Sunday, February 10, the Choir will perform a piece requested by Worship Associate Sharon McCarty. In her words:
Recently Joe and I attended a John McCutcheon concert, where he featured his favorite Pete Seeger songs. When he sang “Turn, Turn, Turn”, I got teary. Thematically this was the perfect song for the February 10th service, which I have been planning with our guest minister, and speaks to my life these days! Plus it is based on a portion of the Bible’s book of Ecclesiastes, which was one of the readings at our wedding all those years ago. A fortuitous combination, so I had to ask if the choir might sing it.
The Choir enthusiastically approved and we’re ready to present the song this Sunday.
To everything… turn, turn, turn…
There is a season… turn, turn, turn…
And a time for ev’ry purpose under heaven.
–Ecclesiastes 3.1-8
Sunday the 27th, the Choir will perform a piece composed by Mark A Miller to words from an anonymous Jewish poem. We will also sing a short work by Doug Bowes. In keeping with the Theme of Grace and the Topic of Everyone Belongs, the short piece is titled “Grace”.
Let all of us around the table remember those who have the least,
And do whatever we are able, that everyone may join the feast.
The longer piece is called “I Believe”. It is not the one made famous in 1953 by Frankie Laine. This one has simpler words.
I believe in the sun even when it’s not shining.
I believe in love even when I don’t feel it.
I believe in God even when God is silent.
We all believe in things, even though the details of our beliefs differ. The one unifying principle in Unitarian Universalism is that everyone belongs. We all have a place at the table. We all have a right and a purpose on this planet. We all need grace.
In a sermon at General Assembly, 2016, Rev Nancy McDonald Ladd lamented the “fake fights we waste our time on,” like “what color to paint the church bathroom.” Elsewhere, there are people struggling against injustice. We create our turf, plant our flag, insist that we do this thing according to these rules. Others may have no turf, nor a flag to plant, nor even a single rule to protect them.
The truth is we all struggle, some more than others, but when we bind each other’s wounds, we grow stronger, and we heal.
From the crush of wealth and power something broken in us all
Waits the spirit’s silent hour pleading with a poignant call,
Bind all my wounds again.
Even now our hearts are wary of the friend we need so much.
When I see the pain you carry, shall I, with a gentle touch,
bind all your wounds again?
When our love for one another makes our burdens light to bear,
find the sister and the brother, hungry for the feast we share;
bind all their wounds again.
Ev’ry time our spirits languish terrified to draw too near,
May we know each other’s anguish and, with love that casts out fear,
Bind all our wounds again.
Composer Peter Cutts, and lyricist Kendyl Gibbons are responsible for this illuminating piece which the choir will sing Sunday the 13th under the direction of Sadie Sonntag.
Ten (or so) years ago our Choir Director, Sadie Sonntag, composed a 4-part vocal piece titled “Peace In The Land”. Text is taken from Leviticus 26.6, and Job 22.21.
I will give peace in the land, peace,
And ye shall lie down, none shall make you fear.
Acquaint thyself with Him and be at peace.
Thereby good shall come to you.
Although this piece was written a decade ago, it has never been sung by a full choir. We are excited to showcase, again, our Director’s talent. Not only as a composer, but as our choir director who somehow elicits from us beautiful music.
Luke 1.26-38 is known in Christendom as “The Annunciation”. A prominent elderly Jewess named Elizabeth, who had been barren her whole life, was 6 months along when an angel visited her young cousin Mary. The angel announced, “You will conceive and give birth to a son!” Mary was a little upset by this. “Wait! What?” she protested. “I’m still a virgin!” (See Luke 1.34.) There was no doubt strange things were happening!
The angel assured her that all was well. She wouldn’t lose her virginity. Yet she would give birth to a baby boy who would be called the Son of God. These words terrified Mary, but she gulped and maintained her composure (see Luke 1.38).
Mary said to the angel:
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord;
Let it be done to me, according to your word.
