Church Music

I realise that songs from Gather 3rd edition are probably all well known, especially in GIA parishes in the US, but I am still finding songs I haven’t heard of or blogged on this site.

This has a Marty Haugen arrangement of a traditional tune BALM IN GILEAD, setting Susan R. Briehl’s text. It is a delicate hymn of comfort.

The sheet music is at GIA, where the text is in their preview.

I followed the chords and melody in the hymn book, but it sounds a little off to me in my BIAB backing.

I like Haugen’s restrained version:

Not sure about this remake:

More Psalm 23 from Gather 3rd edition, this time from Lori True.

The sheet music is at GIA, where the text is in their preview.

This is Francis Patrick O’Brien‘s take on Psalm 23, which makes sense for the “Comfort” section of Gather 3rd edition. I don’t think he is much used in Australia, but he is well known in the US, going by the number of YouTube clips – I by no means posted all of them and even Presbyterians were singing it. I was raised a Presbyterian and singing a hymn written by a Catholic priest then would have collapsed the roof.

Maybe we have enough of our own priest composers in Australia, but his songs are certainly singable enough and worthy of consideration.

The sheet music can be purchased at GIA and the text is here.

I am looking at all the songs left in Gather 3rd edition that I haven’t come across from other sources over the years.

Finding a John Bell chant is always great and this makes a lot of sense for inclusion in their “Comfort” section.

GIA don’t seem to have a downloadable version but the collection We Walk His Way is available there and at Wild Goose. The text is based on Matt 11:28 and can be found here.

Another song of comfort from Gather 3rd edition, this Stephen Pishner song has a particular place for funerals.

Something in the tune reminds me of Peter Allan’s “Don’t Cry Out Loud”, which is a good thing.

The sheet music can be purchased at GIA, where the text is in their preview.

Just so you know: Peter Allen.

This is a lovely song of consolation from Tony Alonso from Gather 3rd edition. Inspired by Matthew 11:28–30, it is suitable for funerals, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick.

The text is here and you can buy the sheet music at GIA.

This is another song in the “Comfort” section of hymns from Gather 3rd edition. This is by Paul A. Tate. The text is inspired by Matthew 11:25-30. If you have done Norbet’s “Come to Me” to death, perhaps this is an alternative. He has written a lovely melody for this one.

The sheet music is at GIA, where the text is in their preview.

The “rest now in me” is supposed to be echoed by the assembly after the cantor or choir, but I would just have the assembly sing everything and repeat it rather than hand most of the song away. There is a harmony line for the chorus that I have ignored for my backing.

Skipping a few songs that I have already blogged, takes me thematically into the “Comfort” section of Gather 3rd edition.

This is a Liam Lawton song and it’s nice to see GIA have some Irish input. It is a pretty song and even the guitar version I have has harmony lines in the refrain if you are up for that.

The sheet music can be purchased at GIA and the text is here.

Back when Willow shut its physical media book shop, a got the guitar version of Gather 3rd edition cheaply. I recently realised that I never finished my survey of this three volume tome, with the third remaining to be looked at. Now, between all the other hymn books I have looked at, I figure I will be able to skip many songs because I have looked at them already, but with about three hundred selections to go I can’t have seen them all yet. I still have lots of Australian songs to look at once I’ve done this.

G3 grouped things thematically, and the third volume kicks off in the “Love” section.

This song has a thoughtful text by Ruth Duck and is here set to Hassler’s PASSION CHORALE. AURELIA is suggested as an alternative. GIA also sells this text set to LANGLOFFAN.

The text is here. GIA only seem to have handbells for this setting, but the music is PD.

I will have a few weeks break from blogging…see you in May.

Before I go, I have at times despaired at the quality of Catholic material posted on YouTube and the web in general. Especially when it relates to music there is little that resonates with any parish situation I have come across. I suspect that most of the people doing good work in the schools and parishes have neither the time nor inclination to create bitter YouTube channels ranting about the musical crimes committed against the faithful in Catholic churches.

I won’t link to ill tempered, uncharitable and uninformed commentary, but I was pleased to see ACU contributing to the space in constructive ways.

This brief talk from Steven Warner was good to listen to.

https://acucentreforliturgy.podbean.com/e/the-continuum

You can find more of their podcasts on varying subjects there:

https://acucentreforliturgy.podbean.com

https://uat.acu.edu.au/about-acu/institutes-academies-and-centres/acu-centre-for-liturgy/the-liturgy-channel

There is also some posts about the ACU at Pray Tell.