Church Music

I have found a couple more Jubilee songs for primary school children, this time from the One Life Music team in the UK. As I frequently note, songs for children are often also fine for assemblies, especially if the local school has learned them as well.

You can see everyone is following the brief and hitting the thematic points in their texts. They will have to replace the explicit references to the Jubilee with other words if the song has traction and is to be used beyond 2025. I hate to be a pedant, but “to shine bright” is poor English even if the “brightly” doesn’t fit. It could be,” Shine brightly, shine brightly, children of love and truth.”

You can download the sheet music for free at One Life.

My backing is a little more laid back than their recording.

1 We are pilgrims on a journey,

Journeying together, journeying together with you, O Lord.

We are called and chosen,

Called and chosen, called and chosen by you, O Lord.

Prechorus

To sing a song of hope, hope for all the world.

To bring the grace of Jubilee alive!

Chorus

Fan the flame of hope bringing light to the world.

May my song of hope rise in you, God of love, Lord of all.

2 We have hope within us.

Hope within us, hope within us from you, O Lord.

We are called to shine bright;

Children of light, children of light and truth, O Lord.

Prechorus

Chorus

3 Given gifts of service,

To serve one another, serve one another and you, O Lord.

Prechorus

Chorus

I’m pushing on to find Jubilee songs, while we are in the Jubilee year of 2025.

This is the CRA‘s song for the Jubilee, written by Simon Hyland.

It is a song that I think has uses outside of the Catholic Religious communities of sisters, brothers and priests, but I haven’t been able to find a link to the sheet music anywhere.

The full text is available here and we can at least sing along to the clip, but it would be nice to have some music, so if anyone knows where it can be sourced or has nutted it out, I’d be interested.

STOP PRESS 7/3/25

Taylor Coutinho from CRA has been in touch – the sheet music is now available here.

In that case why not a backing track, key change and all:

Two clips of the same song with different visuals:

This is another song for the Jubilee, this time from Canada. It is the 2025 Catholic Education Week Theme song, and was written by Nancy Bodsworth.

It builds slowly into an anthemic song, but it would work kept small too.

The sheet music is freely available here.

I had so much trouble making this backing as I didn’t notice the verses were subtly different and all my lazy short cutting didn’t work.

1 On this sacred journey
We seek human dignity
Each one of us is precious
Show respect and empathy.
Keepers of the earth
Care for all creation
Conserve, care and cultivate
Every land and every nation.

Chorus
WE ARE PILGRIMS OF HOPE
FOLLOWING THE WAY
OUR EYES ARE FIXED ON YOU.
KEEP THE FLAME BURNING
AND OUR HEARTS YEARNING
OUR DESIRE MUST BE RENEWED.
CELEBRATE THIS JUBILEE
THIS SYMPHONY OF PRAYER
RAISE YOUR VOICES IN HARMONY
TOGETHER LET US SHARE

2 Blaze a trail of love
Help those in poverty.
Do not turn a blind eye,
Spread love and charity.
Serve one another,
In solidarity
Use the gifts you have,
Create community.

Chorus

3 Blessed are the peacemakers,
You children of God.
Building bridges of hope
At home and abroad.
With Jesus at the centre,
There is no need to fear.
Follow His example,
The truth that we hold dear

Bridge

Lift your hands in surrender,
Feel the power of Gods’ grace.
With love and compassion
Make the world a better place.
Walk in faith,
Our hope isin the Lord
Open our hearts,
Our hope is in the Lord
Be a light in the world
Our hope isin the Lord
On earth as it is in heaven.

WE ARE PILGRIMS OF HOPE
FOLLOWING THE WAY
OUR EYES ARE FIXED ON YOU.

Chorus

Outro

WE ARE PILGRIMS OF HOPE
FOLLOWING THE WAY
OUR EYES ARE FIXED ON YOU.

Walk in faith, Amen.

Here is another Jubilee song for schools, with a text by Andrew Chinn and music by Drew Lane.

The words and chords are at the Butterfly House site and you can learn it from the YouTube clip. I couldn’t find the sheet music on his site, but I gather subscribers can access it.

This is Michael Herry‘s hymn for the Jubilee year, co-written with Tricia Murray, and set to BUNESSAN. It has a Marian text and is a natural for the Star of the Sea parish here in George Town.

You can hear a guide vocal here.

The sheet music is free here.

1. Pilgrims of hope, we gather with Mary,
   Here in this fam’ly, seeking your way.
   Loved by the Father, baptized in Jesus,
   Out of the darkness into the day.
2. God of compassion, tender and patient,
   Deepen our faith in Jesus, your Son.
   Send us the Spirit, guide ev’ry pilgrim,
   Lead us to pasture on our way home.
3. Pilgrims of hope, we boldly proclaim you,
   Pledging our lives to live in your light.
   Beyond the shadows, hope will not fail us,
   Radiant your presence, holy and bright.
4. Renew our hearts and lives in your Spirit,
   Deepen our faith to live in your love.
   Where two or three are gathered together,
   There you are with us, here and above.
5. Joy to you Mary, blest among women,
   Beacon to fain hearts, Star of the Sea.
   Lead us O Mother to your son Jesus;
   He is our Good News, hope given free.

I’m pretty sure it was Chris who alerted me to this one and he has his helpful backing + music post on YouTube.

There are a few more Jubilee Year song matters to deal with.

