Bless this Food is a three-part round by James E. Clemens that can be used as a table grace or meal blessing. Find ideas for how to use it on the MMC blog.
"Bless this food and bless your people.
God be with us. Amen."
The piece can also be sung in Spanish, Japanese, and Korean.
The song is published in Table Songs: Hymns for Worship, available from the composer.
Here's a video of Marilyn Haskel teaching it at an MMC workshop in Ottawa, Ontario.
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 is a popular song from Music By Heart (#56), the original collection of songs published as part of the Music that Makes Community project. It was composed by Mark Howe.
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.
This song was composed by Pat Humphries and Sandy O. You can hear a clip, as well as buy a recording or the sheet music on their website Emma's Revolution. Here's a clip of AnnaMarie Hoos teaching it at an MMC event at Holy Cross Monastery in September of 2015:
http://emmasrevolution.com/listen/album/one/9-peace-salaam-shalom/
This joyful, three-part round by Bill Doggett is inspired by Psalm 101 and Micah 6, which invites us to 'do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.' The melody rises and falls intuitively and the text is short, making it an excellent starting place for communities new to paperless singing.
"I will sing a song of mercy;
sing a song of justice;
sing a song of praise to God.
I will live a life of mercy;
live a life of justice;
live a life of praise to God."
Sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, our latest songbook published by Augsburg Fortress. It was originally published in Music By Heart.
This blessing song by Ruth Cunningham sets a translation of a Celtic chant from the Céile Dé order. It's extraordinarily versatile and can be sung as a simple melody (Part I alone), a two-part canon, and as a layered song when Parts II and III are added.
The song has been used for blessing and sending, on Earth Day and for earth-honoring services, and on labyrinth walks and pilgrimages. It can help to have a drone instrument (a shruti box or a soft unison or open fifth on the organ) accompanying.
Part I:
"God bless every step that I am taking,
and bless the earth beneath my feet."
Parts II and II:
"God bless every step,
God bless the earth."
Sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, our latest songbook published by Augsburg Fortress, or in Music By Heart.
Come, Light of Lights is layered song composed by Ruth Cunningham that can also be sung as a 2, 3 or 4-part canon/round.
The song is effective as an invocation or introit, a call to prayer, or a sung Prayer for Illumination. Many communities also sing it during Advent.
"Come, light of lights into my heart.
Come, wisdom of Spirit into my heart."
Sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, our latest songbook published by Augsburg Fortress, and in Music By Heart.
Here's video of Emily Scott leading the song at a Music that Makes Community workshop in Atlanta:
Here's a step-by-step teaching video made by Paul Vasile:
Christ Is Our Guiding Light was composed by Rev. Eric Law of the Kaleidoscope Institute and works well as a canon or round in 2, 3 or 4 parts. There is also a lovely descant line for a cantor to sing once the group is confident. It could be used as a candle lighting song, for the Passing of Peace, and even in protests and marches.
"Christ is our guiding light:
Come, let us walk in the way of peace."
Sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, our latest songbook published by Augsburg Fortress, or in Music By Heart.
Here's a video of Ruth Williamson leading Christ is Our Guiding Light at Music that Makes Community in Los Angeles in October of 2008.