Welcome to this month's newsletter: It wasn't originally going to be a two-month edition, but in late November the number of requests for Advent and Christmas songs increased, so it seemed sensible to put them all together.At the same time, I've been putting finishing touches to an e-book which will make some make some very popular material a lot more easily available: after a little more formatting and checking, it will be ready for distribution early in the New Year - watch this space!
Hymn and song research requests during November and December 2015
Advent Candle Song
This song was first requested in October this year - and an information page was published here. Since then, it's become one of the most popular hymns on the site, and has had thousands of views already.All the Earth
Information about this psalm setting by Fr Lucien Deiss will be available soon.Behold a Virgin
This Advent hymn by Michael Gannon was published in World Library Publications. It's been added to the list of music to research for Advent next year.Blank!
In what is probably the most challenging request ever, someone is looking for a hymn by someone called Lowery which they heard at church this year. No title or snippets of the words were provided - just the author's surname! I guess if nothing else this is a good reminder that without at least some nearly-unique information to go on, searching for a hymn is pretty close to impossible.Blessed are the Poor
The person who requested this setting of the Beautitudes learned it at Summer Camp at Wantage in 1966, and says that it is by Fr Gerard Beaumont. If you have any information about where to find a copy, please leave a comment below.
Brother Let me be Your Servant
This hymn by New Zealander Richard Gillard hasn't been requested before - which is surprising given how widely known it is. There's now an information page about it here.Children in Thy Presence Met
Information about this hymn by English poet, John Gray (1866-1934) is available here.Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
First requested back in 2013, this classic Advent hymn by Charles Wesley has an information page hereDeep Calls to Deep
Unfortunately this request only included the title, so it hasn't been possible to work out which particular song it refers so. Options include a song by Estelle White published in the 20th Century Folk Hymnal volume 4, a worship song by Matt Redmond - and indeed various others.
Eagles Wings - Andersen
Most probably this request is for Fr Frank Anderson's alternative to Michael Joncas' well-known setting of Psalm 105. There is information about Anderson's setting here.Enter in the Wilderness
This Advent hymn by Willard F Jabusch was published by Kevin Mayhew Ltd in 1970s, but doesn't appear to be in any subsequent books. It was requested by a reader who heard it in India . There is now an information page about it here.Family Love
Unfortunately the only information provided with this request was the phrase "Family love", and it hasn't been possible to even find any possibilities based on this. Please make a new request if you can provide some more details about the song.For to Those Who Love God
Information about this hymn is available here. This now includes a link to the composers website (which includes a contact address), and information about where to find the sheet music.God Fills me With Joy Alleluia
This request is for a piece known in Ireland as The Lourdes Magnificat (although there are several settings of the Magnificat regularly used at Lourdes).
I Saw a Star
This Christmas song by Joan McCrimmon has not been widely published - but is still available. There is an information sheet about it here.I'll be With You to the End of the World
This song by British teacher Peter Watcyn-Jones was published in the 20th Century Folk Hymnal Volume 4 and is still listed by CCLI as copyright 1978 Kevin Mayhew Ltd. But it appears that is hasn't been published since.Look Into Our Hearts
Unfortunately this request only included the phrase "look into our hearts", so it hasn't been possible to work out what hymn was intended.Lord Have Mercy On Your People
This hymn by Gerard Markland has been added to the list to be researched soon.
Love is His Word
This hymn by Luke Connaughton has been requested several times - this month by someone who heard it in church in India. There is an information page about it here.Magnficat
This request has the least possible details - just the one-word title, and no suggestion about which particular setting the person had in mind. You can find a few options here - if the one you want isn't listed, try again, providing some more details.Maranatha Come O Christ the Lord
This hymn by Lucien Deiss has been added to the list for future research.
Mary Immaculate Star of the Morning
This hymn by F W Wetherell is available here.Mother at Your Feet is Kneeling
Information about this classic American hymn to Mary is available here.My Soul is Filled with Joy
This request is most likely for this setting of the Magnificat which is to the folk tune used for Wild Mountain Thyme.Nigerian Catholic Hymn Book
"I am not looking for a certain hymn but I would like to know how I can get a copy of this book that appears on your website: Catholic Hymn Book - RPI, Nigeria".
The book is available for sale in Nigeria - and it's possible that copies are available on Amazon (though unlikely - people who buy one usually keep it!). And I have been working on a project to make the public-domain portion of it available as an eBook - it should be available through Amazon very soon, and will be advertised here, too.
O Comfort my People
Information about this Advent hymn is available here.O Jesus I have Promised
This confirmation hymn by JE Bode was first published in 1868. You can find more informaiton about it here.On Eagles Wings
This request is most likely for the ""classic"" modern(*) hymn by Michael Joncas - although there are other songs of of the same name, eg by Josh Groban.The lyrics of Joncas' song are here - and probably in lots of other places too.
(*) Classic and modern? Joncas wrote On Eagles Wings in 1975/76, initially for the funeral of a friend's father. People who grew up in the 1970s and 80's know it as ""new"". But to anyone born after about 1990, it's just another one of those old hymns that's always been there.
One by One
This song by Miriam Therese Winter is included in her 2008 book WomanPrayer WomanSong: Resources for Ritual. It does not appear to have been published elsewhere, and no one line recordings have been found.Queen of the May
A very unseasonal request for this Northern hemisphere hymn about Mary - and no indicaition whether they want the classic version or the alternative one which is widely used in Ireland.Shalom my Friend
An information page for this popular round is available hereSpirit of the Living God
This request was specifically for a 3-stanza version of the song - which is still being researched. Please leave a comment below if you have any information about this.St Peter Chanel
This song about the patron saint of Oceania was requested by a reader who remembers it from his/her school and parish in Whangarei, in the north of New Zealand.Chanel was French, but his main work was in the Pacific, and it looks like this hymn about him (first line "St Peter Chanel braving exile want and pain unto distant iesles he journeyed souls to win and hearts to gain") hasn't made it onto the internet as yet. If you have any information about it, please leave a comment below.
The Lord Made Known to Israel
This hymn was written by Donal Murray - and the person looking for it was able to say that it is in the Vertias Hymnal, which was a great help. There is now an information page about it here.
No comments:
Post a Comment