Church Music

I’m working through the songs from Frank Andersen’s Everything I Possess collection that I haven’t already covered. That means the “hits” like “Galilee Song” and “Springs of Salvation” won’t need doing.

This one is a very slow ballad based on 1 John 1.

The melody line edition only has two verses but there is a third in the full arrangement book. It would be difficult to sustain such a long slow song.

Refrain

Something that we have seen with our own eyes.

Something that we have touched with our own hands.

What we have heard we give to you so that you may be deep in our God.

1

This is what we have heard from God and the message we announce to you:

God is Light, truly light! There can be no darkness in God!

2

We place our faith in what we know in the love God has towards ourselves.

God is love and he lives in anyone who lives in love.

3

No-one has ever seen our God but as long as we can live in love

God will live deep in us. His love will be complete in us.

© Frank Andersen

Interrupting the Frank Andersen songs is this one mentioned by Ryan. It is by Jeremy Young and based on material from Matthew, John, 2 Timothy and the Psalms.

While it has an obvious use as a funeral song, it would make a fine recessional.

The sheet music can be purchased at GIA where the text is in their sample pages. I have a copy in Gather Comprehensive 2nd ed. 762.

This was the original title song of this Frank Andersen collection until the hit song was revealed and it was changed to “The Galilee Song”. He based it on Phil 3:8-11.

His notes say it could be a communion reflection or for ordination or similar liturgies.

Refrain

All I want is to know and love my Lord

and to feel in my heart the power of Jesus love.

1

To share in his suffering like him in his death;

and live within the hope. We rise with him.

2

To achieve this I throw away everything I possess!

All treasure is worth the price of knowing him.

© Frank Andersen

Entrance: Gather As One  (McKenna) AOV NG 48

Psalm 16 (McKenna)

Lord, when your glory appears my joy will be full.

Gifts: Shepherd Me O God (Haugen) AOV 1/33

Communion: In the Breaking of the Bread  (Hurd) AOV 1/58

Thanksgiving: On Eagles Wings (Joncas) AOV 1/153

Recessional: Glory in the Cross (Schutte) GAB 172 (Easter text)

Tom Hogdsom recommended this Frank Andersen song recently. I didn’t know it, but his recommendation reminded me that I haven’t covered Father Andersen’s album Everything I Possess (aka The Galilee Song), so I’ll try to cover the songs that I haven’t already covered.

This song is based on Psalm 120 (121) and he suggests an additional use with the refrain being a response to a spoken psalm.

I have a copy in the small melody line edition of Scripture in Song that is out of print and also an old copy of Erica Marshall’s arrangements with all the commentary, which appears to be still available here. Only three songs from Everything I Possess are available to purchase for download and this isn’t one of them.

I agree with Tom that this is a very singable hymn of praise. My only criticism is that the Eucharistic verse appended to the psalm paraphrase, switches to the voice of God/Christ from the voice of Psalmist , which is somewhat jarring.

Chorus:
My help shall come from the Lord who made the heavens,
I will lift my eyes to the mountains,
My hope is the Lord.

Sing to the Lord, loud be your song,
All peoples praise our God,
Whose love is fruitful and strong.

Turn to the Lord, give God your cares,
God’s spirit in your heart
Knows every hope and prayer.

Come, eat the bread given for you,
Drink my wine and live in me:
I will make my home in you .

© Frank Andersen

I’ve blogged two volumes of WLP’s Voices As One collections. They call themselves a site for modern Catholic music. The collections are still for sale at WLP and there is a Vol 3 as well. Most of the songs are available to purchase for download, so there will be little need for further compilations.

The blurb for the third volume says:

Use this series of songs for liturgy, retreats, concerts, prayer nights, gathering, youth events, and sending.

So as a resource, Voices As One has a lot of solo material, choir pieces and songs suitable for things other than liturgy, which is their aim. There are obviously churches where their liturgical songs are the norm, as Ed Bolduc’s recommendation for liturgy are largely from this repertoire.

I can’t see it being anything more than a fringe player for parishes in Australia. As One Voice: Next Generation has some of this sort of music and picks the best from UK, US and Australian publishers and so makes more sense for an Australian parish as a resource.

There are, however, many good songs I hadn’t come across, and I enjoyed blogging them as a change from the traditional Hymnody of CWB II.

This is the last song to blog from the collection Voices As One Vol 2, because the rest are redundant mass settings.

This song by David Ruis is call and response, praise and worship music and is more inventive than most of that genre with the response not always echoing the cantor’s line. The melody lines cross so it does need a cantor for the verses.

WLP only have the sheet music for subscribers but musicnotes sell it and the text in their sample pages.

I’m nearly finished this book and have at last come across a clearly liturgical song for Eucharist by Thomas Lucas.

It has the form verse/verse/refrain/verse/refrain/repetitive coda. It is a slow but syncopated song with lots of pushes on the chords that will be a stretch for most assemblies unless gospel is their forte. I think it is a choir piece at best.

The sheet music is available at WLP where the text is in their sample.

This was a struggle on BIAB.

I really like this solo ballad by David Yackley. I can’t see it performing any liturgical function though.

The sheet music can be purchased at WLP where the text is in their sample.

The sheet music gives the option of repeating the verse as a solo, so I let BIAB loose to do that in my backing:

Entrance: Come As You Are (Brown) AOV 1/31

Psalm 92 (McKenna)

I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.

Gifts:   Here I Am Lord (Schutte) AOV 1/90

Communion:  Come to the Table   (Burland) AOV NG 33

Thanksgiving:  Lord, the Light of Your Love  (Kendrick) AOV 2/59

Recessional:  Sing of the Lord’s Goodness   (Sands) AOV 1/131