Music Notes – Sunday, February 4th:
This Sunday’s musicians are The Chancel Choir and UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley
Opening Hymn: #6 Just as Long as I Have Breath – Ebeling/Carpenter
#6 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal, “Just as Long as I Have Breath” is a song based on Johann Ebeling’s (1637-1676) traditional hymn tune “Nicht So Traurig” (“Not So Sad”), with words by UU songwriter and activist Alicia S. Carpenter (1930-2021). Carpenter authored no fewer than 10 of the songs in our ‘big’ hymnal, including “Here We Have Gathered” (#360), We Celebrate the Web of Life” (#175), and “With Heart and Mind” (#300).
Centering Music: Lost Ostinato – Gonzales
Grammy-Award winner Chilly Gonzales (b. 1972 as Jason Charles Beck) is a Canadian pianist and composer. His compositional style blends elements of classical, jazz, and pop music and has earned him international success and acclaim. He has collaborated with an eclectic mix of other artists, including Daft Punk, Peaches, Drake, and the Kaiser Quartett. “Lost Ostinato” is from Gonzales’ 2018 album Solo Piano III.
Offertory Music: Whatsoever Things Are Pure and Just – Wylder, arr. Carney
Betty Wylder (1923-2013) was a folk musician, author, composer, and Unitarian Universalist. Among UUs, she is best known for her hymn arrangements, which include “Enter, Rejoice, and Come In”, “Let It Be a Dance”, and “Love Will Guide Us”. Ms. Wylder wrote “Whatsoever Things Are Pure and Just” as an a cappella prayer response, which has been expanded and arranged for choir and organ by UUCC Music Director Mike Carney. The text is an excerpt from Philippians IV.
Special Music: Prelude in C Sharp Major – Gonzales
Here is another selection from Solo Piano III by Chilly Gonzales. For more about this composer, see the notes above for centering music.
Closing Hymn: When I Am Frightened – Denham
“When I Am Frightened” (#1012 in Singing the Journey), also titled “Then I May Learn”, was commissioned in 1999 by the First Unitarian Church of Dallas. Because of her lifelong commitment to working with and empowering youth, UU composer Shelley Jackson Denham (1950-2013) took the opportunity to write a piece based on children’s yearning for truth, respect, and engagement with adults. In keeping with a philosophy that “children are watching, what are they learning?”, the song is meant as a reminder that all children deserve and need compassion, acceptance, commitment…and that they often learn to both give and receive these essential elements of relationship through the simple act of observation. (includes material from uua.org)
Postlude: Beautiful City – Schwartz
“Beautiful City” was written by American theater and film composer Stephen Schwartz (b. 1948) for his original musical Godspell. “Beautiful City” was not part of the 1970 stage production of Godspell; Schwartz wrote the song in 1972 for the film adaptation of the musical and then rewrote some of the lyrics in 1993 in response to the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. “Beautiful City” was added to the theatrical production of Godspell for the show’s 2011 Broadway revival. The choral arrangement you’ll hear this Sunday was written by Mac Huff in 2012.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director