Author Archives: maddg

This is Mary Louise Bringle‘s paraphrase of the Magnificat as set by Norah Duncan, with a tune called DUKTA. It is certainly a lively setting. I have already blogged the version still available at GIA set by Michael Joncas. You … Continue reading →

Delores Duffner wrote this Marian hymn found in Gather 3rd ed., set to PLEADING SAVIOUR. I like the “mother of exiles” theme. The sheet music is at GIA and the text is here.

Another song for the BVM from Gather 3rd edition. This one is written by Dan Kantor and he has added some additional words to the Hail Mary. The sheet music in the guitar edition I have get a bit messy … Continue reading →

Having been raised a Presbyterian, I always struggle with Marian hymns. This one by Tony Alonso in Gather 3rd edition keeps it simple and successfully avoids the oversentimental – he based it on the Litany of Loretto and the “Ave … Continue reading →

It’s a good idea to use a familiar tune for a text used on one day of the year like All Saints or for liturgies where people who aren’t regular parishioners are likely to attend like funerals. To that end, … Continue reading →

I have made a bit of a dent in Gather 3rd edition, picking up all the songs that I haven’t already covered on this blog. This one is for All Saints and is a text by Sylvia Dunstan set here … Continue reading →

John Bell wrote the text for this song for the Annunciation in Gather 3rd edition and it is set to COLUMCILLE, which is a lovely Gaelic tune. GIA sell the sheet music. The text is here.

This song is being sung for mass on Sunday with a joint music group. The music has been chosen by someone whose memory for Catholic music goes back much further than mine – I was brought up Presbyterian – and … Continue reading →

This is another hymn for the Presentation of the Lord, this time from an unknown author in C19, based on Matthew 1:23, and found in Gather 3rd edition. It is set to SWABIA by Johann Speiss. If you can’t find … Continue reading →

This is Ruth Duck’s take on the Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:29-35), with further inspiration, apparently, from the “Narnia Chronicles”. Here it is set to to DICKSON by Norah Duncan IV. It is listed for the “Presentation of the Lord”, but … Continue reading →