We Gather At Your Table – AOVD

I’m taking the opportunity the new Willow Publications website provides to look for new liturgical songs. Many parishes that use As One Voice have found it such a useful resource that they have never gone beyond the music found there that was written up to the 1990s. Even As One Voice Next Gen is twelve years old now, and new music does not stop being written. Catholic Worship Book II in Australia has not been the game changer it should have been as it was somehow more out of date than AOV and Gather Australia despite being published decades later than those collections.

I have looked for new songs from GIA and OCP the two remaining corporates in the market but there is a sameness to their output. I think the reason AOV was such a success from the beginning was the combination of the best of the USA and England with the distinct voices from Australia and New Zealand. Smaller outfits like Willow, Hope Publications and Wild Goose are going to be needed to provide some seasoning to the musical liturgical blandness coming from the big players. It would leave a big hole in our catholic culture in Australia if Willow does not survive the transition to digital.

I’ll start by mining their liturgical selections looking for songs that have been written since the physical books were published and seek to create a successor to As One Voice Volumes 1,2 and Next Gen that we’ll call As One Voice: Digital (AOVD). I hope to buy a song or two a week to see what positive things have been created recently in Australia to enhance our liturgies. With AOV being a digital platform now anyone around the world can access their songs.

I’m starting with a beautiful and useful song written for the Procession of the Gifts but is obviously a fine communion song as well. The text is by Monica O’Brien and is set by Gina Ogilvie. There are some low notes at the beginning of some phrases but if you listen to the snippet at AOV it doesn’t seem to be a problem. It could be raised a semitone or two if absolutely necessary without cracking a high C. Gina’s flourish in the chorus where she draws out “gathered by our hands,” is masterful. I was surprised and happy to see a cover on YouTube for this song.

The sheet music can be purchased at Willow, where you can also buy the MP3 and see a preview of the first page of the sheet music. I’ve made a backing on Band in a Box for you to sing along to and Monica has given permission for me to reprint the lyrics.

1 We gather at your table to share this holy meal.

The gifts of bread and wine we give,

Our lives a sacred seal.

We come into your presence ready to receive.

We gather at your table, unfolding mystery.

Refrain

Bread and wine gifts of life, born of mother earth.

Gathered by our hands, for the table of life.

2 Ev’ryone is welcome in this meal we are made whole.

We give thanks for all your blessings of your wondrous love.

Refrain

© 2015 Monica O’Brien and Gina Ogilvie