Music Notes – Sunday, February 6th:
This Sunday’s musicians are UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley and UUCC Music Director Mike Carney.
Opening Hymn: #1064 Blue Boat Home – Mayer
A native of Minnesota, folk musician Peter Mayer (b. 1963) is a guitarist and songwriter who specializes in earth-centered music. UU congregations know and love Peter as the lyricist behind “Blue Boat Home”, which first appeared on Mayer’s album The Great Story and is #1064 in our Singing the Journey hymnbook. The melody Mayer set his inspiring words to is called “Hyfrodol”, a popular Welsh hymn tune credited to Rowland Prichard (1811-1887). The piano accompaniment and choral harmonies are by Rev. Jason Shelton (b. 1972).
Centering Music: Imagine – Lennon/Ono
“Imagine” is a 1971 song by John Lennon (1940-1980) and the title track of his album of the same name. Before his death in 1980, John Lennon stated that a significant portion of the song’s lyrics were written by his wife Yoko Ono (b. 1933) and that she should receive equal songwriting credit for “Imagine”. The song was the best-selling and most iconic single of Lennon’s solo career, having been certified multi-platinum and inspiring over 200 cover versions to date. Rolling Stone magazine described “Imagine” as Lennon’s “greatest musical gift to the world” and ranked “Imagine” as #3 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. The song has received many other honors, including a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, and a Centennial Song Award from the US National Music Publishers Association.
Meditation Response: #123 Spirit of Life – McDade
“Spirit of Life” is #123 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal and is a favorite hymn of many UUs. The composer of “Spirit of Life”, Carolyn McDade (b. 1935), describes herself as “a songwriter, spiritual feminist, and social activist” (carolynmcdademusic.com). Originally, McDade was reluctant to see “Spirit of Life” included in our hymnal, as she thinks of her song as a personal and living prayer as opposed to a hymn. Despite her misgivings at the time, “Spirit of Life” has become the most frequently sung hymn within UU congregations around the world – many UUs know the words by heart, and some of our sister churches sing this song together every Sunday.
Offertory music: Circle – Chapin
Award-winning American singer/songwriter, guitarist, and activist Harry Chapin (1942-1981) was successful and widely influential in both the folk and pop music scenes of the 1970s. Chapin had multiple albums certified platinum (over 1 million units sold) and is an inductee in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Chapin also played an important role in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977, and in 1987, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian efforts. “Circle” was released on Chapin’s 1972 album Sniper and Other Love Songs. Although the song did not chart as a single, it was a favorite of Chapin’s fans and eventually became the unofficial “Chapin theme song”, appearing on multiple compilation albums and performed in nearly all of Chapin’s live concerts.
Closing Hymn: The Fire of Commitment – Shelton
Jason Shelton is an award-winning composer, arranger, conductor, song and worship leader, workshop presenter, and coach. He served as the Associate Minister for Music at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashville, Tennessee from 1998-2017, and is now engaged in a music ministry at-large, focused on serving the musical resource needs of UU (and other liberal) congregations around the country (from jasonsheltonmusic.com). The Fire of Commitment (#1028) is one of many contributions Rev. Shelton has made to our Singing the Journey hymnbook. The unrest of its irregular meter and the insistent rhythmic pulse drive home the call to action that is at the core of the song’s message.
Postlude: Turn the World Around – Belafonte/Freedman
When legendary Jamaican-American musician, songwriter, and activist Harry Belafonte (b. 1927) was the guest star on a season 3 episode of The Muppet Show in 1979, he explained the inspiration for “Turn the World Around” before performing the song with various Muppets in African garb. Belafonte said: “I discovered that song in the African country of Guinea. I went deep into the interior of the country, and in a little village, I met with a storyteller. That storyteller went way back in African tradition and African mythology and began to tell this story about the fire, the sun, the water, the Earth”. Belafonte pointed out the whole of these things put together turns the world around – that all of us are here for a very, very short time. In that time that we’re here, there really isn’t any difference in any of us, if we take time to understand each other. The question is: “Do I know who you are, or who I am? Do we care about each other? Because if we do, together we can turn the world around.” Co-written by Belafonte with jazz performer and arranger Bob Freedman (1934-2018), “Turn the World Around” was first released in 1977 on Belafonte’s album of the same name. The song is also the final selection (#1074) in our Singing the Journey hymnbook.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director
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