Rachel Kroh composed this song at a Music that Makes Community workshop in 2012. The text is from Burnt Norton in T. S. Eliot's The Four Quartets.
"In my end is my beginning, in my beginning is my end."
Here's a video of Rachel leading the song at The Bishop's Ranch:
Ana Hernández has written two contrasting settings of If In Your Heart, a short text by 17th century mystic and poet Angelus Silesius. The first is a rhythmic setting that creates a sense of joyous anticipation. It is wonderfully suited to the Advent and Christmas seasons and could be effective as a gathering or processional song, for candle lighting, or as a Gospel acclamation.
Ana suggests a syncopated clapping rhythm that suggests a heartbeat, adding another dimension to our singing of the text.
"If in your heart you make a manger for his birth,
then God will once again become a child on earth."
Teaching note: Teach the melody until secure, repeating phrases and breaking them down as necessary. Try assigning the handclap pattern to a small group (or even a percussion instrument), but encourage them to stay soft until the group’s confidence grows and it ‘locks in’ rhythmically.
Sheet music can be found in Music By Heart, MMC's first collection of paperless songs.
Here's a video of Marilyn Haskel teaching this setting:
This soothing chant by Ana Hernández is based on a phrase from Matthew 11:28. She suggests using it for personal meditation/centering, as well as in worship services. The tune quickly welcomes harmony; it could also be accompanied by a drone instrument (a shruti box or a soft unison or open fifth on the organ), keyboard, or guitar.
"Come unto me and I will give you rest."
The song can be found in the Music Sourcebook for Life Passages: Healing, Funeral, and Marriage, published by Augsburg Fortress.
A harmonized version of the chant is also available for purchase on Ana's website.
This Gospel music-inspired communion song was written by Mary Kay Beall and John Carter.
"*Here is bread for the hungry soul.
Here is wine for the thirsty heart.
Here is forgiveness, full and free.
Here at the table of the Lord."
*Several MMC leaders have sometimes swapped the first two phrases to good effect: 'Here is bread for the hungry heart. Here is wine for the thirsty soul.'
Copyright for the piece is held by Hope Publishing. If you plan to reprint the text in a bulletin, a program, or in individual song sheet form, you must submit a request for use.
Sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, our latest songbook published by Augsburg Fortress. It can also be found in At Your Altars from Hope Publishing.
Listen to a recording of the song on the blog of St. Lydia's Dinner Church.
Haleluya Pujilah Tuhanmu was introduced to the MMC community by Scott Weidler. Written by Glodlief Soumokil, a prolific composer of sacred song from Indonesia, the setting we have shared in our workshops is just the first half of the song.
Scott teaches the song by inviting the community to echo phrases of the text in Indonesian. Then he sings the tune and asks the community to echo the tune phrase by phrase, using his hands to model the shape of the melody. When the community is singing confidently, he adds a simple step (long, long, long, short, short).
The piece can be used as a song of praise, a processional, or even as a psalm refrain. Drums and shakers, as well as stomps and claps, can offer rhythmic support.
Indonesian:
Haleluya! Haleluya!
Pujilah Tuhanmu s'lamanya haleluya!
Nyani dan soraklah
agungkan namaNya.
Pujilah Tuhanmu s'lamanya haleluya!
English singing translation:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord our God forevermore, Hallelujah!
Shout with joy, lift your voice,
Glorify God's holy name.
Praise the Lord our God forevermore, Hallelujah!
Sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, our latest songbook published by Augsburg Fortress. It is also printed in several Global Song resources across denominations, including Hosanna! Ecumenical Songs for Justice and Peace.
Here's a video of Scott teaching Haleluya Pujilah Tuhanmu at an workshop in Atlanta:
Here's a video of an Indonesian congregation singing the song in worship:
This is a song written by James Clemens with lyrics by the poet David Wright. It is available in written form in A Field of Voices.
This joyful song by Kerri Meyer, inspired by writer Annie Dillard, has quickly become a favorite in the MMC community. Many of our leaders use it as a sending song, even adding steps that invite the community to dance and sing! It's also a zipper/pocket song that welcomes text changes for the context or season you're in.
"Go on your way in joy, my friends!
Go on your way in joy, my friends!
Go on your way in joy, my friends!
Let your left foot say 'Glory!'
and your right say, 'Amen!'"
Alternative text:
Go on your way in peace...
Go on your way in love...
Go on your way in hope...
Sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, our latest songbook published by Augsburg Fortress. You can find a setting of the melody alone, as well as a harmonized version arranged by Andrew Donaldson. The first eight measures of this arrangement are the original song by Kerri, and the the rest is an optional modulation just for fun.
Here's the recording from the first time Kerri taught this song at MMC after she wrote it.
Here's a video of Hilary Donaldson leading this song in her congregation, Eastminster United Church in Toronto, ON.
Fear Not the Pain was composed by Rachel Kroh at a Music that Makes Community Composers' Retreat in 2013. The text is from Rainer Maria Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus.
The song can be used in many different contexts: at the bedsides of the dying, a mantra for individuals struggling with chronic pain, in interfaith worship gatherings, as well as in liturgies centered around themes of healing, justice, and reconciliation.
"Fear not the pain,
let its weight fall back into the earth.
For heavy are the mountains, heavy are the seas."
Sheet music can be found in Singing In Community, our latest songbook published by Augsburg Fortress.
Here's an audio recording of Fear Not the Pain made in Brattleboro in 2013 as well as the melody transcribed by Marilyn Haskel.
Here's a a four-part arrangement of the song by Peter Amidon. If you enjoy it, you might want to see some of Peter's other arrangements in 55 Anthems for the Small Church Choir.
This song was composed by Reverend Stephanie Spellers at a Music that Makes Community event in Boston in 2009.
This expressive prayer song from the Iona Community is especially effective for Advent and can be taught through call and echo patterns. It has been used as a Gathering Song, for lighting Advent Candles, Prayers of the People, and Passing of the Peace. It's a zipper/pocket song and you can easily insert themes of the Advent season (hope, joy, and love).
The piece is effective as a simple melody but a beautiful choral harmonization and descant can also be added once the congregation part is secure. Listen to a setting from the Iona Community here.
"Come, O Lord, and set us free.
Give your people peace.
Come, O Lord, and set us free.
Come, Lord Jesus, come."
Alternative text:
Give your people hope...
Give your people joy...
Give your people love...
Copyright for the piece is held by GIA Publications, Inc. so you'll need a OneLicense membership to print the text or music.
The song was composed by John Bell and published in We Walk His Way from Wild Goose Publications.
Here's a video of AnnaMarie Hoos sharing the song at the Bishop's Ranch in January of 2015:
Here is a teaching track from St. Lydia's in Brooklyn, which uses it as a candle lighting during the Advent season.