Top Catholic Songs – share, learn, promote

Learn how to sing psalms in Spanish! Free download of guitar lead sheet and audio demo: Responsorial Psalm 26 in Spanish for 2nd Sunday of Lent (C). Domingo 2 Cuaresma C – Salmo 26 – El Señor es mi luz y mi salvación.

Please visit Catholic Liturgy in Song to get free downloads of guitar lead sheet and audio demos.

https://catholicliturgyinsong.org/product/domingo-2-cuaresma-c-salmo-26-el-senor-es-mi-luz-y-mi-salvacion/

GIA hymnals comparative listings are very helpful for locating songs. Here are GIA Music's current hymnals: giamusic.com/store/sacred-music-hymnals

GIA Music's comparative listings for current hymnals (as of 2019) include these hymnals:

Worship 4 (W4), Worship 3 (W3), Gather 3 (G3), Gather Comprehensive 2nd Edition (GC2), RitualSong 1st Edition (RS), Gather Comprehensive (GC), Catholic Community Hymnal (CCH), Gather 2 (G2) and Ritual Song 2nd Edition (RS2).

Comparative Listings (click links to download Excel spreadsheets in XLSX format):
Hymns & Songs | Psalmody | Service Music: Masses | Service Music: Various

Note: If you would like to see low-resolution previews of hymns at no cost, many can be found at Hymnary.org. They have an option to purchase high res sheet music on this website.

Of course, you can also purchase sheet music, piano books, and guitar books from GIA Music. I purchased my own Gather guitar books (a 3-volume set) in order to practice songs at home and they have really helped me become a better cantor and guitarist. It is worth the investment of $70 to $120 to have your own books. If you are lucky, your church will purchase an extra set for you.

Also see our Music Resources page.

Here is an arrangement of Salmo 90 for the First Sunday of Lent, Cycle C. 

Anthony Moran wrote this musical setting. He sent to me an a cappella recording of his lead voice. I added 12-string guitar and my own voices, mixing it using Apple Logic Pro. Yes, my bass, descant and falsetto voices are what you hear in there. Here's your opportunity to learn how to sing "salmos responsoriales" – responsorial psalms in Spanish. – Richard Schletty

Please visit Catholic Liturgy in Song to get free downloads of guitar lead sheet and audio demo for Responsorial Psalm 90 in Spanish.

catholicliturgyinsong.org/product/domingo-1-cuaresma-c-salmo-90-tu-eres-mi-dios-y-en-ti-confio/

Here is an arrangement of Salmo 50 by Anthony Moran. Anthony sent to me an a cappella recording of his lead voice. I added 12-string guitar and my own voices, mixing it using Apple Logic Pro. Yes, my bass, descant and falsetto voices are what you hear in there. Here's your opportunity to learn how to sing "salmos responsoriales" – responsorial psalms in Spanish. – Richard Schletty

Please visit Catholic Liturgy in Song to get free downloads of guitar lead sheet and audio demo for Responsorial Psalm 50 in Spanish for Ash Wednesday, Cycle C:

https://catholicliturgyinsong.org/product/miercoles-de-ceniza-ciclo-c-salmo-50-misericordia-senor-hemos-pecado/

Here is an arrangement of Salmo 91 by Anthony Moran. Richard Schletty recorded and mixed this in his basement using Apple Logic Pro and his collection of real and digital instruments, along with his late night voices. Here's your opportunity to learn how to sing "salmos responsoriales" – responsorial psalms in Spanish.

Please visit Catholic Liturgy in Song to get free downloads of guitar lead sheet and audio demo for Responsorial Psalm 91 in Spanish for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C:

https://catholicliturgyinsong.org/product/domingo-8-ordinario-c-salmo-91-que-bueno-es-darte-gracias-senor/
 

This article first appeared at cwatershed.org/blog/2011/dec/14/more-400-free-catholic-hymn-scores/

More than 200 free SATB hymn scores from The Vatican II Hymnal are available at the Corpus Christi Watershed website (ccwatershed.org). Additionally, 200+ organist scores (matching the SATB arrangements) are freely available at this website. 

For an index for the Vatican II Hymnal, please click here.

Here is a sampling of hymns available:

Page 203 • O God, Our Help In Ages Past (ST. ANNE)
    (organist)   •   (SATB)   •   (Org/Cantor)

Page 204 • All People That On Earth Do Dwell (OLD HUNDREDTH)
    (organist)   •   (SATB)   •   (Org/Cantor)

Page 205 • Praise to the Lord, The Almighty (LOBE DEN HERREN)
    (organist)   •   (SATB)   •   (Org/Cantor)

Page 206 • All Creatures of Our God and King (LASST UNS ERFREUEN)
    (organist)   •   (alt)   •   (SATB)   •   (Org/Cantor) ...
  Read Full Story >>>

Taste and See How the Good Lord Brings Us Peace

Music: Richard Schletty

Text: Richard Schletty; based on Psalm 34: R.(9a); 2-3, 4-5, 6-7

   D         Bm   C         G                     D         G

R. Taste and see, taste and see how the good Lord brings us peace.

D            C

 Every day I praise the Lord.

