Church Music

I’ve found this Christmas song a week or two late, but as I have not come across it before and it is the next song the Guitar Accompaniment Book I’ll have a look at it.

The text is by Johann C. von Schmidt and translated by Melanie Schute. It is set to IHR KINDERLEIN, KOMMET by Johann Schulz.

There are many variants but this is the text used by OCP. They sell the sheet music here.

1 O come, little children, O come, one and all,
O come to the manger in Bethlehem’s stall
And see what the Father in heaven above
Has sent to us all on this earth with his love.

2 O see in the manger, so meek and so mild,
O see in the sift light the heavenly child,
In swaddling clothes folded, his beauty more sweet,
Than angels, whose voices his lowly birth greet.

3 His bed, little children, a manger with hay;
His mother and Joseph in ecstasy pray,
The shepherds in wonder their glad worship bring,
While chorus of angels sweet Glorias sing.

This hymn for morning prayer consists of five verses from the Scottish Psalter and a sixth by Cyprian Consiglio OSB, who wrote the tune SCOTTISH. The text is based on Psalm 95. I was not aware that hymn was a verb.

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

We move to evening prayer for this text by Genevieve Glen OSB set to MORNING SONG.

The sheet music is at OCP where the lyrics are in their preview.

Another Harry Hagan penned morning prayer. It is set to HERR JESU CHRIST, DICH ZU UNS WEND.

The text is here.

OCP sell the sheet music. The tune is by Bach and more information than you could possibly need about it is here.

A hymn for morning prayer or Lent adapted from Jam Christe sol justitiae by Harry Hagan OSB.

The range is a bit much for me in the the tune BOURBON, I’d drop it from Ab to F if you can start on a low A note.

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

Entrance:    We Three Kings

Psalm 71 (McKenna)

Lord, ev’ry nation on earth will adore you, will adore you.

Gifts:    Star Child (Shirley Erina Murray – Carlton R. Young) AOV 2/43  

Communion: The First Nowell

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

Recessional: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Skipping over songs already blogged gets me to this paraphrase of Psalm 103 by James Montgomery set to ST THOMAS.

This is the text used by OCP.

1 O bless the Lord, my soul,
 his grace to thee proclaim,
 and all that is within me join
 to bless his holy name.

2 O bless the Lord, my soul,
 his mercies bear in mind,
 forget not all his benefits:
 The Lord to thee is kind.

3 He clothes us with his love,   
upholds us with his truth, 
he heals all our infirmities,  
and ransoms us from death.   

4 Then bless his holy name  
whose grace has made us whole,  
whose loving kindness crowns our days;  
O bless the Lord, my soul.

Continuing my seemingly never ending survey of the songs in an old copy of OCP’s Guitar Accompaniment Book, I find Eugene Castillo’s gathering song.

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

We have had weeks of heatwaves and bush fires and thick smoke in the air but last night’s huge storms left us with an uncharacteristically cool wet Christmas day. Delightful.

I strummed along supporting one of our great pianists, who led music at mass last night, with the thunder accompanying us all.

We haven’t changed our songs for a few years, which is a good idea. I’m always interested, though, if parishes have new songs for Christmas or other liturgies.

Best wishes for Christmas from Queensland, Australia.

Entrance:    O Come All Ye Faithful

Psalm 127 (McKenna)

Happy are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

Gifts:    In Love We Choose to Live (Cotter) AOV 2/63

Communion: Table of Emmanuel (Alonzo) tune: Holly and the Ivy

Thanksgiving: What Child Is This

Recessional: Joy to the World