A Place at the Table

As threatened I’m going to blog “As One Voice: the Next Generation.”

All the songs in AOV NG have clips to listen to at their site.  Just search for the song at the site and you can hear an MP3 snippet. You can also purchase the sheet music for this song from GIA.

These songs may be familiar to others but I’m coming across most of them for the first time.

I’m making my own backings and since I don’t know the songs I’ve mixed the melody line up.  Even if you hate canned music, they are a good way to teach new songs, especially to singers and musicians who don’t read music.

Song 1

A Place at the Table   Words: Shirley Erena Murray    Music: Lori True

For everyone born, a place at the table,
for everyone born, clean water and bread,
a shelter, a space, a safe place for growing,
for everyone born, a star over head.

Refrain:
And God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy,

Yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice,                              justice, and joy.

For woman and man, a place at the table,
revising the roles, deciding to share,
with wisdom and grace, dividing the power,
for woman and man, a system that’s fair. Refrain

For young and for old, a place at the table,
a voice to be heard, a part in the song,
the hands of a child in hands that are wrinkled,
for young and for old, the right to belong. Refrain

For just and unjust, a place at the table.
abuser, abused, with need to forgive,
in anger, in hurt, a mind-set of mercy,
for just and unjust, a new way to live. Refrain

For everyone born, a place at the table,
to live without fear, and simply to be,
to work, to speak out, to witness and worship,
for everyone born, the right to be free.

Words © Hope Publishing Company & Shirley Erena Murray

NB Shirley Erena Murray’s work may be accessed here at Hope Publishing and may be printed as a one off copy. Absolutely no alterations are to be made to the text. Any other use requires permission from the author.

Lori True is a GIA songwriter from Minnesota.  I’m not sure if she is responsible for the version excerpted on the AOV site but it has the usual wishy washy vocals that drive me nuts.

You might want to give it a try with my backing and sing normally.   I think it will sing easily for a congregation, it is pitched appropriately and could be sung with real enthusiasm.  It would make sense as a gathering song putting us in mind of the Kingdom of God we are striving for and a communion song telling us that we are the real presence of God in the world.

…and I don’t just like it because it will get up the nose of right wing traditional catholics.

It is also one of the songs that caused this conservative choir master to despair.  That’s really a recommendation in my book.