This is another familar hymn from the 1970s that I have somehow never blogged, but it is in the Praise to God Hymnal and is another the Dominicans sourced from the Lutheran hymn book All Together Again. There seems to have been far more Protestant – Catholic music cross over in the seventies than I was aware of.
This song was written by Carol Owens as part of a musical – a very early 70s idea.
Mary at Godsongs has the background, and the sheet music is available all over the internet freely, which it probably should not be.
OK, this one I do know from my Presbyterian Sunday School upbringing complete with actions. This is another song that was sourced for the Praise to God hymn book from All Together Again, the Lutheran Songbook, but I won’t blame them for it.
No one admits to have written this one, which is unsurprising, as it is the “Baby Shark” of Christian children’s songs. Hymnary has the sheet music if you must and can’t find it elsewhere. I’ve seen lots of different verses but nothing to match the 16(!) in PTG. Each verse repeats a line three times and finishes with, “His banner over me is love”.
I am my beloved, and he is mine…
He brought me to the banqueting table…
He is the rock of my salvation…
He placed my feet on firm foundation…
Jesus built his church on the rock of Peter…
The one way to peace is the power of the cross…
And now I am a new creation…
There’s therefore now no condemnation…
He calls me by name and I follow where he leads me…
In the Praise to God Hymn book, the Dominicans note where they found the hymns and I have started with the hymns they got from the Lutheran Hymn Book All Together Again, which is still in print.
This song is widely known to be written by someone unknown. PTG on the other hand notes its origin as from the Grail version Psalm 46 and that verses two and three were written by Jason Daniel, who is not credited elesewhere. It has unattributed verses four and five as well.
Like yesterday’s song this appears to have started as a chant like chorus and verses have accreted over the years. I have it as a one verse song in Scripture in Song Book One, where they credit Psalm 46:10 and Exodus 15:26. The Celebration Hymnal says the verses attributed to Mr Daniel are actually by Anonymous and have added two more different verses by Tom Fettke.
Unsurprisingly, since these songs reach back to the Folk era, I am getting lots of help from Godsongs, who again provides background here. For once, don’t rely on Hymnary who have managed to confuse three different settings here, but this song did make it into many hymnals.
This is a slow prayerful song that would be best unaccompanied. Nonetheless I made a backing:
1 Be still and know that I am God Be still and know that I am God Be still and know that I am God
This song is one that the editors of Praise to God got from All Together Again. It is part of the 1970s story of evangelicals teaching Catholics to sing. I have vague recollections of this song from my Presbyterian upbringing, or I could be hallucinating.
Written by New Zealand songwriter Naida Hearn, it is a lovely, flowing prayer. My copy in Scripture in Song Book 2 is just one verse and since they hold the copyright, I suspect that is all there was – just a lovely half chanted chorus. I have found lots of different extra verses added in various fora and here, too, there is a verse two and three added without attribution.
Since compared to Scripture in Song, PTG has a different arrangement with a lowered the key and simplified the chords, I wonder if Nicolas Falzun himself was responsible for the extra verses, while he was rearranging.
Hymnary notes it’s presence in an awful lot of Hymn books and also mentions that the royalties from this hymn helped her get away from an unhappy marriage – I’m glad.
BIAB hates 6/8 unless it’s a jig, but I persevered and didn’t convert it to a waltz. I have written the text as in PTG, but stick an asterix over verse 2 and 3.
Jesus, Name above all names, Beautiful Saviour, glorious Lord Emmanuel, God is with us, Blessed Redeemer, living Word.
Jesus, equal to God in love, Made himself nothing, servant of all God’s people: Human like us, He became humbler, Even to dying, death on a cross.
Jesus, God raised him up, Gave him the highest name, made him the Lord all over The heavens and earth, and all the universe. To God be the glory, most loving Father.
Another song the Dominican fathers who assembled Praise to God got from All Together Again is this song by Linda Stassen.
This song has its own Wikipedia page because, amongst other reasons, it was used as a protest song in the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests. You probably have a copy somewhere because Hymnary notes it is an astonishing number of hymnals, but I haven’t seen it before.
The version in PTG has three stanzas with the lines repeated in call and response..
1 Sing alleluia to the Lord
2 Jesus is living in his church!
3 Spirit is with us today!
The version I have in TIS (732) has 5 verses in which “Sing alleluia, sing alleluia” is the third line each time and the first, second and fourth line of each stanza are:
1 Lift up your hearts to the Lord.
2 In Christ the world has been redeemed.
3 His resurrection sets us free.
4 Therefore we celebrate this feast.
5 Sing alleluia to the Lord.
The PTB version is copyright to the author and New Songs Ministries and the TIS version from Maranatha music. The Celebration Hymnal has only one verse repeated until exhaustion sets in. All rather confusing. Luckily, Mary at Godsongs knows about this song and provides what clarity is available.
It is a slow call and response praise song. The You Tube clips reveal even more different verses.
Rather than go through the Praise to God: Parish Hymn Book in a sensible fashion, I will look at the songs based on where the Dominican Fathers accessed the material, starting with what they found in the Lutheran publication All Together Again, which is astonishingly still available on CD and sheet music.
This won’t be all Australian music but it will reflect what was being played in Australian churches back then.
Unsurprisingly it is based on Psalm 89 and it still sounds great. There would have to be lots of substituting of something like “My Lord” for Yahweh these days.
Mary at Godsong is all over this song. It was written by Karen Barrie IHM. My copy in Scripture in Song Book 2 says she was in Wilmette, Illinois in those day. She turns up on a record by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. I can’t find what happened to her after the seventies. So this song by an American Catholic nun was collected by Australian Lutherans and claimed back by the Dominicans.
There is a neat modulation from the verse to the chorus. The verse is not sure if is it in C or Bb but goes to G in the chorus – wild.
I found the lyrics on an old songbook on the net and also made a backing.
I have made a covenant with my chosen, Given my servant my word. I have made your name to last forever, Built to outlast all time. Refrain I will celebrate your love forever, Yahweh. Age on age, my words proclaim your love. For I claim that love is built to last forever, Founded firm your faithfulness.
Yahweh the assembly of those who love you Applaud your marvelous word. Who in the Skies can compare with Yahweh? Who can Rival Him?
Happy the people who learn to acclaim you. They rejoice in you light. You are our glory and you are our courage. Our hope belongs to you.
I have revealed my chosen servant And he can rely on me; Given him my love to last forever. He shall rise in my name.
He will call to me, “My Father! My God!” For I make him my firstborn son. I cannot take back my given promise. I’ve called him to shine like the sun.
I've worked my way through the As One Voice books and other collections making backings on Band in a Box to help me (& you if you're interested) learn new songs for church. This is aimed at churches and musicians that own the collections but haven't exploited them fully. If you don't have them they are certainly worth buying. This site is educational, nonprofit and designed to enhance the commercial prospects of songwriters. This site does not distribute copyrighted sheet music.
Disclaimer
Any opinions expressed here are personal views and not the responsibility of any Church.
All music backings posted are created by myself and the intention is for them to be used to learn the songs. If any copyright holder wishes me to cease publicising and promoting their wares and directing people to where sheet music can be legally purchased please let me know.
Mason’s “Mass of Glory and Praise”
To access my backings for Paul Mason's mass go to Feb 2011 in the archive.
