Sunday, March 8, your Choir will sing a jazz song first recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1967.  There is little that is more American than jazz.  Originating in the African-American communities of New Orleans in the late 19th Century, jazz became known world-wide as “America’s Classical Music”.  The theme for this Sunday is “Wisdom and Creativity”.  This song epitomizes American creativity with a worshipful appreciation of people and the natural world.

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world.
 
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world….
 
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people goin’ by
I see friends shakin’ hands sayin’ how do you do
They’re really sayin’ I love you
 
I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know
And I think to myself…
What a wonderful world!

Sunday, February 23, the HUUGs, (the Highschool UU Group), lead the worship.  Their topic is “Resilience through CommUUnity”.  The Choir will be helping them out with a Gospel-style number titled “Let It Roll Off Your Back” by Heather Pierson.  Susan Panttaja will help us learn some new songs and remember some old songs.  All music is chosen by the young folks.

“Let It Roll Off You Back” goes:

If you’re feelin’ sad and blue, let it roll off your back,
Or if you’re feelin’ angry…, let it roll off your back.
‘Cause happy times are comin’ back to you.
Just give it some time, so until then just smile,
And let it roll off your back, you gotta let it roll off your back.
 
If people can’t see things your way, let it roll off your back,
Or if you can’t understand what people do, let it roll off your back.
‘Cause everybody’s doin’ the very best
They know how to do.  Sometimes you have to smile,
And let it roll off your back, you gotta let it roll off your back.
 
Well I haven’t lived a long time, but I know this much is true,
When the world is getting’ you down, there’s only one thing to do,
You let it roll off your back
You gotta let it roll off your back
You gotta let it roll off your back
You gotta let it roll off your back
 
Well, if you made a mistake or two, let it roll off your back,
Or if you can’t do a thing about it now, let it roll off your back.
‘Cause tomorrow you can take with you
The things you learn today.  So until then just smile,
And let it roll off your back, you gotta let it roll off your back.
You gotta let it roll off your back
You gotta let it roll off your back
You gotta let it roll off your back
 

Sadie is at NorCal Honor Choir through this Sunday when our Choir performs under the direction of Robert Worth, Music Director for Sonoma Bach, which he founded 10 years ago.  Sadie sang with him for many years.  Then last fire, we hosted Sonoma Bach at the Glaser Center when, on short notice, their venue at Sonoma State was closed.  Mr Worth is delighted to be able to return the favor by subbing for Sadie.

The piece is “Komm Heiliger Geist”, original German words by Martin Luther, music by J S Bach.  Translated and arranged by Robert Worth specially for us.

Come holy spirit now, fill our souls,

By all your graces make us whole;
To each believer’s mind and heart,
Your fervent love do now impart;
By the shining brightness of your light,
You in the faith do us unite,
Of ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue;
So to your praise let now be sung.
 
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
 
You holy light, guide divine,
Now cause the word of life to shine;
Teach us to show our love aright,
And share our blessings with delight;
From ev’ry error keep us free,

Let none but love our master be,
That we in living faith abide,
Our spirits soar above the starry sky.
 
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
 
You holy fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will your work to do,
And in your service to e’er remain,
Let hardship turn us not aside;
Now by your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart,
That bravely here we may contend,
Through death and life to you, our light, ascend.
 
Hallelujah, hallelujah.

This Sunday is the last time the Choir will sing before Rev Chris leaves on his sabbatical.  So we thought an appropriate send-off would be to let him know how much his dedication, diligence, and sharing of his talents have blessed us.

This is an a cappella piece, meaning the choir sings without piano accompaniment.  However, there may be a djembe, an ancient drum played with bare hands, joining in.  It’s name means “Everyone gather together in peace.”

We are met together and in
Meeting we are blessed.
Peace in coming and in going,
Peace in labor and in rest.
 
Hold on, dear brother!
Hold on, dear sister!
Hold on, hold to me.
 
We are met together and in
Meeting we are blessed.
Peace in coming and in going,
Peace in labor and in rest.
 
You’re not alone and you never more will be.
I will be with you and I will carry you with me.
Friendship endures and surely will prove
It’s not ourselves, but our bodies that move.
 
We are met together and in
Meeting we are blessed.
Peace in coming and in going,
Peace in labor and in rest.
 
Hold on, dear brother!
Hold on, dear sister!
Hold on, hold to me.

The theme for January is Integrity, and this song puts integrity into concrete terms: keeping a promise.

