Musical Mornings

Something I've been working on recently, in spare moments (of which I haven't had many!) is a musical version of morning prayer. There are lots of reasons why I want to do this, but maybe the most urgent of which, is that the said version really doesn't do much for me. Its too wordy and too lumpy, and the common worship version is too changeable for my taste.
Its neither old, nor really new either. And I don't like being tied to a book.

So I've been working on an ipod version. But it is a tough tough job! Musically, its tough. This stuff doesn't chop up into verses well, or fit itself easily to a tune. And lyrically its even tougher. Keeping the sense of these ancient prayers whilst translating them into something that still makes sense and keeps continuity, and yet fits some sort of tune is very very difficult.

Then of course, even once I've set the canticles, I need to set 150 psalms, which is, frankly an impossible task. I can't do that.
But I might be able to set a few, and find a few and say a few over a deep and chilled backing track. Oh we shall see. Anyway once I've finished the canticles I shall record the vocals and bung them up on my soundclick space. Till then you can have a look at what I've got so far by way of a Te Deum, with the reminder that this is a work in progress.....

Te Deum.

Te deum laudamus praise God.
We’re naming You the Living Lord
For all creation bows to you
Our everlasting Father.
The choirs of angels seranade You
The heavens and the heavenly powers
The Cherubim and Seraphim
Cry out aloud.

Holy, holy holy
God of power and might
Heaven and earth are full
Of the majesty of You.

The prophets and apostles praise You
The martyrs in their shining robes
Your church throughout the globe adores you
Father majesty immense
Together with your one unique Son
And Holy Spirit, comforter.
You are the King of Glory, Christ
And everlasting Father’s son.

LiIberating humans
Not shy of a virgins womb
Conquering death
And opening Heaven to all who trust.

You’re sitting at the Father’s right hand
In glory shining from His face
And we believe You’ll come and judge
The human race.
We ask You now, come help Your servants
The ones you saved with Your own blood
To count them with your saints
In glorious everlasting love.

Lord, come save your people
Bless your heritage
Govern them
And lift them up to eternity.

Day by day we bless You.
Praise Your name on Earth.
To the age of ages
both now and evermore.

Guard us Lord and keep us
Free from sin today
God have mercy on us
O Lord have mercy

Rain your mercy on us
As we trust in You.
In you God I trust
Never leave me far from You.
Never leave me far from You.

Book Meme Tig

I've been tagged...so here are the answers to these ten bookish questions
Book Meme:

1. One book that changed your life:
I suppose it would be too obvious to say the bible, or in particular the gospels, but assuming that that wasn't allowed as an answer I would have to go for Therese of Lisieux's diary. In a world where people are always hatching grand plans and big schemes, where we aim for power and happiness and riches, she celebrates the little and shows people how to transform the
everyday things of life into something special and profound.

2. One book that you've read more than once:

I've read most of the Terry Pratchett books at least once. I generally pick them up every couple of years or so as they're brillianty witty, amusing and yet actually quite profound at times.

3. One book you'd want on a desert island:

Now that book would have to be The Lord of the Rings, because its long and interesting enough to satify constant re-reading.

4. One book that made you laugh:

The other year I picked up an old copy of the book "Bless me Father" by Neil Boyd. I think its out of print these days
but it was a pretty hilarious account of Catholic parish life in the 1950s.

5. One book that made you cry:

I don't cry easily at books, films and music do it more for me, so I suppose I'd have to think of generally moving books which might make me cry if I cried at books. "Blood, Sweat and Tea" by Tom Reynolds, which is the book version of the Random Acts of Reality blog, has some pretty moving entries as well as funny informative and infuriating ones. So I think I would go for that.

6. One book you wish had been written:

Maybe it has and I just haven't discovered it yet, but I really think someone needs to write a book about the theology of failure. We have all these books about business success stories, and then there are the Christian versions - books about the super-pastors who grow a church from 3 to three thousand. But what about the faithful and holy Chirsitans who start something and it doesn't work. Why are they looked down on? Why can't we use different criteria for success. Why can't we celebrate the failures. After all, one thing that is pretty much guaranteed in life is that sooner or later we will all fail.

7. One book you wish had never been written:

Those awful hate-filled so-called-Christian tracts that are anti-pretty-much-everything
and appalingly anti-Catholic.

8. One book you're currently reading:

The life of Mary Ward (what a woman!). In case you don't know, in the days when women were expected to be locked-up
and quietly holy, she pioneered the idea of orders of nuns go out and help people. She had a bit of a fight on her hands
with the church powers-that-be (new things always seem to generate a bit of flack!) but they came round to the idea in the end.

9. One book you've been meaning to read:

I keep meaning to read more classic books by the mystics, and not getting round to it. One day.....

10. One book you'd like to write: Both Are True:

I think I'd have to pass on that one as not much comes to mind.

So there we are...I bet I think of loads of better answers tomorrow, but anyway, here is today's list.

The wafflings of the Abbess

I've decided to adapt the blog that I created when I was in Seattle the other year, to use as a more detailed personal blog. Now that I've finished college I'll hopefully have time to do a few more detailed posts, which I could put on the Sue Wallace blog, but
I've tried to keep that blog short, sweet and full of hints tips and worship tricks, because i know that that's the sort of thing I'd like to read if I was in a hurry. Hopefully I might have time to post a bit more frequently over here, with more of my long term thoughts, or maybe just more waffly ones....
Watch this space...