This song was composed by Doug von Koss while teaching in Italy as Italians were marching to protest the United States invasion of Iraq. He wanted a strong musical statement that would “lift the desire for peace to a more assertive and active place.” He borrowed a melody he had heard in Canada and used a Latin phrase as the text.
"Cantemus pacem mundi."
Translation:
We sing for the peace of the world.
The song is published in a small book/CD called How Sweet the Sound and is part of Doug's "Noah Project.”
Here's a video of Marilyn Haskel leading Cantemus pacem mundi at Holy Cross Monastery in September 2015:
Paul Vasile is an interim/transitional church musician, consultant and composer based in NYC.
This buoyant, rhythmic setting of verses from Psalm 134 was written by Ana Hernández in 2007.
The 7/8 meter is best felt in the body, first through tapping or clapping the larger rhythmic groups (2+2+3). Ana often invites the group to sing the tune on "la" until they've gained familiarity with the melody and rhythm. Then text can be added.
"Yours the day also the night, you made the moon and the sun.
La la la la...
God has bless'd us. God has bless'd us. God has bless'd us."
A shruti box or another drone instrument can help the group stay on pitch; percussion instruments can add rhythmic support.
Sheet music can be found in Music By Heart, the original collection of paperless songs that gave birth to MMC's workshops.
Come, My Beloved was written by Carol Logen and shared with the MMC community by Chanda Rule.
"Come, my beloved,
make your home in my heart."
The video features Chanda Rule leading the song at a Music that Makes Community workshop in Baltimore, Maryland in November 2015.
This South African Song in Xhosa is roughly translated “Go with us, our Savior” and comes from the repertoire of anti-Apartheid Freedom Songs written in the 1970's and 80's. It was shared with the MMC community by Paul Vasile, who learned it from Pamela Warrick Smith. In the spirit of music from many African contexts, the song invites opportunities for improvisation and adding actions/themes specific to the community's needs or experiences.
We have seen leaders share it as zipper/pocket song (i.e. Go with us, Lord, and give us your love/joy/peace) or deepen its communal spirit by crafting new verses (i.e. Come walk with us and share in our bread/...and join in the song). It makes a powerful sending song.
"Hamba nathi Mkhululi wethu"
There are several poetic translations of the song into English, not all faithful to the original Xhosa:
1. You Are Holy, You Show Us the Way
2. God With Us, Lord, and Set Us All Free
3. Come Walk With Us, the Journey Is Long (Anders Nyberg)
Teaching note from Paul Vasile: When you lead Hamba nathi, make sure that you keep a steady beat so the group feels the syncopated rhythm of the tune. I teach the tune first and once that's set offer the bass line. If folks don't intuitively add harmony (almost every group I've taught this to has), outline parts.
Here is sheet music for an SATB setting in Xhosa.
Here is a recording of the song by the Drakensberg Boy's Choir in South Africa.
This song is an example of teaching music for group singing without the use of books or projectors, recorded at the All Saints Company conference "Music that Makes Community," Los Angeles, October, 2008.
This song was composed by Kerri Meyer in San Francisco, CA. This video of 'There Is Enough' is taught by AnnaMarie Hoos, who learned it from Kerri Meyer. The melody was adapated from a Peter Mayer refrain, and Kerri Meyer composed the descant.
The lyrics are:
There is enough!
There is enough!
There is enough, oh,
Enough and some to share!
Sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, our latest songbook published by Augsburg Fortress.
Here's an audio clip of Kerri leading this song at the Musical Text Kitchen in San Francisco in October of 2014.
Here's a video of AnnaMarie Hoos leading this song at MMC at The Bishop's Ranch in January, 2015.
This song is originally from Ghana, and the version we've sung at many MMC events is from a setting by Marty Haugen and Marc Anderson. You can find the sheet music and a recording of the song at GIA Music.
This layered song by psalmist Richard Bruxvoort Colligan is based on Psalm 31. Each part can be taught to a different part of the community or choir. When each is secure, they can be combined to create a rich, textured space for prayer.
The song can be sung a cappella or can be accompanied. It could be useful in Taizé-style services, and the text also invites it to be sung during Holy Week, especially Good Friday.
Part 1:
"Into your hands I place my life."
Part 2:
"Oh, loving faithful God."
Part 3:
"Oh, my life is yours."
Richard's music is licensed through CCLI, OneLicense.net and Worldmaking.net. Be sure report use of the piece if you print the text or music for your community.
Find sheet music for the song on Richard's PsalmImmersion website.
This song was composed by Donald Fishel and is available in printed for in My Heart Sings Out from Church Publishing.
Here's a link to an audio recording of Emily Scott singing The Light of Christ, then giving some suggestions for how to lead it paperlessly, from the resource she's compiled for song leaders at St. Lydia's in Brooklyn, NY.