Church Music

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.

This is a song of exhortation from Emmanuel Worship. It is the last song from their 2021 album, He Is Moving.

The chord sheet is free at their site.

My backing uses their chords and my approximation of the melody.

1 No temptation has overtaken
Cause God is faithful to us.
Walls you’ve been watching, fall at the sound of
His voice, He has won it for us.

Prechorus
You have told us these things,
So that in you we may have peace,
Though the world will bring its trouble we’ll take heart!

Chorus
And I’m ready, to just fall into your arms
I’m expectant, I know you have overcome
All my trials, and the giants that I face
Oh my stillness is a grace
That I will surely taste.

2 Be courageous, He won’t forsake us
Be still and watch Him at work.
He’s here He’s among us, just as He promised,
The God who has gone before us.

Prechorus

Chorus / Interlude / Chorus

© 2021 Emmanuel Worship

I’ve already blogged this one here, but I have included it here for completeness as it is in the He Is Moving album by Emmanuel Worship.

I thought the other backing was too rock, so I made another in a different style, but I don’t think it improved things.

This song is very specific to its origins in the Ignite conferences run by Emmanuel Worship. It takes the point of view of someone in the crowd there. It was written by Madeleine Luciani and is from the 2021 album, He Is Moving.

The chord charts are free at Emmanuel Worship.

This is a fast waltz or a slow 6/8 really – the latter makes more sense to me. Thankfully for those trying to sort out the melody this in G, rather than their favourite key of F#. While their version gets typically rowdy it does not need to really, and my backing stays much more restrained. The melody is, again, possibly approximate.

1 Standing here in this big room wondering if I’ll hear you,
Speak to me, speak to me
Take me away to a quiet place so I can see you face to face,
Speak to me, speak to me

Chorus
Oh let Him enter in,
Oh let Him enter in
Oh let Him enter in,
Make room for the King
Oh let Him enter in,
Oh let Him enter in
Oh let Him enter in,
Our God and King

Bridge
We’re Coming back to You, we’re coming back to You
We’re coming back We’re coming back to You (Jesus)

Chorus

Instrumental

2 Standing here in this big room
Now I know I’ll hear you
Speak to me, speak to me
Take me away to a quiet place
Now I can see You face to face
Speak to me, speak to me

Chorus

Bridge

Chorus

© 2021 Emmanuel Worship

As I look through the Emmanuel Worship album, He Is Moving from 2021, the theme of feeling the need for forgiveness is prominent. It is a Lenten album in many ways and not always noisy.

This song, by Chiara Keady could easily be done as a quiet prayer. The chord charts are free at their site.

My backing goes more pop this time, and with no lead sheet to guide me the melody is only my take on their song. It is another song written in F# – the horror.

1 I am a rebel heart,
This is the 77th time,
I’ve been back here again.
Back and forth back and forth,
You never count, you never scorn
Arms ever open.

Chorus
And I can’t fathom
why you’ve forgiven me again
You’ve stood right by me while I was lowly and called me your friend
Tell me what other King
Desires for me to offload my sin
That it should love and honour him
just to carry it, just to carry it

2 I am a wanderer,
You always leave the 99,
To bring a rebel home again.
I’m reaching out to you,
If I just touch you I’ll be cleansed,
Set free to sing again.

Chorus

Bridge x4
Can you tell me where you’re going?
Cause I wanna follow.

Chorus

2nd half of chorus

I am a rebel heart,

You always leave the 99,
To bring a rebel home again.

© 2021 Emmanuel Worship

This is a simple sung prayer for personal peace from the Emmanuel Worship album, He Is Moving. It was written by Liam Desic.

The chord chart is at their site.

Once in again, in the absence of a lead sheet, the melody in my BIAB backing may be approximate.

Verse x4

Lay your burdens,
Lay your troubles,
Lay your whole life down

Chorus x2
Jesus you are fighting for me Now
No sin, no shame separates us now
Father I know that you love me now
My friend, my rock, you are everything.

then verse and chorus and instrumental ad lib ad infinitum

© 2021 Emmanuel Worship

This is the title track of the 2021 collection He Is Moving from Emmanuel Worship. It is written by Dominic Dougherty and would perhaps have a use outside a youth rally at Pentecost.

The chord charts are free at their site.

