Music leaders, show us your song list - NEW!!

[Sarabande]

We learned Let all mortal flesh keep silence last night at practice. The group loved it. We listened to the John Michael Talbot version and will probably cover it. We have done almost every song in Journeysongs so it was nice to learn a new one. New. That’s funny. The original was composed in Greek as a Cherubic Hymn for the Offertory of the Divine Liturgy of St James in the fourth Century AD, with local Churches adopting arrangements in Syriac and English transcription. In modern times, the Ralph Vaughan Williams arrangement of a translation from the Greek by Gerard Moultrie to the tune of Picardy, a French medieval folk melody, popularized the hymn among Christian congregations that worship liturgically. That’s from Wikipedia. A new one to us maybe. Certainly not to our incredible Church.

thanks again,
h

Happy to hear that your choir loved it, but how could they not? The only people I’ve ever personally known who wasn’t crazy about it were either emotionally closed (which is sad) or were kind of abrasive and unkind, sorry to say. I was aware of the Picardy melody was a medieval French melody, but I didn’t know the other information, so that was interesting to find out. Thank you for sharing.

 

[agapewolf]

Happy to hear that your choir loved it, but how could they not? The only people I’ve ever personally known who wasn’t crazy about it were either emotionally closed (which is sad) or were kind of abrasive and unkind, sorry to say. I was aware of the Picardy melody was a medieval French melody, but I didn’t know the other information, so that was interesting to find out. Thank you for sharing.

I know you are speaking about your experience, but the implication is absurd. Just because someone doesn’t have the taste for a song does not speak about their character. That’s all it is…taste. (and I’m not speaking about the objectivity of good music either). I can appreciate what is a good song, and label it so without liking it.

 

[CatholicZ09]

2nd sunday of Advent C:

Ready the way (not one of our favs but it fits nicely.)
Advent wreath service for the Kyrie by John Schiavone (a tradition with our group for over 15 years)
The Lord has done great things for us by Ricky Manalo, CSP (ICEL and Confraternity of Christian
Doctrine, Inc. (CCD)
Maranatha
I am the living bread
Patience, people
Every valley (great Advent song)

we will probably do Let all mortal flesh keep silence in 2 weeks. We need to get a little more solid on the harmony. I need to decide if I am going to do it with just classical guitar or with an orchestrated sequence. Not sure yet. Love the song.
Peace,
h

Hosea, when you use “Every Valley” do you bring down the high E’s when it goes “Make straight in the desert a HIGHWAY” - “HIGHWAY” being the two high E’s. Do you bring it down a bit? I find it particularly hard to sing, because it’s already high pitched when the verses begin and it’s hard to hit those notes without totally murdering them (see earlier posts about what happened when one of our cantors sung it last year). Then in the third verse it goes “Stand upon the mountain top, O lift your voice to the world. Sing joyfully Je - RU-SA-LEM…” RU-SA-LAM having 3 high E’s. I just wanted to know if you toned it down a bit at the part.

 

[Sarabande]

I know you are speaking about your experience, but the implication is absurd. Just because someone doesn’t have the taste for a song does not speak about their character. That’s all it is…taste. (and I’m not speaking about the objectivity of good music either). I can appreciate what is a good song, and label it so without liking it.

Sometimes that is true and sometimes it is not. It all depends on the people and the situaion, which is why I made sure that I mentioned it was based on personally knowing people. I wasn’t making a generalisation. If I had, I would have worded it much differently and that certainly would have been an “absurd” observation and deserving of that kind of label you gave it because that would have been unkind and silly of me to make an assumption like that.

If you knew the people I was speaking about, it would actually make perfect sense and would not be “absurd”. It had to do with their psychology, which affected their taste in music as well as other things in their lives. And that is very sad and I am very sorry that these people have grown in that way. Some of them are those I care about very much and I understand why they are like the way they are, accepting, loving and supporting them for who they are at this moment in their lives. I can also personally attest to how one’s mental situation can affect tastes, after having many years of therapy to deal with abuse attained as a child. Along with many other aspects in my life, my taste in certain music that I used to dislike changed once I opened up and became much more mentally healthy. And many were works that I appreciated for their quality, but still disliked, prior to becoming mentally healthy. I just couldn’t allow myself to open up and truly see the music or whatever subject it was for what it was. The whole world was so much more beautiful and bright with a clearer understanding of my spirituality. I couldn’t help but see everything differently. And I know that other people experience the similar things when this reawakening occurs.

