This is not an Australian song.
This is the hymn for the Jubilee Year 2025 on the theme of hope.
The original text is by Pierangelo Sequeri and the English translation is by Andrew Wadsworth. The music is by Maestro Francesco Meneghello.
It doesn’t sound like a song to sing in a suburban or country parish and may not be inculturated for Australian parishes. Maybe we should have written one for ourselves.
I made a backing but I don’t think I got the “with confidence” instructions. The tune strikes me as a mournful theme from a sad part of a movie scored by Henry Mancini – btw I love Mancini.
The sheet music is here in a sensible key – and here in a less sensible key. The SATB is here and it may be best as a choir vehicle. Thank you New Zealand for making them easy to find.
Refrain
Like a flame my hope is burning,
may my song arise to you:
Source of life that has no ending,
on life’s path I trust in you.
1 Ev’ry nation, tongue, and people
find a light within your Word.
Scattered fragile sons and daughters
find a home in your dear Son.
Refrain
2 God, so tender and so patient,
dawn of hope, you care for all.
Heav’n and earth are recreated
by the Spirit of Life set free.
Refrain
3 Raise your eyes, the wind is blowing,
for our God is born in time.
Son made man for you and many
who will find the way in him.
The Vatican site gives the song in many languages, both to listen to and with sheet music.
It sounds good in Italian.
So so in English:
… also better in Nepalese:
This is better than all of them:
This is a useful singalong karoake version:
For the life of me I can’t see why there would be a problem singing this in suburban/country churches, or indeed, why it needs to be inculturated for Australia, as it uses imagery that I would describe as universal as the Holy Year celebration. I’m not saying the text is perfect, (“my/I” instead of “our/we” for starters!) but I find the tune mesmerizing, and I’ll consider using this as a Procession of Gifts hymn next year when hope is a theme.
Glad you like it, Chris.
I think the translation has given us a pretty good text, but the tune sounds like a lament. I’m such a miserable so and so I would probably get right into a Jubilee Year of Lament, but the maestro’s tune does not sound hopeful to me.
With a pipe organ and SATB choir and sung “with confidence” in the original key in Italian in Italy maybe it is a hopeful hymn.
With minimal music resources in the suburbs and the country in Australia, it will be a struggle to make this an anthem of hope. I hope I am wrong.
Thank you for your corrective commentary, Chris. I am always in need of other opinions. I’d be happy to hear other peoples take on this hymn as well.
Geoff
I was hoping it was an alternative opinion rather than corrective!!!
I have started gently introducing Michael Herry’s new Mass of St. Ambrose, initially with the Gospel Acclamation over the past four weeks, then the Lamb of God over the next four. Our pianist’s initial thought was that it was a dirge, but after increasing the speed a bit had a 180 degree turn and now thinks it’s really nice.
To help stop it feeling mournful, I think the Holy Year hymn needs to be played a little faster than the composer suggests, and in the higher “less sensible” key: the top note is still only an occasional passing D, which I don’t think is an unreasonable ask of people. Could similar comments be made about Kevin Bates AOV hymn “A Trusting Psalm”, particularly as it was originally recorded?
As an aside, it is disappointing that there has been so little local promotion of the upcoming Holy Year. I wouldn’t have known about this hymn were it not for this site, so thank you for that!