In the absence of a lead sheet, my backing has me guessing the melody, so don’t take it as gospel. The tempo is ~70/min, not 142 as indicated on their chord sheet as everything in Emmanuel land is played half time.

1 The Spirit calms our heart in restlessness,
Descending like a dove he brings us peace
We don’t have to fight for his presence
O Paraclete of heaven take this place.

Chorus
Oh Spirit, We have seen how your power overflows
We let you enter in and your beauty starts to show
Surely you will come when we call upon your name
Holy Spirit come, and change our lives again

2 Surrender as the spirit takes this place
Speaking heaven’s Language we are asking for your grace
A hurricane of love has entered in
We are overwhelmed by your presence once again

Chorus

Bridge x4

He is moving in this place, so let him move, let him move.
He is working on this place, so let him work, let him work.

Chorus

© 2021 Emmanuel Worship

I’m looking at the songs from Emmanuel Worship‘s 2021 album, He Is Moving. There is a recurring theme of finding joy in commitment to Christ that must have been important to this cohort of young people. This one is by Madeleine Luciani and Chiara Keady.

The chord sheet is available from their site. I would ignore their bpm of 176 – it’s half speed again at 88/min. At least it is in G, so guessing the melody was somewhat easier these time. It still is likely to be approximate in my backing.

Verse

Take my offering
I don’t have much
but what I have it’s yours

Prechorus

Everything I am
Everything I need
Everything I want to be
Everything I am
Everything I need
Everything I want to be
It’s Yours

Verse

Prechorus

Chorus x2

Give me your eyes to see You in every season
Give me your ears to hear your every voice
Give me your heart to love those who are different
Give me your voice so I can praise You more

Bridge x2
Here I remember declare my surrender
You gave it up but I gained it all
Here I remember declare my surrender
You gave it up but I gained it all

Chorus x2

© 2021 Emmanuel Worship

This song from emmanuelworship‘s album He Is Moving is by Dominic Dougherty.

It is another sung prayer that would be OK for youth rallies, but also for liturgies involving commitment – lets pencil it in for ordinations! In their version it starts quietly and builds up to boisterous, but it could stay restrained just as well.

The chord sheet is free at their site. They state a tempo of 145 bpm, but it’s best to think of it as ~72 bpm, because they do everything half time. This one is in B, which is almost as bad as F#, but the guitarists play it capo 4 in G. I massaged their chords into Band in a Box and did my best to guess the melody line, but it is likely approximate.

1 I have nothing to show
No earthly bound things
I only have my life
My treasured gift to you
Use it as you please
Take it as your own
I boast in Christ alone
My rock my cornerstone

Chorus
Jesus – I’m giving you all of my life
All of my dreams and desires
I’ve been in the desert and
You’ve called me home.

2 The God of Israel,
Came down to meet with me
He spoke into my heart
Shackles broken free
Now Christ the Lamb of God
Word made flesh Divine
Fulfilling prophecy
My saviour ransomed me

Chorus x2

Bridge x2
Jesus take all I am Not one part of me, left for myself
The breath in my lungs is yours
I raise up my hands and call on your name

Chorus

© 2021 Emmanuel Worship

This is another song from emmanuelworship‘s 2021 album, He Is Moving, this time by Liam Desic.

Maybe it’s because of the need in young people especially for relief from guilt and a purpose in life, songs like this may sound like youth rally material, but they often feel like Lenten reflections.

Looking at the chord charts provided, the stated bpm always seems twice the actual tempo to me – or do they always just play half time. Also, who writes in F#! – I know the guitarists are capo 2 in E, but sorting out a melody line with so many sharps is hard for an old man with no musical training.

My backing is therefore approximate, even the chords are taking a while for me to get the timings correct. I suspect you are meant to just play along with their clip until the chords fall into place. I found a “Gary Numan” sounding synth and couldn’t resist.

1 I’m saying goodbye to sin
The old me, was folding in
And I found your heart
You don’t need perfection no
You welcome, you call me home
And I know it’s You

Chorus
Your Kingdom’s right where I will be
No longer slave, now I am free

2 O nothing can separate
The scandal you call your grace
And I need it now

Bridge x2
Father, father I need you now
All my life, you’ve been all around
Holy Spirit come send me out to go

Chorus

© 2021 Emmanuel Worship