So, yes, I was speaking from personal experience, and I’m glad you did recognize that. I don’t know you personally, so I was not speaking to you as it appears that you may have taken my post slightly personally, which I apologize if that is the case. And I apologize to everyone for having to explain all of this on this kind of thread. I just felt this needed to be better explained since it was misunderstood by one person, it could be misunderstood by others.

 

[agapewolf]

Sometimes that is true and sometimes it is not. It all depends on the people and the situaion, which is why I made sure that I mentioned it was based on personally knowing people. I wasn’t making a generalisation. If I had, I would have worded it much differently and that certainly would have been an “absurd” observation and deserving of that kind of label you gave it because that would have been unkind and silly of me to make an assumption like that.

If you knew the people I was speaking about, it would actually make perfect sense and would not be “absurd”. It had to do with their psychology, which affected their taste in music as well as other things in their lives. And that is very sad and I am very sorry that these people have grown in that way. Some of them are those I care about very much and I understand why they are like the way they are, accepting, loving and supporting them for who they are at this moment in their lives. I can also personally attest to how one’s mental situation can affect tastes, after having many years of therapy to deal with abuse attained as a child. Along with many other aspects in my life, my taste in certain music that I used to dislike changed once I opened up and became much more mentally healthy. And many were works that I appreciated for their quality, but still disliked, prior to becoming mentally healthy. I just couldn’t allow myself to open up and truly see the music or whatever subject it was for what it was. The whole world was so much more beautiful and bright with a clearer understanding of my spirituality. I couldn’t help but see everything differently. And I know that other people experience the similar things when this reawakening occurs.

So, yes, I was speaking from personal experience, and I’m glad you did recognize that. I don’t know you personally, so I was not speaking to you as it appears that you may have taken my post slightly personally, which I apologize if that is the case. And I apologize to everyone for having to explain all of this on this kind of thread. I just felt this needed to be better explained since it was misunderstood by one person, it could be misunderstood by others.

I didn’t misunderstand it at all, because there is an implication by even bringing it up.

You said:

Happy to hear that your choir loved it, but how could they not? The only people I’ve ever personally known who wasn’t crazy about it were either emotionally closed (which is sad) or were kind of abrasive and unkind, sorry to say

You are answering your question…how could someone not like the song? if they are emotionally closed or were unkind. The way you stated it here implies that fact.

Yes, I realize you were speaking on experience, but by even saying that, you are making an implication. It is insulting to speak to someone’s character because of possible tastes in music. No, I didn’t take it personally, I kind of like the song,

 

[Sarabande]

I didn’t misunderstand it at all, because there is an implication by even bringing it up.

You said:

You are answering your question…how could someone not like the song? if they are emotionally closed or were unkind. The way you stated it here implies that fact.

Yes, I realize you were speaking on experience, but by even saying that, you are making an implication. It is insulting to speak to someone’s character because of possible tastes in music. No, I didn’t take it personally, I kind of like the song,

You do not know the people I was speaking of, whom I know very well and know very well why they wouldn’t like that particular piece of music or other songs, or other subjects in general. I was not making an implication because I know their situations much more than you do. I’m not going to spell out what happened to them or to myself which would have made us be that way either now or at one time, since my initial explanation did not satisfy. This is not the thread or the place to do that, nor would I want to share that about those people or myself.

For the quote below which you are focusing on:

Happy to hear that your choir loved it, but how could they not? The only people I’ve ever personally known who wasn’t crazy about it were either emotionally closed (which is sad) or were kind of abrasive and unkind, sorry to say.

It could be read a few different ways - I will give you that - after reading it again. You understood it one way, which was not how I meant it to come across. You chose to look at it in a way that I would not have read it based on my own experiences, and if you wish to read it in that fashion, then that is fine and is best for you. We all have our own experiences which influences us in how we interpret or do anything, including reading into others’ words in different ways, depending on how we were all treated through our lives.

