Music Notes – Sunday, September 21st:
This Sunday’s musicians are The Treble Ensemble and UUCC Music Director Mike Carney.
Centering Music: Love Calls You by Your Name – Cohen
Canadian artist Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) was well-respected and honored both as an author and as a musician. Cohen enjoyed only modest success as a performer, but his lasting influence on the world of music is for his songwriting, which most famously includes his song “Hallelujah”, which has become one of the most frequently covered songs in history. Among other honors, Cohen was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received the ninth Glenn Gould Prize. “Love Calls You by Your Name” was released in 1971 on Cohen’s thirds studio album, Songs of Love and Hate, which is listed on Rolling Stone’s 2012 list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. If he were still alive, this Sunday would be Leonard Cohen’s 91st birthday.
Song: Come, Come, Whoever You Are – Ungar/Rumi
#188 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal, “Come, Come, Whoever You Are” has been a favorite gathering song for many years in thousands of UU worship services and events. The words, welcoming all without condition or exclusion, are from the renowned 13th century poet and mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-1273). The overlapping round melody was written by poet, musician and UU minister Rev. Dr. Lynn Ungar (b. 1963), who currently serves as minister for lifespan learning and editor of Quest for the Church of the Larger Fellowship.
Offertory Music: Part of the Whole – Morris
“Part of the Whole” was written by UU Singer/Songwriter Lee Morris (b. 1958). The song is included in Sing Out Love, a new digital UU hymnal published in 2025. Sing Out Love includes familiar UU favorites alongside some exciting new songs, and “Part of the Whole” is one of two new hymns UUCC’s Treble Ensemble will be introducing to the congregation this week.
Closing Hymn: May I Be Light – Slack
This Sunday’s closing hymn is an original song of prayer, written by UU Minister Rev. Mykal Slack. Slack currently serves as the UUA’s Community Minister for Worship & Spiritual Care for Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism (BLUU). He is also one of the co-founders of the Transforming Hearts Collective, an organizing ministry that helps to both co-create spaces of healing and spiritual resiliency for queer and trans/nonbinary folks and resource congregations in the work of radical welcome and culture shift. (includes material from uua.org)
Postlude: Joy in the Morning – Podd
Adam Podd (b. 1986) is a Vermont-bred, Brooklyn-based composer, performer, and director, who currently serves as Music Director for the First Unitarian Congregational Society in Brooklyn. Podd has worked with some of the top artists and organizations in his field including National Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, New York Pops, Houston Symphony, Cynthia Erivo, Ingrid Michaelson, Zedd, Idina Menzel, Heather Headley, Macy’s Entertainment, Vancouver Youth Choir, the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and others in such venues as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Apollo Theater, United Palace, New World Stages, and others. As a choral composer, Adam works closely with his twin brother Matt (as Podd Brothers Music) writing and publishing music for choirs of all shapes and sizes. Their works have been performed around the world and sung by ensembles ranging from small church choirs to huge festival choirs and everything in between. (includes material from adampodd.com) “Joy in the Morning” is a gospel-inspired song that is also part of the UUA’s new Sing Out Love virtual hymnal.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director