I don’t know anything about Leo Watt, except that we used to use his “Lamb of God” years ago. A friend attended mass at another parish recently and was so impressed by this song that she asked about it and was given the music (she thinks) by the songwriter. I don’t know if it available anywhere but it is a great song. If you’ve done “All are Welcome” to death, you could use this as an entrance.
If anyone has any details about Leo Watt or knows where this song can be purchased, please let me know.
Verse 1
Come to me, you are welcome in my house,
For you are my friends, and I love you as you are.
United in prayer, you listen to my words.
You are welcome, you are welcome,
You are welcome in my house.
Verse 2
Come to me, you are welcome in my house,
And though you are weak and so often you will fail,
I’ll come, raise you up; I am a God of love.
You are welcome, you are welcome,
You are welcome in my house.
Verse 3
Come and see, I will open wide my arms,
To reach out to all, to the strong and to the weak.
Forgive and accept, this is my word to you.
You are welcome, you are welcome,
You are welcome in my house.
You are welcome, you are welcome,
You are welcome in my house.
© Leo Watts
we have the music in it’s basic form from a parish North where a parishioner heard this and thought it good. Also met Leo Watts.
Hi Frankie,
Any chance of getting a copy of the You Are Welcome – Leo Watt music?
Thanks
Michael
I’ve found out some information about Leo Watt, thanks to a couple of detailed vinyl listings on eBay! What I’ve found is written here: http://www.godsongs.net/2014/07/leo-watt.html
My guess is that he left the Franciscans – based on Google now showing anything else about him since the early 1970s. Word of Life lists some of his works without a publisher, which may mean that he’s not even getting the credit for those that are still used.
Thanks for the research, Mary.
Geoff
I too have done an extensive search on the net trying to track down Leo Watt. As a diocese we have recently changed over our copyright provider from Word of Life International (WOL) to LicenSing Online. One of our favorite Leo Watt songs is “Though Many We Are One” but have found none of Leo Watt’s music listed on LicenSing. I have tried to email him via the email address on the WOL website but unfortunately it bounced back. We still want to be able to use Leo’s songs so if anyone had any ideas on how to track him down let me know. Like the sound of “You are Welcome” any thoughts on how I can get a copy of the music?? Thanks for any help, Michael
Good luck tracking him down. I’ll be in touch.
Geoff
Michael, I’d be inclined to keep using them anyway, on the basis that the risk of anyone suing you for it is very low. I don’t generally believe in copyright violation (it’s theft, quite clearly). But there are “orphaned works”: ones where no one knows who wrote them or owns them, or where the original artist has died and his/her estate didn’t real with their intellectual property rights. In these cases, I’d argue that it’s acceptable to to use ’em anyway, because there’s no legal way to license them. (The UK has, or at least is taking about, introducing a licensing scheme for these, with the government holding licensing fees – determined by it – in trust in case the rights owner is discovered later.)
Hey, so I’ve been researching my grandfather and I remember him playing this song to me as a kid (probably about age 10). His name is Leo Watt (or at least I can’t remember him by any other) and I know he used to write songs and play them at his parrish… Hope this helps. He’s now got a Facebook account and his own website, but doesn’t do much composing as of recent years.
Leo has been in touch with us and sent a few more songs for us to look at. Thanks for your interest.
Geoff
I’ve sent about 20 hymns to licensingonline
and have another 14 to edit and record somehow. More in the last 12 months than 40 years. The new ones are unpublished.
Yes, I am alive and still composing. J Albert and Son Pty Ltd have the copyright of the “Altar of God” album which is still popular after 40 years, but I have published 2 more albums of music since then: “Sing Once Pray Twice” which includes a Mass setting and “Go where he leads” based on the Confessions of St Augustine. As well I have lots of unpublished hymns that are being used in some schools and parishes. All are registered with Word of Life,but it looks as though I will also need to register them with licensing. Have written to them to find the procedure. Cost has kept me from being able to record and publish new music.
Lovely to hear from you. I hope things get sorted with LicenceSing.