In every house, I will enter for good.
In every field, I will do only good.
By every river I will turn my hand toward good.
This is a promise I will keep.
 
This is a promise I will keep.
This is a promise I will keep.
I will turn my hand toward good.
This is a promise I will keep.
 
And if I am asked to turn my hand toward harm, toward hate,
And if I am asked to turn my thoughts toward harm, toward hate,
And if I am asked to turn my life toward harm, toward hate,
Though it would profit me, I would refuse.
 
For all of the dreams of the children,
daughters of the sons of daughters, for all their dreams.
For all of the hopes of the children,
daughters of the sons of daughters, for all their hopes.
For all of the promise of the children,
daughters of the sons of daughters, for all their promise,
and for seven generations.
 

This number by Nick Page was commissioned by the Teaneck Community Chorus, Teaneck, New Jersey, Steve Bell, Director.

Then two days later, the Choir will be on stage again on Christmas Eve.  A small ensemble will sing at the early (4:30) service with the full choir singing “Ave Verum Corpus” by Mozart at the later service (7:00).  This piece is in Latin.  The translation is:

Hail, true body born of the Virgin Mary,
Who truly suffered, sacrificed on the Cross for man,
Whose pierced side overflowed with water and blood,
Be for us a foretaste in the test of death.
 

UUCSR celebrates the Winter Solstice on Friday, December 20.  Saturday, the 21st is the shortest day of the year and that evening is the longest night of the year.  Bright and shining Sunday morning our Choir will perform “Sure on This Shining Night” by James Agee (words) and Samuel Barber (music), a tribute to Winter Solstice.

Sure on this shining night of star-made shadows round,
Kindness must watch me this side the ground.
 
The late year lies down the north, all is healed, all is health.
High summer holds the earth.  Hearts all whole.

 
Sure on this shining night I weep for wonder
Wand’ring far alone of shadows on the stars.
 
On this shining night.

 

This is a little late because of a time out of town celebrating Thanksgiving with family.  Nevertheless, better late than never!

The choir’s number this Sunday is “I Dream a World” by André J Thomas and Langston Hughes.

I dream a world where man no other man will scorn,
Where love will bless the earth and peace its paths adorn.
 
I dream a world where all will know sweet freedom’s way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul nor avarice blights our day.

 
A World I dream where black or white, whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth and every man is free.
 
Of such I dream, of such I dream…
 
Where wretchedness will hang its head and joy,
Like a pearl attends the needs of all mankind.
 
Of such I dream, of such I dream.
I dream a world!

 

All great things, all beautiful things, begin with a dream.

This Sunday, your choir will perform an aria from the opera Alcina by George Frideric Handel.  The song is “Verdant Meadows” and in the opera is sung by Ruggiero, a knight, when he realizes the island he’s on is really a desert inhabited by monsters.  Even though he knows the island is an illusion, its beauty will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Verdant meadows, woodland pleasant,
To my heart thy beauty sings,
Flowers fair, swift flowing rivers,
All thy fragrance, all thy flowing,
Lends my brooding spirit wings.
 
Verdant meadows, woodlands pleasant,
Changeless may thy beauty be.
In the flow of time unceasing,
And my heart that shared thy gladness
Feel as now my joy in thee.
 
Verdant meadows, woodland pleasant,
To my heart thy beauty sings;
To my heart thy beauty sings.

To sing Handel, singers must get a full, rich, broad tone and smooth phrasing.  Handel combined Italian vocal style with German grandeur and power.  Well, we’re amateurs, but we have a professional director.  See how well we meet this test next Sunday!

This Sunday, in a special reflection for Veterans Day, the choir will sing “In Flanders Fields”.  The lyrics were written as a poem by Dr. John McCrae during World War I.  The Western Front ran through an area between France and Belgium called Flanders.  The area was marked by trenches and no man’s land, and… thousands of poppies.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
between the crosses, row on row,
that mark our place; and in the sky
the larks, still bravely singing, fly
scarce heard amid the guns below.
 
We are the Dead.  Short days ago
we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields, in Flanders fields.
 
Take up your quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
the torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die.
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields, in Flanders fields.

Veterans Day began as Armistice Day after the cessation of fighting in WW I.  After WW II the international holiday’s name was changed to Veterans Day in the US and Remembrance Day in the UK.  Veterans Day honors all who have served in the US military.  Remembrance Day honors those who died in service of their country.  The choir will wear poppies in honor of both the living and the dead.