Since we can’t sit face to face and really know each other to truly understand where each of us is coming from, it’s sometimes difficult for any of us to see what we meant with the written word. It’s so easy to misinterpret. I have a tendency to read other people’s posts with a gentle voice in my head (unless it’s blatantly nasty and cruel), and try to see where they are coming from. That might have been due to the communications courses I took in university and saw how easily people misinterpret the written word, and also how I was raised to try to be understanding and sympathetic, so I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, as I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. Although I admit I have at times taken things the wrong way or have become frustrated with cruel posts. We’re all human.

Anyway, I said what I had to say and believe I explained myself fully. I do not wish to further derail this thread. If you still feel the need to continue, please take it off this thread and pm me. Otherwise, I think it can be let go.

God bless.

 

[agapewolf]

You do not know the people I was speaking of, whom I know very well and know very well why they wouldn’t like that particular piece of music or other songs, or other subjects in general. I was not making an implication because I know their situations much more than you do. I’m not going to spell out what happened to them or to myself which would have made us be that way either now or at one time, since my initial explanation did not satisfy. This is not the thread or the place to do that, nor would I want to share that about those people or myself.

For the quote below which you are focusing on:

It could be read a few different ways - I will give you that - after reading it again. You understood it one way, which was not how I meant it to come across. You chose to look at it in a way that I would not have read it based on my own experiences, and if you wish to read it in that fashion, then that is fine and is best for you. We all have our own experiences which influences us in how we interpret or do anything, including reading into others’ words in different ways, depending on how we were all treated through our lives.

Since we can’t sit face to face and really know each other to truly understand where each of us is coming from, it’s sometimes difficult for any of us to see what we meant with the written word. It’s so easy to misinterpret. I have a tendency to read other people’s posts with a gentle voice in my head (unless it’s blatantly nasty and cruel), and try to see where they are coming from. That might have been due to the communications courses I took in university and saw how easily people misinterpret the written word, and also how I was raised to try to be understanding and sympathetic, so I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, as I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. Although I admit I have at times taken things the wrong way or have become frustrated with cruel posts. We’re all human.

Anyway, I said what I had to say and believe I explained myself fully. I do not wish to further derail this thread. If you still feel the need to continue, please take it off this thread and pm me. Otherwise, I think it can be let go.

God bless.

I have no desire to know anything about the people you are speaking, nor do I doubt that you had those experiences. I never even implied such.

I’m talking about the fact that you brought it up, and the way you did so.

I think this is an important thing to bring up publicly, because although there is objectivity in music, there is a huge amount of snobbery (I’m not referring to you here) about taste, and that should stop. The mere implication given is borderline to the dangerous judgements people make about people on music, as well as liturgy and other things. Simple taste does not refer to character nor mental health.

 

[pnewton]

I’m talking about the fact that you brought it up, and the way you did so.

Can you please let it go. The last thread was locked. Some of us actually use the information here. If you want to go off and get offended please do it in a place where greater leeway is given. I do not want to you or anyone to get this topic locked again.

 

[CatholicZ09]

Yeah, I don’t want to get another song thread locked. Guys, please keep arguments if you can as private messages.

 

[CatholicZ09]

I made some changes to my song list

Sunday, December 6th, 2009 - Second Sunday of Advent - Year C

Processional Hymn: #36 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Preparation of the Gifts: #71 Every Valley
Communion People: #54 Comfort, Comfort, O My People
Recessional Hymn: #70 The Coming of Our God

As for the Immaculate Conception, I still don’t know what I’m going to do for Holy Communion.

 

[Sarabande]

I made some changes to my song list

Sunday, December 6th, 2009 - Second Sunday of Advent - Year C

Processional Hymn: #36 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Preparation of the Gifts: #71 Every Valley
Communion People: #54 Comfort, Comfort, O My People
Recessional Hymn: #70 The Coming of Our God

As for the Immaculate Conception, I still don’t know what I’m going to do for Holy Communion.

I love “Comfort, Comfort, O My People”!!! It’s so awesome with choir, too, if you ever have a chance to get a choral setting of this. The arrangement we had when I was in choir could be done with instruments or a capella. I can’t remember what the arrangement was called or who it was by (Publisher and arranger, I mean), but each verse had different variations. It was beautiful.

