Technically bilingual, this free adaptation of the prayer of St Francis only has one Filipino word in it, so is fine for English speaking assemblies. It is a lovely sung prayer that can be done simply or taken as far as you want as a choir piece. It was written by Maria R. Nieva and has been selected for OCP’s Breaking Bread 2024.
The sheet music is available at OCP, where the text is in their preview.
This is Janet Sullivan Whitaker’s worthy setting of words from the ICEL text for funerals. It has been added to Breaking Bread for 2024.
The sheet music can be purchased at OCP where the text is in their preview. In my dreams Voces8 would sing it at my funeral.
Since I can’t do it justice like her arrangement, I let BIAB go a little trip hop.
Chris Brunelle is good as usual with his stripped back version confirming the virtue of the melody.
Since Voces 8 have not recorded this song, here is their arrangement of a great song about love and death from Ben Folds:
This is a great song for Baptism by Sarah Hart, that has been included in OCP’s Breaking Bread for 2024. It was one she sang at the APMN conference in September. It sounds like a traditional song but it is only six years old.
The sheet music can be purchased at OCP, where the text is in their preview.
This is a Christmas song that has been added to OCP’s Breaking Bread for 2024. The new parts are by Kevin Keil, which he merges with the MUELLER version of “Away in a Manger”.
There are two vocal lines that weave about and harmonise – listen to the YouTube clip to get the idea.
The sheet music is at OCP where the text is in their preview.
My backing for learning has the vocal lines at opposite ends of the stereo spectrum for clarity.
This is not a new song by Janet Sullivan Whitaker, but it has been added by OCP to Breaking Bread for 2024. It is the Exodus Canticle from the Easter liturgies. It is meant for a cantor and choir but could be sung through by an assembly if needed, though it goes a little high and is quite the production. Nonetheless, if YouTube is anything to go, by it very popular in the US.
The sheet music is at OCP where the text is in their preview.
The next song to be added to OCP’s Breaking Bread for 2024 is actually, “Christ is made the Sure Foundation,” which is an old song that is making a comeback for the collection, I believe. To think a public domain song can be taken in and out of use by a publishing company – weird.
Skipping that brings us to this song by Kathleen M. Basi, with liturgical uses whenever the readings match “thirst”, especially in Lent and generally for Eucharist.
The sheet music can be purchased at OCP, where the text is in their preview.
Sam shared her parishes’ music selections for Advent, which included Michael Mangan’s “Waiting for the Child.” It is part of the collection This is the Time, which I never bought because I had some of the songs from other collections. I really should get it though, because it is specifically liturgical music from Australia filling many parish needs.
I listened to it on YouTube and it is a lovely delicate piece so I had a go at knocking out a backing. Since Michael’s favourite key is G, I figured if he is going minor it will be Em and I guessed the rest from there, but it is only my guess, obviously buy the music and get it right if you are using it for Advent. The lyrics are up on his website, but I’ve put them below for convenience.
- Watching and waiting,
Wondering just why
I’m so restless and sleepless,
Waking in the night.
What was promised soon will be here,
I am yearning for Him.
There’s a stirring deep inside me
As I’m waiting…waiting for the Child.
2. Longing and lonely,
Humming lullabies,
With arms aching and empty,
Heart is open wide.
Oh to see Him and to touch Him
And to hold Him to me.
There’s a stirring deep inside me
As I’m waiting…waiting for the child.
3. Searching and sighing,
Waiting for the dawn
Of a new day of promise,
Emmanuel come forth!
Soon He’ll be here right before me,
I am ready for Him.
There’s a stirring deep inside me
As I’m waiting…waiting for the child.
© 2005, 1995 Litmus Productions, Brisbane, Australia.
This moving song for those seeking comfort in the Lord, is by Timothy R. Smith and has been added to OCP’s Breaking Bread for 2024.
The sheet music can be purchased at OCP and the text is in their preview.
You can sing along with my backing to learn the song:
I’m looking at the “songs being added” to OCP’s Breaking Bread for 2024, although I still have trouble with the idea of “songs being retired”, when that decision is made by a music publishing house rather than an assembly. I’ve looked ahead at a lot of the material and the trend for OCP to become more and more restrained in their output continues.
This song is available in Spanish and English. While the Australian Catholic church is multicultural in some areas, there is no one dominant non-English speaking group so having Spanish language songs is not vital here. I’m not even sure we should be doing a song with such an obvious Spanish flavour – I don’t mind mangling my own culture but am wary of besmirching others.
The sheet music can be purchased at OCP, where the text is in their preview.
I made a backing that is also probably inadvertently culturally insensitive:
This simple piano backing is instructive as it shows the songs strengths without any cultural appropriation.
This appears to be a recent OCP posting with a less Spanish style backing, but still sung in Spanish.
