Song suggestions please

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Notwavingbutdrowning

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Hi, my 12 yr old is finishing up in his school this year, and throughout his time there, they’ve really done their best to suppress any kind of sign of Christianity or the Catholic faith.
Fast forward to the end of the school year and there’s going to be a show, where students will be performing songs, dance, etc. - of their own choice, whatever they want. Now my 12 year old son has a reasonably good voice, a bit choirboy and he can also sing in a lower register. He has a strong faith and would like to sing something powerful, with a strong Catholic message. Modern or traditional, something that could move the listeners.

Any ideas please?? They would be much appreciated thanks in advance.
 
My suggestion (and I am a musician, a pianist/organist, with a strong background of classical music, but I also love contemporary Christian music) is Ave Maria, Schubert version. This is the one that is done in Disney’s Fantasia (the original move, not the second one).

I can’t imagine anyone making fun of this piece–it would be like making fun of Beethoven’s 5th or Handel’s Messiah.

It’s not in English, so your son doesn’t have to worry about anyone misunderstanding the words, which happens in contemporary songs in English all the time. In fact, there are websites dedicated to publishing the silly misunderstandings of various contemporary pop songs–really funny!

But your son does NOT want anyone to misunderstand a contemporary Christian song–it might end up making someone even more critical of Christianity.

There is no song more “Catholic” than Ave Maria. However, even Protestants love the song and amazingly, include it in weddings and funerals.

It can be found in any key, and it sounds good in any register (low, high, medium).

It can be accompanied by any instrument, including guitar. If your son has the option of having live accompaniment, I would suggest asking one of his classmates who is advanced in piano and capable of playing the accompaniment, OR hiring a local accompanist (someone from your parish?). Live accompaniment gives him a chance to be a little more free in the piece.

However, a track would also be nice and give your son plenty of opportunities to practice.

And if your son hasn’t been taking voice lessons, perhaps ask your parish music minister or another voice coach to work with him on the piece. I personally find American diphthongs especially irritating in classical pieces. Probably his classmates won’t be bothered by it, though. The main reason for getting a voice coach to help him with the piece is so that he can get as much emotion as possible out of this performance–it’s one of the most famous pieces in the history of the world, and it would be a shame to “under-sing” it.

Break a leg!
 
There’s three themes to those first three songs which a secular audience in this day and age would do well to contemplate about our faith worldview.
  1. Love (agape) for our neighbors. Guarding each other’s dignity and pride.
  2. The honorable place Christianity gives to all women - as personified by one woman.
  3. Our daily bread shared at a common table of humanity. Spiritual and real bread. Freely given by God to all.
 
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Notwavingbutdrowning said:
Hi, my 12 yr old is finishing up in his school this year, and throughout his time there, they’ve really done their best to suppress any kind of sign of Christianity or the Catholic faith.
Fast forward to the end of the school year and there’s going to be a show, where students will be performing songs, dance, etc. - of their own choice, whatever they want. Now my 12 year old son has a reasonably good voice, a bit choirboy and he can also sing in a lower register. He has a strong faith and would like to sing something powerful, with a strong Catholic message. Modern or traditional, something that could move the listeners.

Any ideas please?? They would be much appreciated thanks in advance.
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Catholic? I can’t think of anything more suitable than a creedal song.

“I Bind Unto Myself Today” (tune “St. Patrick 88.88D”), with its full seven verses is the best song I can suggest, especially if he’s musically skilled.
 
Peeps said:
My suggestion (and I am a musician, a pianist/organist, with a strong background of classical music, but I also love contemporary Christian music) is Ave Maria , Schubert version.
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That’s a great suggestion, if he can handle singing it!
 
“Mary, did you know” is very pretty.
And also this one. I’m not sure what the name is.

 
Here’s three suggestions of mine:
“Ave Verum Corpus” by Mozart

“Panis Angelicus” by Franck


“Tu Virginum Corona” from Exsultate, Jubilate by Mozart

 
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I would suggest a reading.

Read 1 Corinthians chapter 13 or the first chapter of the Gospel of John.
 
Cohen’s Hallelujah? Not necessarily catholic, but still has a way of moving people when they hear it sung well.
 
There are several Christian versions of Cohen’s Alleluia. Amazingly, we heard one in Mass a few weeks ago–it was a wonderful re-telling of the Easter story, and I for one have no intention of criticizing the use of a secular song in the Mass–I could sense that everyone in that congregation was listening intently, which is unusual for Catholics/music/Mass!
 

Very powerful music, with a strong Catholic message, in a genre that is popular with this generation.

How digital rights work, and how to reduce the audio of the professionals singing so the student may sing, I do not know.

The theological accuracy of 0:10-0:19 is of minor concern, a secular audience could take this to far.
Quotes, and me giving my own personal statement about them.
“You found me in my sin, but you wouldn’t leave me their”
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Shows Christs loving nature to us weary sinners.
“When I built my kingdom, I got everything to lose. I can live in freedom if I give it all to you”
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Appeals to our desperation of security.

We are afraid to give everything to God. This counteracts our fears. We freak out about the ideal of giving up our precious time and money.
“Only you are Holy”
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Describes Monotheism. Imagine following Greek Gods, now instead of playing with many Gods, their is only one. It better fits with what a God ought to be, undivided power.

Today, imagine following many “gods”, Tarot Cards, Witchcraft, Generic Spirituality, Oprah, Fortune Cookies, theology of the body sin as a God. Now contrast that with One God to focus on, on that is good and loving.
“You are my rock, my strength”
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Appeals to the power of God. Describes the awesome power of God as we go through life in a Pagan World. Describes a need for God in a world that says our own Technology, Medicine, Non-Theist meditation, and so on will fit the God shaped Hole.
 
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I would not recommend Mary Did You Know? It’s a Protestant song and the theology is wrong.

What about Tantum Ergo or
The King of Love My Shepherd Is
 
Listened three times
Loved it. xxx
“You go before me” was haunting and I kept wondering about “…when I build my kingdom, I’ve got everything to lose”
 
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