Dixit Maria ad angelum:
Ecce ancilla Domini,
fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
Composer Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612) put these remarkable words of Mary to music centuries ago. And the Choir will sing them Christmas Eve in the Sanctuary.
This is a traditional song sung at Chanukah. Youngsters spin a small top called a dreydl. The 4 sides of the dreydl are adorned by the first letters of the phrase “Nes Gadol Haya Sham” which in Hebrew means “A great miracle happened there”. Chanukah is the Jewish Festival of Lights which celebrates the Maccabees’ victory over the Greek Syrians in 165 BCE. After the battle, when the Hebrews returned to their Temple, they found only enough oil to kindle the Temple’s Perpetual Light for one day. Nevertheless, they lit the lamp.
The miracle was revealed when the lamp was still burning the second day, and the third day, and continued burning until the eighth day when more oil was prepared.
S’vivon, sov, sov, sov, Chanukah hu chag tov!
Chag simcha hu la-am, Nes gadol haya sham!
Dreidel, spin, spin, spin, Chanukah is a great holiday!
A holiday of happiness it is for the nation. A great miracle happened there.
An aspect of Gratitude explores to whom thanks should be given. One can thank one’s lucky stars. One can thank one’s parents and caretakers. One can thank “all the little people”. One can thank God.
G F Handel is widely believed to have composed the aria “Dank sei Dir, Herr”, though some insist that the composer and lyricist was one named Siegfried Ochs. Regardless, the choir will perform, in German, a choral arrangement of this piece, which spotlights a soprano soloist.
Dank sei Dir, Herr.
Du hast Dein Volk mit Dir gefuhrt,
Israel hindurch das Meer.
Thanks be to you, Lord.
You have led your people, Israel,
with you through the sea.
“One Voice” written by Ruth Moody, originally performed by The Wailin’ Jennys, a Canadian music group, will be performed by the Choir on Veteran’s day. The song has been performed many times by many varied groups since it’s creation in 2004. Notably it was performed by the US Navy Band to honor the fallen, the wounded and their caretakers, at the Navy birthday concert.
It begins with one voice making a choice. Another voice joins making it through together. A third voice joins in harmony. Finally, all are singing in love and trust, the sound of one people with one voice.
Let us too honor our fallen defenders, the wounded warriors, and their caretakers with this beautiful song of unity.
In solidarity with our Jewish neighbors, the Choir will sing at Congregation Shomrei Torah on Bennett Valley Road in Santa Rosa. To mourn the loss of 11 fellow human beings, we will join with others to sing “One Voice”, by Ruth Moody.
The piece begins with one voice making a choice. Another voice joins making it through together. A third voice joins in harmony. Finally, all are singing in love and trust, the sound of one people with one voice.
All are welcome, but parking is limited, so carpool if possible.
If you miss this service, the Choir will reprise it at UUCSR on Veteran’s day, Sunday, November 11.
The end of October brings Halloween, Samhain, Day of the Dead, All Saints Day, All Soul’s Day. Different forms of spirituality refer to this time in different ways, but all honor our ancestors. Next Sunday the Choir will express deep reverence for those who came before us, and have since walked on, with a beautiful adagio called “In Paradisum”.
The concept of “Paradise” has been around a long time. As a place of peace and happiness, it is imagined as the abode of the virtuous dead in Egyptian, Greek, Muslim, Celtic, Hindu, Hebrew, Christian, and many other traditions. The Latin words in this piece translate:
May angels lead you into paradise
May the martyrs receive you at your arrival
And lead you to the holy city Jerusalem.
May the choirs of angels receive you
And with Lazarus, once a man,
May you have eternal rest.
Composer Damien Kehoe credits the inspiration for his choral compositions to the influence of Whitacre, Palestrina, Bach, and Wagner. Like them, he sees himself experimenting with different harmonies and sounds for choral voices. Wait till you hear the Choir seek paradise on Earth as they perform these experiments!
