Church Music

I’m not sure if I am in a fit state of mind to cover the extensive selection of funeral songs in CWB II. Currently, funerals are limited to ten participants in Australia due to Covid 19, but that won’t last forever.

I have blogged elsewhere some of the highlights: “Go Silent Friend” 143, “There’s a Place” 148 and “When Human Voices Cannot Sing” 149 – all wonderful texts and tunes if you can get through them without breaking down.

These two are both set to FINLANDIA so there is a good chance the mourners will know the tune.

“Fare well …” has a text by Michael Thwaites that he has posted on his website. It works just as well as poetry.

“Be still..” is by Katharina vons Schlegel and translated by Jane Borthwick. The text is here.

This is a little confusing. The tune O PERFECT LOVE is by Joseph Barnby. There is a traditional hymn called “O Perfect Love” set to its namesake tune but this isn’t that one.

This is a paraphrase of Psalm 128(127) by Bernard Kirkpatrick and this time it appears he has put copyright on it. It is written for weddings.

I made a backing with the help of chords from Together in Song (it’s not that hard CWB II) but you need to get the lyrics from CWB II or Bernard Kirkpatrick himself.

This is a far as the music liturgy team got before the shutdown.

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7

Psalm 21

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11

Gospel: The Passion according to Matthew (26:11-54)

Entrance: Blessings on the King (Lynch)  AOV 1/104

Gifts:  Tree of Life (Thompson) AOV NG 138

Communion: We Remember (Haugen) AOV 1/81

Thanksgiving: Holy Darkness (Schutte) AOV 2/24

Recessional:  Jesus, Remember Me  (Berthier) AOV1/152.

CWB II says the source of the text of this sung prayer for the married couple is unknown, and I certainly can’t find the source either.

They set it to HYMN TO JOY following the excellent practice of familiar tunes for less common liturgies. Flipping yesterday’s recommendation from CWB II, I think this may be better with HYFRYDOL.

1 May God’s light of joyous blessing shine upon these two, we pray;

Brighten now this glad occasion as we gather here today.

Let them hear the voice of music, know the scent of fragrant flow’r,

Feel the touch of solemn beauty in the the quiet of this hour.

2 When they hold their hands with promise of kind trust and loving care,

Strengthen, guide, sustain, unite them in the life they now will share.

May God’s gift of joyous blessing rest upon these two, we pray.

Always follow them and keep them, favour them along the way.

With assembling for Mass cancelled in many places the traffic on this site has declined remarkably. Which is lovely, because it means that in normal times the site really is used to assist people putting together the music for liturgies.

This is another wedding hymn in CWB II.

The first two stanzas are by Harry Huxhold, to which John Newton’s blessing has been neatly added as a third verse.

The text is here (scroll down).

Set, as here, to the well known tune HYFRYDOL, it allows those attending the wedding service to participate. The HYMN TO JOY is suggested as an alternative and that would have the same advantage.

This is another wedding song, for when we have weddings again in the future.

M. D. Ridge wrote the text and it is set to LASST UNS ERFREUEN. The familiar tune will encourage participation in the encouraging and supportive words.

The sheet music can be purchased at OCP where the text is in their preview.

As I get to the wedding songs in CWB II, all weddings in Australia are now limited to the celebrant, participants and witnesses after Covid 19 was spread far and wide by a recent nuptials.

I love this tune, SUSSEX CAROL, that is also used for John Bell’s wedding tune “Blessing the Marriage“.

This one has a joy filled text from Brian Arthur Wren. The text and sheet music are freely available from the wonderful people at Hope Publishing.

My backing is little more than the melody line this time.

I’ve skipped the specific Litany of the Saints for Ordination (131) – it starts like the Easter one but goes on longer – to get to this ordination song. Cannily set to THAXTED, the text is by Bernard Kirkpatrick.

1 O God of all creation, whose glory fills the sky,

We gather in your presence, our spirits lifted high;

To bring for humble service, one who answers to your call,

That he may follow Christ, the example for us all.

Protect him and guide him, his faith in you be strong,

As now he journeys onward, we sing the ancient song:

2 “You are a priest forever,” within God’s Church on earth,

“In the order of Melchizedek”, a priest before your birth.

Called out to be a pastor, the flock of Christ to serve;

From the humble to the mighty, the word of God make heard,

To celebrate the sacraments, in fitting praise proclaim

The love of Holy Trinity, give honour to God’s name.

One last song for Anointing of the Sick is in CWB II. It’s text is by Edward Hayes Plumptre and is here set to a tune just called MOZART (attributed to Mozart) but I also have seen it called GOSHEN and ST MICHAEL’S. The sheet music is at Hymnary.

CWB II uses a renovated the text, but it still smells of mothballs. If BIAB should leave Dvorak alone perhaps Mozart is a bit much as well.

Your hand, O Lord, in days of old
Were strong to heal and save;
They triumphed over ills and death,
O’er darkness and the grave.
To you they came, the blind, the deaf,
The palsied and the lame,
The leper set apart and shunned,
The sick and those in shame.

And then your touch, Lord, brought life and health,
Gave speech and strength and sight;
And youth renewed and health restored
Claimed you, the Lord of light.
And so, O Lord, be near to bless,
Almighty now as then,
In ev’ry street,in ev’ry home,
In ev’ry troubled friend.

O, be our mighty healer still, O Lord of life and death;
Restore and strengthen, soothe and bless,
With your almighty breath.
On hands that work and eyes that see.
Your healing wisdom pour,
That whole and sick and weak and strong
May praise you evermore.

There will be no Mass at which we can sing these songs next Sunday but I’ll put up the selections as a resource for my future self.

First Reading: Ezekiel 37:12-14

Psalm 129: With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption

Second Reading: Romans 8:8-11

Gospel John 11:1-45

I’m not sure if these readings more painful at the moment or more hopeful:

Jesus said: ” I am the resurrection and the life.”

For your sing along at home Mass:

Entrance: Christ Be Our Light  (Farrell) AOV 2/3

Gifts: Merciful God (Bringle/Alonso)

Communion:  I am the Bread of Life (Toolan) AOV 1/49

Recessional: You Are Mine (Haas)  AOV 2/2