near at either hand,
Christ behind, before me stand;
Christ with me where’er I go,
Christ around, above, below.

2 Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ within my soul enshrined;
Christ my strength and shield in strife;
Christ defender of my life.

3 Christ my guide along the way,
Christ my light at cease of day;
Christ be my unchanging friend,
Christ my shepherd to the end.

4 Christ my comfort when I rest,

Christ beloved and welcome guest;

Christ abide and n’er depart,

Christ live always in my heart.

Amen

Music © 2002 Colin D. Smith Published by Willow Publishing.

How wonderful, another song from David Macgregor, a Uniting Church minister from Brisbane, who I really should have a good look at. He has lots of songs at his website.

This prayer for peace can be purchased at Willow, where there is a snippet to listen to and sample sheet music. He suggests substituting “Be our…” for “Bring your” when appropriate. This is a really lovely tune.

I made a backing to help people learn it. Although the UCA music site says he is on CCLI, that must be for protestant consumption as he is on One Licence as well.

1 Bring your peace, Lord. Bring your peace, Lord.

Bring your peace, O Lord, peace again.

Peace in the hard times, peace in the pain.

Bring your peace, O Lord, peace again.

2 Bring your hope, Lord. Bring your hope, Lord.

Bring your hope, O Lord, hope again.

Hope in the hard times, hope in the pain.

Bring your hope, O Lord, hope again.

3 Bring your love, Lord. Bring your love, Lord.

Bring your love, O Lord, love again.

Love in the hard times, love in the pain.

Bring your love, O Lord, love again.

4 Bring your life, Lord. Bring your life, Lord.

Bring your life, O Lord, life again.

Life in the times, life in the pain.

Bring your life, O Lord, life again.

© 2015 David MacGregor Willow Publishing.

Going through songs I have yet to cover in the Willow Digital archive (As One Voice), I found I have never looked at Peter Grant‘s take on the Beatitudes.

The sheet music can be purchased in three convenient iterations at Willow. There is a tasty instrumental snippet there to hear as well. Peter is wise enough to keep the text as close to the original as possible. In Australia, the Peter Kearney hymn is the one commonly used, but this simple direct take is worthy of consideration.

My backing is less delicate than his.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek and the gentle, they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who mourn, comfort will surely be theirs.

Blessed are the hungry and thirsting for right, they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.

Blesses are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

© 2015 Peter Grant. Published by Willow Publishing

Continuing with some more songs from Willow (As One Voice), that are available for digital download, is another of Patricia Smith‘s songs. It is a gentle chant of reflection with many applications.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow.

There is no sample sound there but my backing might give you an idea.

1 Be still, be still, I am here.

Be still, be still, I am God.

Be still, be still, and rest in me.

Be still, be still, you are mine.

2 And hear, and hear, my words for you.

And hear, and hear, that I am God.

And hear, and hear, and take my words to heart.

Be still, be still, you are mine.

3 And know, and know, the peace I give.

And know, and know, that I am God.

And know, and know, that you are loved.

Be still, be still, you are mine.

4 Give thanks, give thanks, with grateful heart.

Give thanks, give thanks, for I am God.

Give thanks, give thanks, in every time and place.

Be still, be still, you are mine

Be still.

Be still.

© 2021 P A Smith. Published by Willow Publications.

This is a newish song from Leo Watt available at Willow.

The preview is just a chorus so if there are verses you will have to buy the sheet music to find them.

Open your eyes, open your head

and let your God in who knocks at your door.

© 2021 Leo Watt

This is another baptismal song from the the digital store at Willow. It is by the esteemed team of James McAuley and Richard Connolly.

The text is in the sample sheet music available at Willow where you can purchase the sheet music for the hymn. Better yet, you could buy their collection Year of Grace, which has this along with many more of their best songs.

I made an backing on fake organ.

Erica Marshall has written masses and other liturgically useful pieces over the years and this little acclamation is for an SATB choir to sing during baptisms.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow, where you can see the sample sheet music.

My backing is just the soprano line, but the full thing would sound great – in fact if anyone has a recording of their choir doing this in its four part glory I’d love to hear it.

Awake! Arise from death!

Christ will shine upon you!

© 1992 Erica Marshall. Published by Willow Publishing.

I once queried Frank Andersen’s use of exclamation marks and I’m told when my concerns were conveyed to him he asked whether I wanted question marks instead. (I suspect I wasn’t the first to do so.) I mention this because it may be contagious – Erica was instrumental in the arrangements for Frank Andersen’s songs.

With the era of bound hymnals seemingly behind us, the task of singing a new song relies on finding things online and attending workshops like the upcoming APMN conference.

Unless you are from St Patrick’s in the Broken Bay diocese, where she runs the children’s choir it is possible you haven’t heard of Patricia Smith. I have blogged several of her songs and she is definitely worth knowing about. In Australia the most functional part of the Catholic Church is the school system, and so a lot of talent starts there and spreads to the parish.

This is a song for Eucharist expressed simply so that it suitable for all ages. The tune has the feel of “Come Saturday Morning” in the refrain, but is a sight more joyful.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow where there are sample pages of the sheet music but no music to hear.

My backing will give you some idea I hope:

Refrain

Come to the banquet of love, and rejoice in the goodness of God.

Come, enter the house of our God, singing praise.

Come to the banquet of love.

1 In this communion of love one in heart

we give thanks to our God for his gifts, the gifts of his love.

2 Trusting our needs and our sorrows to go seeking shelter and peace

we have come to ask and receive.

3 Sharing our hopes and dreams with our God who delights in his people,

we come, the people of God.

4 Bringing our past and our present before One

whose mercy extends through all time

we trust in God’s love.

© 2020 P A Smith, Published by Willow Publishing

Patricia Smith is a very talented and prolific Willow composer from the era after the publication of the As One Voice collections, so she relies on us using digital downloads and looking for her new music.

This is a song of God’s love, appropriate for the story of the Prodigal Son and younger people. You have to be comfortable with singing in the voice of God – so maybe not as a solo.

You can view the sample sheet music at Willow and purchase it there as well. There is no recording of the music there so I did a backing based on the sample to how it goes.

1 I called you as you wandered in the wilderness

I lifted you and held you in my heart.

Though darkness spreads its shadow, I will be with you,

My love will last beyond the end of time.

Chorus

And I will love you till the stars forget to burn,

I will love you till all the seas run dry.

I will love you, precious beyond words.

My love for you will never die,

My love for you will never die.

2 I formed you and created you with endless love,

I dreamed of you before you came to be.

I know your thoughts before you put them into words,

My love for you is stronger than death.

3 And if you turn your face away, my heart is grieved,

I watch for your return with longing arms,

And when you bow your head in shame I lift you up,

You are loved, you are loved.

4 Your life is but a breath, I hold you in my hands.

I keep the earth secure beneath your feet.

No matter where your journey leads, I will not cease

To know you as perfect in my sight.

© 2018 P A Smith, Published by Willow Publishing