Showing posts with label GCN Set List. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GCN Set List. Show all posts

Thursday, 28 January 2010

Behind The Song: We Need You (No Other God) - Brenton Brown





"We need You" was written by Brenton Brown

We need you, how we need you
We need you every hour
To see You in Your glory
To know Your Spirit’s power
There’s healing in Your presence
There’s mercy where You are
So meet us wont You meet us Living God

No other God but You
No other God but You
No other God can satisfy
You are our great reward
It’s You we’re longing for
No other God but You Most High

Each trial and each temptation
Each enemy we fear
Retreats in resignation
When the living God is near
So we kneel again before You
O keeper of our hearts
And we ask for Your deliverance Living God

We are leaning on Your everlasting arms
Lord we know You’ll see us through
Great Redeemer be the song within our hearts
We’ll have no other God but You

One day we’ll stand before You
When all our sufferings cease
And faced with all Your glory,
We’ll meet the Prince of Peace
But Jesus in that moment,
When every trial has passed
We will need You still we’ll need You Living God

Brenton Brown (c) 2008 Thankyou Music

The song was inspired by the old hymn "I need Thee every hour" by Annie Hawks, published in 1872



Annie Hawks wrote:

"One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with my regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness to the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain, these words, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me".
After writing the lyrics, Hawks gave them to her pastor, Robert Lowry, who added the tune and refrain.

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

[Source: Cyberhymnal ]


Brenton took the time out to answer some of my questions about the creation of the song on his blog ...







He also wrote the following concerning the song in a press release for his album

"Quite justifiably I think there has been a backlash in the worship leading community against the 'me focussed, me centered songs'. For a while important elements of our faith seemed missing from the contemporary hymn book - the trinitarian nature of God, the communal aspect of our faith, the fact that worship is a response to who God is. In our desire for intimacy with God we had begun to ignore the very GOD who calls us and draws us to himself. 


But it would be a mistake to assume that simply focussing on the character of God and his activity to the exclusion of us is a true representation of our faith. For our God has revealed himself to us primarily as a Savior. He is our God and we need Him! We need Him simply to breathe and exist. We need him to save us from ourselves and our sins. We need him to lead us through the trials and decisions of this life. And we will need him to carry us home when our time on earth is over. And then, even after He has done all these things for us, after he has met every need, we will still need him simply because that is the way we have been made. 


We will always need Him and who He is. This need is something we should work on cultivating rather than trying to dispense with. Like children we were made to depend on our Father. Those who wish to please God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. We need Him because we were made to need Him - even if we spend a lot of time running from that truth."


The song is on Brenton's album Because Of Your Love (which you can buy from Kingsway for £4:99) 
 'appearing' as a hidden track on the end of Humble King . He doesn't make it easy does he?



Get the free CHORD sheet here 






Thanks to Nato Etire for help putting together this post.


Friday, 8 January 2010

New Song: Healing Song





Healing Song is a song written for Grace Church Nottingham. It's somewhat unusual in that it's a 'first person song', sung from God's perspective (like 'Be Still And Know' or 'I, The Lord Of Sea And Sky').

The song takes it's inspiration from the healings in Matthew's Gospel chapters 8 & 9. It's been useful during ministry times and for building faith in the congregation.

Read the story 'Behind The Song'

(Download this song for free!)

mp3, Chord Sheet, Lyrics


Healing Song (Son, Your Sins Are Forgiven)

Son, your sins are forgiven
Daughter your faith has healed you
Son, your sins are forgiven
Daughter your faith has healed you

With a word, with a touch
Power comes flowing out from me
And though some pressing round,
Are content just to be in the crowd
Your touch mixed with faith draws power from me
I'm willing, so willing
To save you and heal you

I can do even more than you ask me to...

© Matt Blick. Grace Church Nottingham 2007.


 (Download this song for free!)

mp3, Chord Sheet, Lyrics

Related Posts: Son Of God/God The Son

Tuesday, 29 September 2009

New Song: Great High Priest




Great High Priest is a simple mid-tempo worship song based on Hebrews 7:26-27 and was the first song I wrote for Grace Church Nottingham in 2004. We’ve been singing it there ever since.

Read the story behind the song here

(Download this song for free!)

mp3, Chord Sheet, Lyrics



Jesus, Holy One
Jesus, Blameless One
Totally pure, set apart from sinners
Now you are exalted above the heavens


Jesus you’re my great high priest
The only one who meets my need,
My need to be forgiven & set free.
The anger of a Holy God
Defamed by all the wrong I’ve done
You took upon yourself so willingly
When you sacrificed your sinless life for me.


Great High Priest & Perfect Lamb.
Almighty God & Suffering Man.


© Matt Blick. Grace Church Nottingham 2004.


(Download this song for free!)

mp3, Chord Sheet, Lyrics




Related Posts: Son Of God/God The Son

Friday, 17 July 2009

GCN Set List: God is Our Refuge





God is our refuge is a passionate heartcry of trust in God's care from the Sovereign Grace album Psalms.

Words by Peter Gagnon, Music by Joel Sczebel.