I keep getting the “Every Valley” aria from “The Messiah” stuck in my head and I know that isn’t the one everyone here has been talking about. A couple of my male friends who are singers would always joke with the Messiah version because it’s funny hearing some basses sing the runs on the word “exulted” as they tend to sing it very choppy and not with much legato. So, now, whenever I listen to that aria in the Messiah, I hear the joke version of it in my head. hahaha!

Edit: I just remembered that the choral adaptation we did of “Comfort, Comfort…” was by Goudimel. Can’t remember his first name.

 

[CatholicZ09]

I love “Comfort, Comfort, O My People”!!! It’s so awesome with choir, too, if you ever have a chance to get a choral setting of this. The arrangement we had when I was in choir could be done with instruments or a capella. I can’t remember what the arrangement was called or who it was by (Publisher and arranger, I mean), but each verse had different variations. It was beautiful.

I keep getting the “Every Valley” aria from “The Messiah” stuck in my head and I know that isn’t the one everyone here has been talking about. A couple of my male friends who are singers would always joke with the Messiah version because it’s funny hearing some basses sing the runs on the word “exulted” as they tend to sing it very choppy and not with much legato. So, now, whenever I listen to that aria in the Messiah, I hear the joke version of it in my head. hahaha!

Edit: I just remembered that the choral adaptation we did of “Comfort, Comfort…” was by Goudimel. Can’t remember his first name.

Haha thanks! Yeah, this “Every Valley” is by Bob Dufford, SJ.

 

[benedictgal]

Haha thanks! Yeah, this “Every Valley” is by Bob Dufford, SJ.

I would substitute “Every Valley” with On Jordan’s Bank. It is really beautiful and it even adds a sort of penitential element to it “then cleansed be every heart from sin…” It makes for a great recessional piece (or offertory).

 

[hosea]

Hosea, when you use “Every Valley” do you bring down the high E’s when it goes “Make straight in the desert a HIGHWAY” - “HIGHWAY” being the two high E’s. Do you bring it down a bit? I find it particularly hard to sing, because it’s already high pitched when the verses begin and it’s hard to hit those notes without totally murdering them (see earlier posts about what happened when one of our cantors sung it last year). Then in the third verse it goes “Stand upon the mountain top, O lift your voice to the world. Sing joyfully Je - RU-SA-LEM…” RU-SA-LAM having 3 high E’s. I just wanted to know if you toned it down a bit at the part.

Absolutely. We drop the song one whole step. Otherwise you can hear two-thirds of the choir/congregation dropping out on those pesky ‘E’s’. My wife is usually in the third that hangs in there. She’s got the sweetest high sop voice i’ve ever heard. Not that I’m prejudiced or anything!

I just love the tempo of that song.
peace,
h

 

[hosea]

I would substitute “Every Valley” with On Jordan’s Bank. It is really beautiful and it even adds a sort of penitential element to it “then cleansed be every heart from sin…” It makes for a great recessional piece (or offertory).

“Comfort all my people,
the time for war is gone.
The blind shall see
The deaf shall hear
The lame shall leap for joy”

one of our favorite and moving Advent songs. Contemporary music. Ancient, Biblical message. Fantastico.
On Jordan’s bank is pretty nice too. Just a little too 40’s for our musical style. Maybe if we put a rock 4 back beat to it…no…it’s to sweet a song. We’ll work it in someday. Just not this weekend.
peace,
h

 

[benedictgal]

“Comfort all my people,
the time for war is gone.
The blind shall see
The deaf shall hear
The lame shall leap for joy”

one of our favorite and moving Advent songs. Contemporary music. Ancient, Biblical message. Fantastico.
On Jordan’s bank is pretty nice too. Just a little too 40’s for our musical style. Maybe if we put a rock 4 back beat to it…no…it’s to sweet a song. We’ll work it in someday. Just not this weekend.
peace,
h

I just don’t like anything written by the St. Louis Jesuits. Its setting is not really fitting for the beauty and solemnity of Advent. Just because something is biblical, that does not necessarily mean that it is set to the right music.

On Jordan’s Banks lyrics:

On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come then and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of Kings.