The lovely people at CJM music collective have had a crack at the official hymn for the Jubilee, in a style better suited to a “a more contemporary liturgical music repertoire.”

You can find their arrangement in 2 keys here, and it fits on one page!

This is the official version, which I blogged here. Maybe I just don’t like long echo times, but the song benefits from their simple arrangement.

This was my backing:

Willow’s Pilgrims of Hope collection closes out with another Gen Bryant song, this time in collaboration with Ashen Warnakulasooryia. The sheet music and other bundles for the collection can be purchased at Willow.

Like the other songs in the collection, the text is inspired by the themes of Jubilee year, but here with additional inspiration from St Mary Mackillop and Sister Joan Chittester.

This is an inspirational song that will suit school ministry. Gen was thinking of celebrating the diversity and connectedness she sees in Australia, but the themes are universal beyond her country and the Jubilee year. It is also a song for people who feel their spirituality while on their feet and moving.

My backing has a different feel to her great version – mine is more a laid back dance beat.

1 There is a light, guiding our hearts,
To see through the storm.
There is a way, we travel as one,
By name we are called.

Prechorus

From the north to the south, every sight, every sound.
From the east to the west, light will rise and will set.
Feel the dust at our feet, it will centre our hearts.
See the rivers collide, we are one, we will rise and sing…

Oh oh weh oh (oh oh weh oh oh)
We’re singing oh oh weh oh oh (oh oh weh oh oh).

Chorus

Hope is alive!
Lift up your eyes,
Hope is alive in us!
Now is the time, let’s dance into life!
Hope is alive in us!

Singing oh oh wey oh oh (oh oh weh oh oh)
Oh oh wey oh oh (oh oh weh oh oh)

2 There is a truth, in the song of the earth,
And cry of the poor.
Let justice roll down, the table is wide,
So make room for all.

Prechorus

Chorus

Prechorus

Chorus

© 2025 Gen Bryant

This song came about when Gen Bryant, Steph Jorna, Brigid McNally and myself were put together at a songwriter’s retreat last year to write a song for the Jubilee.

It can be purchased at Willow in the Pilgrims of Hope collection.

We were all responsible for the lyrics, throwing the themes of the Jubilee back and forth, looking for a lyric suitable for schools and young people at least. I must say it is amazing how quickly things come together with experienced songwriters like Gen, Brigid and Steph bouncing words around.

Gen had the guitar so she laid down a simple backing and we added a crescendo leading up to the chorus, with the words, “Let Your Kingdom come.”

I wrote the words and chords down for myself and made a backing as far as I could remember things.

Gen continued to work on the tune to take it beyond the simple initial melody and chords – diminished chords anyone, and it was fascinating to see how she worked on it, doubling the chorus, adding an interlude and using more sophisticated melody, chords and bass lines. She also changed the words leading up the the verse.

I made a backing in a similar style but incorporating all her changes.

1 We are pilgrims on a journey,
Come and walk with us.
(Come and walk with us.)
We are lifting up our voices,
Come and sing with us.
(Come and sing with us.)
We will share God’s gift with all.

Chorus

Be hope!
Be faith!
Light the flame of charity.
Be hope!
Be faith!
Shine your light for all to see. (Rpt)

Interlude

Be hope! Oh woah!
Be hope! Oh woah!

2 Faith is bringing us together,
Sharing joy and peace.
Grace is bringing us together,
Love will never cease.
So, let’s share God’s gift with all.

Chorus

Interlude

Be Hope!

© 2024, Lyrics: Gen Bryant, Steph Jorna, Geoffrey Madden and Brigid McNally. Music: Gen Bryant.

Gen Bryant has made it into a great song.

My grandson, Hope, was born last year and after 2 1/2 months in hospital and tube fed until recently, he is pretty well now. This will always be a song for him as far as I am concerned.

This is the first song I’ve blogged that was written this year!

It is a chant-like reflective sung prayer, from the collection, Pilgrims of Hope, matching the themes of the Jubilee, but with a more universal application.

The words are by Monica O’Brien and the music by Gina Ogilvie.

Hold us close,
Draw us near,
Let us hear you call our name.
Hope shines bright,
Light of Christ,
No more darkness,
No more fear.

© 2025, Gina Ogilvie & Monica O’Brien.

This is Patricia Smith‘s contribution to Willow’s new collection, Pilgrims of Hope. She is one of the songwriters, like Peter Grant, David MacGregor and Erica Marshall, who would have been more well known in Australia if circumstances would have allowed for an As One Voice Vol 3.

This song is an obvious choice for Pentecost if you come from the “Great South Land”, and I am always keen on anything that is not Eurocentric nor Americocentric in liturgy. It is a reflective gem.

Pilgrims of Hope can be purchased in various bundles at Willow.

Refrain

Come, Spirit, come.
Come, Holy Spirit of the Great South Land.
Come, fill our hearts with the fire of your love,
And come, Spirit, come.

1 Bless and unite all your people, Lord
And guide us as we seek to do your will.
Come, Spirit, come.

Refrain

2 Give us the courage to speak the truth
With love for one another, trusting you.
Come, Spirit, come.

Refrain

3 Give us the grace to know you,
Your presence in our midst and in our world.
Come, Spirit, come.

Refrain

4 Open our hearts to listen,
To know and understand your will for us.
Come, Spirit, come.

Refrain

Come, Spirit, come. (repeat ad lib)

© 2022, Patricia Smith.