Church Music

Christopher Walker has set this song to his arrangement of the Skye Boat Song.

OCP suggests it for confirmation or marriage but it would find a place in more usual liturgies in times of trouble with a need for reassurance.

The sheet music can be purchased at OCP, where the text is in their preview. The tune itself is public domain and available all over the internet. This arrangement is in the same key as CWB II.

My backing has unforgivable fake bagpipes.

Interestingly, the same tune is used for a song called “Spirit of God, Unseen as the Wind” written by Margaret Old from 1971. Perhaps the Skye Boat Song suggests the Holy Spirit on action.

Entrance: A Place at the Table  (Shirley Erena Murray – Lori True) AOV NG 1

Psalm 116 (McKenna)

Go out to all the world; and tell the Good News.

Go out to all the world; and tell the Good News.

Gifts: Song of the Body of Christ  (Haas) AOV 1/27

Communion: Gift of Finest Wheat (Westendorf/Kreutz) CWB II 651

Thanksgiving: We Are Many Parts  (Haugen) AOV 1/86

Recessional: All the Ends of the Earth (Dufford) AOV 1/76

John Moloney wrote this text based on Psalm 102. It is set to a “traditional french melody” in CWB II, but they aren’t more specific than that.

John Moloney was an Irish priest and author (1916-2014). I can’t find the lyrics anywhere on the internet so you’ll have to sing along from CWB II, unless you have the Irish version of Hymns Old and New.

I made up the chords for my backing and made it more Irish than French.

This is a lovely song of praise based on Psalm 98 that I had forgotten was in As One Voice, so I made another backing for it!

The text is by Timothy Dudley Smith and it is set to ONSLOW SQUARE by David Wilson.

There is a joyous octave leap that would be fun. The text and sheet music are available for free from Hope Publishing who are extremely wonderful.

My BIAB backing has some feral harmonica in there somewhere but otherwise can be used to learn the hymn by singing along.

I sometimes think that Catholic Worship Book II is never ending, but my survey continues with this song with a Eucharistic text by Omar Westendorf, of “Gifts of Finest Wheat” fame, which is here set to NEUMARK by Georg Neumark. Westendorf founded WLP.

CWB II has 6 verses and you will find the first three verses of the text on this page. Godsongs give some background as does Breviary Hymns.

I got the chords from Together In Song to make a backing.

This is another is wonderful treasure that is the combination of the poet James McAuley with the composer Richard Connolly with which Australia has been blessed. I am one of those dreadful strummers who are uncomfortable with traditional hymnody, but I always find their songs distinctive in both text and tune.

The text is here and AOV have a sample of the music . You can purchase the sheet music for download at As One Voice.

Entrance: As a Fire is Meant for Burning  (Duck) GA 881

Psalm 39 (McKenna)

Lord, come to my aid! Lord, come to my aid!

Gifts: Blessed be Our God  (McKenna) AOV NG 13

Communion: Gift of Finest Wheat (Westendorf/Kreutz) CWB II 651

Thanksgiving: Be With Me Lord (Haugen)

Recessional: Send Down the Fire (Haugen) AOV 2/164

Continuing my survey of the songs in Catholic Worship Book II, that I haven’t already blogged when doing As One Voice and other sources, I find a song for Eucharist by John Greally. The third verse was never going to get into a Catholic hymnal and is omitted here. It is another text that reads rather poorly and sings surprisingly well in the clips I have heard.

It is set to DRAKE’S BROUGHTON by Elgar. Since there are no chords in CWB II for this song, you can get them in TIS (527).

See us, Lord about your altar,
Though so many we are one;
Many souls by love united
In the heart of Christ, your Son.

Hear our prayers, O loving Father,
Hear in them your Son our Lord;
Hear him speak our love and worship
As we sing with one accord.

[ Once were seen the blood and water:
Now are seen but bread and wine;
Once in human form he suffered,
Now his form is but a sign.]

Wheat and grape contain the meaning:
Food and drink he is to all;
One in him, we kneel adoring,
Gathered by his loving call.

Hear us yet: so much is needful
In our frail, disordered life;
Stay with us and tend our weakness
Till that day of no more strife.

Members of his Mystic Body
Now we know our prayer is heard,
Heard by you because your children
Have received the eternal Word.

James Quinn SJ wrote the text of the Trinitarian hymn for peace and it is set to SONG 46 by Orland Gibbons.

The text is on page 5 of this bulletin.

I got the chords from TIS as usual.

This is much the same as yesterday’s really. This one has a text by Geoffrey Cox set to Richard Connolly’s SANCTA SOPHIA.

I can’t find the text anywhere so you’ll have to sing along from CWB II.