2020

Light of light, enlighten me / With us abide

Posted by sara-garrard

Two more Catherine Winkworth songs, one with simple voice and ukulele, the other a very short one but with two actual vocal lines.

Light of light, enlighten me,
Now anew the day is dawning;
Sun of grace, the shadows flee;
Brighten thou my Sabbath morning;
With thy joyous sunshine blest,
Happy is my day of rest.

Fount of all our joy and peace,
To thy living waters lead me;
Thou from earth my soul release,
And with grace and mercy feed me;
Bless thy Word, that it may prove
Rich in fruits that thou dost love.

Let me with my heart today,
“Holy, Holy, Holy,” singing,
Rapt awhile from earth away,
All my soul to thee upspringing,
Have a foretaste inly given
How they worship thee in heaven.

Hence all care, all vanity,
For the day to God is holy;
Come, thou glorious Majesty,
Deign to fill this temple lowly;
Naught today my soul shall move,
Simply resting in thy love.

Words by Benjamin Schmolck, English translation by Catherine Winkworth

Lord Jesu Christ, with us abide,
For round us falls the ev’ning tide;
Nor let Thy Word, our glorious light,
For us be ever veil’d in night.

In these dark days that yet remain,
May we Thy Sacraments maintain,
And keep Thy Word still free and pure,
And steadfast in the faith endure.

Words by Selnecker, English translation by Catherine Winkworth

In our Lord we all are one (Heart and heart together

Posted by sara-garrard

Here is another Catherine Winkworth song! I decided to record some voca harmonies for this one… — also drums, bass and that’s actually my on ukulele doing the electric guitar noodling hehe.

I sometimes do sound desk at church (you know, back when we went to a building for church!) … putting this together felt quite like that; I did a bunch of live play throughs and tried to balance things out.

I really enjoy this one … it is a little strange and melancholy going solo on a song about church unity and togetherness for sure though!

Heart and heart together bound,
Seek in God your true repose,
In your love the price be found
Of your Saviour’s love and woes;

We the body, He the Head,
We the rays and He the Sun,
Brethren, by our Master led,
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.

Children of His realm, draw near,
Make your covenant stronger still,
From your hearts allegiance swear
Unto Him who conquer’d ill.

We the body, He the Head,
We the rays and He the Sun,
Brethren, by our Master led,
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.

Only such love will suffice,
As the love that dwells in Him,
Love that from the cross ne’er flies,
Love that spares not life or limb:

We the body, He the Head,
We the rays and He the Sun,
Brethren, by our Master led,
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.

Let us live, O Lord, at one,
As you with the Father are,
That through all the world be none
Of your members left apart.

We the body, He the Head,
We the rays and He the Sun,
Brethren, by our Master led,
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.
In our Lord we all are one.

Another Dowland rewrite

Posted by sara-garrard

This one is rather… hm, some kind of concept, you know? take a listen.

Rest awhile, you cruel cares 
Be not more severe than love. 
Beauty kills and beauty spares, 
And sweet smiles sad sighs remove: 
Laura, fair queen of my delight, 
Come grant me love in love’s despite, 
And if I fail ever to honour thee, 
Let this heavenly light I see, 
Be as dark as hell to me. 

If I speak, my words want weight, 
Am I mute, my heart doth break, 
If I sigh, she fears deceit, 
Sorrow then for me must speak: 
Cruel unkind, with favour view 
The wound that first was made by you: 
And if my torments feigned be, 
Let this heavenly light I see, 
Be as dark as hell to me. 

Never hour of pleasing rest 
Shall revive my dying gost, 
Till my soul hath repossess’d 
The sweet hope which love hath lost: 
Laura redeem the soul that dies, 
By fury of thy murdering eyes: 
And if it prove unkind to thee, 
Let this heavenly light I see, 
Be as dark as hell to me.

O Love

Posted by sara-garrard

Speaking of #CatherineWinkworthSongbook, I don’t seem to have put this one up on the blog, so I better, to add it to the list:

O LOVE WHO MADE ME

O Love, who made me for to wear
The image of Thy Godhead here;
Who sought me out with tender care
Through all my wand’rings wild and drear–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be

O Love, who ere life’s earliest dawn
On me Thy choice hast gently laid;
O Love, who here as man wast born,
And like to us in all things made–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

O Love, who once in Time wast slain,
Pierced through and through with bitter woe;
O Love, who, wrestling thus didst gain
That we eternal joy might know–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

O Love, in whom is truth and light,
And Word and Spirit, life and power,        
Whose heart was bared to them that smite,
  To shield us in our trial hour;
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

O Love, who thus hast bound me fast
Beneath that easy/gentle yoke of Thine;
Love, who hast conquered me at last,
And rapt away this heart of mine–
O Love, I give myself to Thee,
Thine ever, only Thine to be.

Angelus Silesius (1657), English translation by Catherine Winkworth (slightly adapted)

FFVII R OST demake: Collapsed Expressway

Posted by sara-garrard

Another Final Fantasy VII Remake track done in the (broad) style of the original FFVII game. Actually this piece is really such a long way from the original style/genres and I didn’t completely rewrite it to make it fit, but I tweaked a few things and of course used the soundfont, so it sounds kinda like the original. And it sounds cool!

Also a little while ago I did the same with Avalanche’s Theme:

(Which I think actually sounds pretty reasonable as a FFVII era track.)