Geoff
Delighted to hear that you are still composing, and getting your dues from WoL, Leo. Selling recordings (even of unpublished material) on iTunes is a method that a few artists have used, lately. And Geoff – I love the way your website has helped track some of the composers like this.
Interested in your comments about ITunes. Their website seems to make it a very difficult process, so if you know anyone who has done it, I’d be interested in hearing of their experience.
Frank Andersen MSC is one who has, and who is definitely getting sales via iTunes.
Thank you for permission to use your music at my friend’s funeral in January Leo. I was pleased to see this week that 13 of your songs are now on Licensing-onLine; however, all are in RPX format only, and there are none for download or purchase. I tried to buy copies of some, but every attempt or search online failed. I also tried Albert Music and Word of Life sites, but I could find nothing on either site. Your name appeared on a list of publishers on WOL International, but went no further. Do you intend allowing purchases through LicensingOnLine, (Keyboard, PDF preferably) or can you please tell me where I can buy reprints? I am especially after Precious In My Eyes and Take This Bread and Cup of Wine; also Go Where He Leads and You Are Welcome. (The latter two are not yet listed on LOL). I will also email LOL Australia to see how we buy copies in RPX format, but had no success with OCP or Spectrum. [If you need any help typing, copying or converting to PDF, I’d be more than happy to do anything for you free – these beautiful songs need to be out there for people to sing!!]
Thank you for your interest. I have just emailed licensingonline to find out about the opportunity for people to buy the sheet music of the hymn online and also the mp3.
Unfortunately I don’t have copies of the published albums left but only digital pdfs and mps. Can you email me direct and I’ll try to find out more from the USA and from Alberts Music which has been taken over by BMG.
I could certainly use help with editing of 13 new hymns as well at
lrjwatt@bigpond.com
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I tried to contact Leo Watt via an email I found in an old Hymn credits, but obviously it was an old one as the email was returned to me. A friend died recently and requested one of Leo’s songs at her funeral Mass, but I can’t find the song in any of our Parish music books. I know the song is in Catholic Worship Book II, but we don’t have a copy of it, and the song is not listed on LicenSing Online which my Parish subscribes to. I couldn’t find where to buy it, but I have been able to download the lyrics, notes and chords. The funeral is next Tuesday (5Jan16) and I was hoping to get permission to play the song at her funeral. Any suggestions please?
Hi Trish,
I have recently had contact with Leo Watt via email so I have forwarded your email to Leo tonight. Hopefully he will be able to get in contact with you before Tuesday. In a recent email Leo said that he was negotiating his music with LicenSing Online but it was taking longer than anticipated. What is the song you need the music for? I have some of Leo’s music which I can check for permission from him and send to you via email as pdf.
Just let me know,
kind regards
Michael
email: somervillemj@hotmail.com
My music copyright royalties are protected by Word of Life international and permission to use can come from them. I am in the process of sending everything I have written to LicenSingonline and am registered with them even though they have not put my music into their system so far.(computer problems there, apparently)
Just to keep the record up to date, onelicense.net has about 40 of my hymns on their site, and I have added a note on 34 titles saying that if people wish to hear what the hymn sounds like before using it, they can email me on lrjwatt@bigpond.com and I can email the mp3 of the title. The other 16 hymns have not been recorded yet and parishes who wish to record them are welcome if they could pass on to me the mp3 recording so that I can add it to the title. At this stage of my life I have no finances to make recordings nor do I have the musicians and singers available here to do the job. Many of my past recordings have sold out, but I have copies of the hymns based on the Confessions of St Augustine “Go where he leads” and my latest “Precious in my eyes”.
Thanks to all those who have been searching for my songs. Still composing!
Thank you so much for the information about Leo Watt. In my parish, we have only one hymn by Leo “Go Now You Are Sent Forth”. Thanks for information on “You Are Welcome”.
When I get a chance I often search through your website, it’s very informative.
I’d appreciate it if you would let me know when Leo’s sheet music for his hymns are available again and mp3. Best wishes from Penny.
G’Day Penny
Leo now has a website:
https://leowatt.com/music/
Better yet he is now published by Willow who have lots of his music:
https://willowpublishing.com.au/?s=leo+watt&post_type=product
cheers
Geoff