Brisbane’s emmanuelworship have always been at the praise and worship end of Australian Catholic music. I am looking back at their album Ride of a Lifetime album from 2003. I am expecting lots of songs that are meant for young people outside of church liturgies, and so far that is what I am finding.
This song, by James Garrahy, is perhaps a more traditional fast praise and worship song than yesterday’s song. It is easy to sing, despite all the triplets, and is great for when your guitarist needs to practice their barre chords. It is long out of print so I have put up the sheet music.
Their version is full on from the start, but my backing starts a little more quietly.
With the new year, normal service will be resumed. I will get back to Australian Catholic music with a throwback to 2003 − a collection from the emmanuelworship team. Ride of a Lifetime is long out of print, but I will post the sheet music.
If memory serves they were at their “Green Day” style noisiest at this time, so I am suspecting songs for youth rallies more than liturgical songs, but you never know, perhaps some can be repurposed.
The title track is pretty full on from songwriter, Patrick Keady, and lyrically aimed at a young audience. Whether twenty years on it remains useful I am not sure, but it is energetic, gets the guitarists busy making noise and it is easy to sing.
I made to two backings to sing a long with. I slowed it down a bit but feel free to get up to warp speed with emmanuelworship:
This is another interesting text from new releases by GIA. David Bjorlin has contrasted the themes of the four Advent candles with the many evils in the world and sings hope despite them.
The setting by Mark Miller is not quite sure what key it wants to be in and maybe that is to the good, because we are meant to be somewhat unsettled by this song – there is no place for complacency when opposed to evil.
The sheet music can be purchased at GIA , where the text is in their preview. I’ll leave GIA there, with the impression that, on the evidence of these songs at least, there is some hope in American church music.
I’ve found some interesting new songs from GIA. This one has a text by Daniel Charles Damon and was written in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. It is actually a Hope Publishing copyright, and the text and a setting using an adaptation of the HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN is available there.
I made a backing for that:
For GIA, Eddie Cavazos has taken the text and made the second verse a chorus and set it to a tune in 5/4 time that I have to admit is pretty astonishing.
I've worked my way through the As One Voice books and other collections making backings on Band in a Box to help me (& you if you're interested) learn new songs for church. This is aimed at churches and musicians that own the collections but haven't exploited them fully. If you don't have them they are certainly worth buying. This site is educational, nonprofit and designed to enhance the commercial prospects of songwriters. This site does not distribute copyrighted sheet music.
Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed here are personal views and not the responsibility of any Church.
All music backings posted are created by myself and the intention is for them to be used to learn the songs. If any copyright holder wishes me to cease publicising and promoting their wares and directing people to where sheet music can be legally purchased please let me know.
Mason’s “Mass of Glory and Praise”
To access my backings for Paul Mason's mass go to Feb 2011 in the archive.