  D                    C

I raise up my voice in song.

  Am                      Em

I hope that by singing my joyful words

       G                    D            

I will help make the humble strong.

R. Taste and see, taste and see how the good Lord brings us peace.

    D                  C

We gather together to glorify...
   Read Full Story >>>

Paul F. Page, composer

Offering free downloads of easy-to-learn liturgical hymns and psalms, plus piano, organ, vocal, choral and instrumental music in a variety of genres.

Paul and I met at MacJams.com, an online music collaboration and sharing community. We have collaborated on a few songs and have shared our trials and successes in producing music with virtual instruments and sequencers like Apple Logic. Paul has also helped me to improve my skills in music engraving (notation). – Richard Schletty

About Paul

A composer, teacher, and performer, Paul is now retired from a 36-year teaching career—music, journalism, English—and divides much of his time among composing, arranging, and performing. His original music has been published by J. Paluch/World Library Publications, Mark Foster Music, Curtis Music, The Oregon Catholic Press, Hinshaw Music, Somerset Press/Hope Publishing, Lorenz Music, and CynMar Publications. A number of his works have been performed and recorded in Europe and Canada, the former Soviet Union, Japan, and extensively in the U.S. Read more at www.paulpage.org.

Beautiful free music!

At his own website, Paul offers free sheet music scores and free sample audio files. 

Downloadable music includes:

• Full, printed scores (easy pdf download) – liturgical (including many psalms), piano, organ, vocal, choral, instrumental
• MP3 recordings of selected compositions 
• Links to places where you can find CDs Paul has composed, performed, produced
• Original audio & video selections

Paul's music at Apple iTunes

Additional music composed and recored by Paul is available here.

More about Paul's music

Paul F. Page's music comes from a background steeped in classical music from the Baroque era to the present. Elements of Mendelssohn, Chopin, Mozart, Faure, Debussy, as well as influences from the visual/cinematic world can be found in this "hybrid-classical" album...  Read Full Story >>>

Here I am again singing along and playing along again with my music collaborator, Anthony Moran! I added my descant voice, real nylon guitar and "virtual" bass (a fake guitarrón). Ask me how I did it.

Please visit Catholic Liturgy in Song to get free downloads of guitar lead sheet and audio demo for Responsorial Psalm 70 in Spanish for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C:

https://catholicliturgyinsong.org/product/domingo-4-ordinario-c-salmo-70-senor-tu-eres-mi-esperanza/

Domingo 4 Tiempo Ordinario (Ciclo C)

Salmo 70, 1-2. 3-4a. 5-6ab. 15ab y 17

   D(Re)     A(La)       D(Re)
R. Señor, tú eres mi esperanza. (2)

D(Re)                 Bm(Simin)
Señor, tú eres mi esperanza,
Bm(Simin)                   A7(La7)
que no quede yo jamás defraudado... 
  Read Full Story >>>

As of January 31, 2019, I am no longer able to post at TopCatholicSongs.com practice tracks and lyrics of songs that are managed by ONE LICENSE – www.onelicense.net. This includes music from GIA, OCP, WLP and other major Catholic music publishers. I cannot afford the licensing fees.

I recommend that you go to YouTube.com to find psalms and hymns to listen to. You will find there many songs managed by ONE LICENSE (including songs from hymnals by GIA and OCP). 

I have deleted from this TCS website practice tracks I made for liturgical songs managed by ONE LICENSE (OL). ​I have also deleted 193 OL-managed songs from my YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/rschletty. These were all my own self-produced "covers" of songs from GIA and OCP hymnals – songs that I have sung for years at weekend masses, funerals, weddings, faith formation services and pro-life prayer vigils. 

All these "cover songs" were simply done to help site visitors learn and appreciate popular songs published by major Catholic hymnal publishers. Most of the songs came from these GIA Music hymnals: RitualSong and Gather. Some were songs licensed by OCP and WLP. I am sorry for the sudden disappearance of my simple, unpolished practice tracks that so many site visitors appreciated since early 2014 (when I assumed ownership of this website). I tried to be legal but the licensing fees are too much for me. I am the sole admin and editor of Top Catholic Songs. 

I will continue to post songs by artists who have given me direct permission to distribute their audio files and lyrics at no cost (free of licensing and royalties). I am also able to post songs that are published at iTunes, YouTube, CD Baby or SoundCloud. Send me the link to your published song or album and I will embed the site's music player in a story. These embedded players stream all or part of a song. As a registered user, you may create your own stories. 

Please visit my liturgical music project which features the compositions of Anthony Moran, written in English and Spanish: Catholic Liturgy In Song – insong.org. Nearly all the music there is free. This includes audio demos and simple guitar lead sheets. Some songs have full piano arrangements with guitar chords.

Richard Schletty
owner and editor of TopCatholicSongs.com Read Full Story >>>