Then cleansed be ev’ry heart from sin;
Make straight the way of God within;
Oh, let us all our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.

To heal the sick stretch out Thine hand,
And bid the fallen sinner stand;
Shine forth, and let Thy light restore
Earth’s own true loveliness once more.

All praise, eternal Son, to Thee,
Whose advent sets Thy people free;
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Ghost forever more.

It is a translation of a Gregorian chant called Jordanis oras praevia.

You can hear the midi of it by following this link:

chantcd.com/lyrics/jordans_bank.htm

You are also a couple of hundred years removed from the initial translation of the hymn. The German translation of it dates back to the latter part of the 18th century and is set to a German tune. The English translation was made in the latter part of the 19th century.

 

[Sarabande]

Maybe if we put a rock 4 back beat to it…no…it’s to sweet a song. We’ll work it in someday. Just not this weekend.
peace,
h

haha! Yeah, rocking it up would probably not work without really changing the sweetness of it. The melody is from the late 1600s, so even older than 40s.

There is so much music to choose from and learn. I feel like that whenever I plan recitals. You just want to do everything, but then you’re hit with the reality that there is only so much music to fit in and only so much time to get new repertoire deep within your soul and in your body to give a piece justice. And it’s the same when planning for a mass/liturgical season. I remember when planning liturgies for my children’s choir, if the kids weren’t completely ready, I wasn’t going to put them through any stress and would change off the hymns that they were more comfortable. I just planned to work on it each week for the next year. If you can’t work it in this year, do it next year, like you said.

 

[benedictgal]

haha! Yeah, rocking it up would probably not work without really changing the sweetness of it. The melody is from the late 1600s, so even older than 40s.

There is so much music to choose from and learn. I feel like that whenever I plan recitals. You just want to do everything, but then you’re hit with the reality that there is only so much music to fit in and only so much time to get new repertoire deep within your soul and in your body to give a piece justice. And it’s the same when planning for a mass/liturgical season. I remember when planning liturgies for my children’s choir, if the kids weren’t completely ready, I wasn’t going to put them through any stress and would change off the hymns that they were more comfortable. I just planned to work on it each week for the next year. If you can’t work it in this year, do it next year, like you said.

One that is beautiful and takes its roots from chant is Creator of the Stars of Night. In some books, it’s listed as O Lord of Light. That one is really simple for the kids to learn. In fact, for the Advent Vespers service, the Sistene Chapel choir sang it. Another one that is great for next Sunday is Hills of the North Rejoice.

 

[Sarabande]

One that is beautiful and takes its roots from chant is Creator of the Stars of Night. In some books, it’s listed as O Lord of Light. That one is really simple for the kids to learn. In fact, for the Advent Vespers service, the Sistene Chapel choir sang it. Another one that is great for next Sunday is Hills of the North Rejoice.

Oh yeah! I’ve always liked that chant. We do it every year and you’re right, it is a simple one for kids to learn, as well as simple for congregations of all ages to sing. Usually at our parish, the organist will have a very simple accompaniment to it to support the congregation and it works. I personally like a more simple accompaniment than something that is more “florid” which I’ve heard done at other parishes. It isn’t bad, but to me the beauty is in the words and simplicity of the melody and accompaniment (if needed). I’m hoping that my music director at my job chooses it for next week.

I’m not familiar with “HIlls of the North Rejoice”. What hymnal is it out of?

 

[hosea]

more wikipedia:

The St. Louis Jesuits, a group of Catholic musicians who popularized a contemporary style of church music through their compositions and recordings in the 1970s and 1980s. The group, originally made up of Jesuit seminarians at St. Louis University, used acoustic guitars and pop-style melodies and rhythms to set biblical and other religious texts to music sung in English as a result of the liturgical reforms initiated by Vatican II.
Without intent, a groundswell of popularity took place when visiting seminarians took stenciled mimeographed copies of their new music back to their communities where it became known as music by “The St. Louis Jesuits”.

Interesting. They were just young talented men who have dedicated their lives to Christ and His Church in the most Holy way of all; the Priesthood. Sad that we malign their dedication. Also interesting that their popularity was inadvertant.

Now I know why I love their music so much.
peace