Fill my House Unto the Fullest

This is a song of offering, with themes of unity and generosity.

It was written by Australian Roman Catholic, at-the-time student and later folk singer/songwriter and composer, Peter Kearney (b 1947), and first published in the music book Songs of Brotherhood, which was released in 1966 by J Albert and Son in Sydney (ref).

It is set to an unnamed tune, also by Kearney. This has a 3/4 time signature. In the key of D, the first few bars consist only of the note F.

The book Songs of Brotherhood included a piano setting of the tune, by John Eyles (TBA). Today, sheet music can be obtained by:

Purchasing from Peter Kearney's website (keep scrolling down until this song appears)

Finding a second-hand copy of the original on Amazon (etc),

Ordering a produced-on-demand CD of either "Songs of Brotherhood" or Make Me a Song (The Best of 25 Years) from Peter Kearney's on-line store. Each of these CDs has which has PDF files of the original sheet music (not sound files).

Purchasing another hymn book which this hymn has been included in, eg Celebration Hymnal for Everyone (McCrimmon), or Catholic Hymns Old and New (2009 edition, Kevin Mayhew Ltd).

Despite being one of the earliest English-language songs written for Catholic use after Vatican II - and written in the south Pacific - the recordings on YouTube shows that this song is known in many places through Europe, Asia and Africa. Small variations to the words and tune are evident - as often happens with a folk-song.

Downloads

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Examples

Choir with guitar accompaniment

Choir with praise band

Duet with guitar

Choir recorded in church - light organ backing

Soloist with band, professional recording - from the 1980s?

Guitar led choir

Instrumental - organ

Lyrics

The lyrics are copyright so cannot be reproduced here. But they are currently available on the author's Bandcamp page. A rough outline is:

1 Fill my house unto the fullest ...

Chorus:
All I own
And all I do
I give to you.

2 Take my time unto the fullest ...

3 Christ our Lord with love enormous ...

4 Join with me as one in Christ-love ...

Note that the last line of the third verse originally was "Love all men as I have loved you.". The alternative phrase which the author has provided is "Love each one as I have loved you." - there are some other non-approved variations used around the world.