(Read an exclusive Behind the song interview with Peter & Joel here)



The heavens shake, the mountains quake
And crumble to the sea
The oceans roar because the Lord
Is reigning sovereignly
And those who trust in You
Will never be afraid
Those who trust in You will not be moved

God is our refuge, our shelter and our strength
The Lord our fortress, our rock and our defense
God is our refuge, our help in time of need
He will always be our peace

All around us we hear the sounds
Of violence in the earth
The nations rage against Your name
Against Your
mighty Word
And one day wars will cease
And endless peace will reign
One day all the earth will be made new

If You are for us, who can be against us
If You are for us, we’ll never be ashamed
If You are for us, who can be against us
If You are for us, we’ll never be ashamed

© 2008 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)


Buy the song (mp3)
Buy the Album (CD or Download set)
Preview God Is Our Refuge and other tracks from the Psalms project
FREE downloadable chord sheet, Lead sheet & lyrics

Related Posts: GCN set list: Thank You, Jesus
Behind the song: Thank You, Jesus


(Thanks to Nato Etire for help putting this post together).


Monday, 29 June 2009

GCN Set List: Jesus, Thank You




Welcome to an occasional series highlighting some of the songs we sing at Grace Church Nottingham. First up, one from the Sovereign Grace group of churches written by Pat Sczebel and featured on the CD Worship God Live.

(Update: read an exclusive 'behind the song' interview with Pat here).




The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me


Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table

Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near
Your enemy You’
ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace
Your mercy and Your kindness know no end

Lover of my soul
I want to live for You

© 2003 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP).


Buy The Song/CD
FREE Chord Chart
FREE Lead Sheet

Unoffical Video



Thanks to Nato Etire for putting this post together.

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Behind the Song: Song of the Redeemed




Theology & False Starts


The initial inspiration for this song came from Revelation 14:3. Though the context is referring to martyrs I was struck by the thought that even though the angels see God face to face, are sinless and have better singing voices, even an average group of average Christians has something angels don't. Only Christians can sing from the knowledge of what it is to be saved from sin.

I jotted down some notes down only to discover later four lines I'd written on the same theme a few years before. Sometimes I have the same idea over & over again!

I felt that God was giving me a nudge to finish the song when a woman in my church spontaneously pray out the burden of the song one Sunday morning.

Creation and Nations



The 2nd verse was originally "we have a song the rest of creation cannot sing", but I realised that Romans 8:19-22 teaches that creation in some sense will be redeemed so that idea had to be abandoned.

The 3rd verse really encapsulates the cry of my heart; that God would be not only preached and prayed to in every language (wonderful though that will be) but praised as well.

This is a truth too great for one nation to express
Summon the choir you bought with your blood from every race
In every language, God, be praised
For every tribe the ransom's paid


Syllables and Hemiolas


The original tune was slower, more anthemic but the stress in the chorus fell heavily on the wrong syllables (THE song of THE redeemed) & after trying every possible remedy I scrapped the whole thing and started again. I wrote the new tune one afternoon while a repairman was fixing the lights in my house. After changing the key (twice) & some more fine tuning the song was finished.

It had taken two years.

The last line of the chorus melody "Je-sus (rest) we sing (rest) to you (rest) the song (rest)" uses a rhythmic device called a hemiola (a 3 against 2 hemiola to be precise) which I learned from funk bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers (hear it in the guitar intro to 'Can't Stop').

Download this song!

mp3     Chord Sheet     Lyrics

Related Posts: Behind the Song - More Than I Could Say
Behind the Song - Son of God/God the Son


Sunday, 1 February 2009

Behind The Song: More Than I Could Say



You have called me your friend
When I was happy to be your servant forever

This song took 10 years to write from the initial inspiration to completion. It started with the idea that Jesus calling his disciples his friends in John 15:15 is in part an example of God being "able to do far more abundantly than we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20). I started to write a tune and more lyrics, filling out that thought with other examples but ended up shelving it. I finally picked it up again 7 years later, finishing the song on a piano whilst on holiday, in a house that poet Walter De La Mare had once lived in.

2 years = 2 chords & 1 word



Then came 2 years of rewrites! The chorus originally ended "How great is the love you lavish on us", the extended chorus repeated it a few more times before leading to the bridge which started "How great is the love..." Sometimes you have to sing things to someone else before you realise how dumb they are! Also the extended chorus didn't go into the bridge smoothly. It took me another year and a half to find the 2 words and 1 chord that solved the problem.

What have you done for ME lately?


Writing this song from the perspective of 'what God has done for ME' I was struck afresh by how little the bible says about the individual christian and how much the focus is on the people of God and how out of sync this is with the western culture I live in.

Dark keys & odd structures


The song starts in the minor key and uses a pedal tone in the bass (Dm, Bb/D, C/D, Bb/D) making it sound a little dark. This was a conscious response to the overuse of major keys in western worship music. It seems like the rule is 'If it's worship – it's major' even when handling themes of lament, the cross or the wrath of God. I guess I'd like to redress the balance a little. That said, the song shifts to the relative major (F) in the chorus and bridge but also uses chord 'borrowed' from the key of F minor. The tune at the end of the short chorus reappears in the bridge.

Finally the long chorus/short chorus idea was inspiried by the odd structures in Bacharach & David songs like 'Never fall in love again' and 'Do you know the way to San Jose'. But they are way better at that kind of stuff than I am.