Music Notes – Sunday, February 15th:
This Sunday’s musicians are The Chancel Choir, The Treble Ensemble, Aaron Burkle, Leon Michaud, Pamela Schenk, UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley, and UUCC Music Director Mike Carney
Centering Music: My Funny Valentine – Rodgers & Hart
“My Funny Valentine” was written by Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and Lorenz Hart (1895-1943) for their 1937 musical Babes in Arms. The song has since become a standard and has been performed and recorded by over 600 artists, including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis and many, many others. Citing the song’s “cultural, artistic and/or historical significance to American society and the nation’s audio legacy”, The Library of Congress inducted the famous recording of “My Funny Valentine” done by The Gerry Mulligan quartet featuring Chet Baker into their National Recording Registry in 2015.
Song: Love Will Guide Us – Rogers
Sally Rogers is an award-winning folk musician, songwriter, and children’s arts educator. 2019 marked Sally’s 40th year as a songwriter, performer, and educator, and she is still steaming ahead, warming hearts and minds wherever she goes. Her songs “Lovely Agnes” and “Touch of the Master’s Hand” have frequently been mistaken for traditional, while “Love Will Guide Us” and “Circle of the Sun” are now anthems for rituals of passage and protest (from sallyrogers.com). Rogers’ gospel-inspired “Love Will Guide Us” is #131 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal and is a favorite of many UUs.
Special Music: Can’t Help Falling in Love – Peretti, Weiss, and Creatore
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” was a #1 hit for the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ Elvis Presley (1935-1977) when it was released in 1961 on the soundtrack of the film Blue Hawaii. The song was written by a trio of professional music producers and songwriters: Hugo Peretti (1916-1986), Luigi Creatore (1921-2015), and George David Weiss (1921-2010). Their lyrics were original, but the melody was based on “Plaisir d’amour”, a French love song written in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (1741–1816). In addition to becoming one of Elvis’s signature songs, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” has also been recorded by a plethora of other artists, including Doris Day, Bob Dylan, and UB40 to name just a few.
Offertory: `S Wonderful – Gershwin
“‘S Wonderful” was written in 1927 by American composer George Gershwin (1898-1937) with lyrics by his brother and frequent songwriting partner Ira Gershwin (1896-1983). The song was first heard in the 1927 Broadway musical Funny Face. One of the many standards written by the Gershwin brothers, “‘S Wonderful” has been recorded by Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, João Gilberto, and literally hundreds of other artists. It has been included in numerous films and television shows, and is still well-loved today, nearly a century after it was premiered.
Special Music: Set Me as a Seal – Clausen
Grammy and Emmy Award-winning American composer, professor, and conductor René Clausen (b. 1953) is one of the best-loved choral composers alive today. “Set Me as a Seal” is Clausen’s choral setting of The Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) 8:6 from the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. “Set Me as a Seal” was written in just 20 minutes, composed by Clausen for a close family member during a time of personal sadness and loss. The song, which has become one of the most frequently performed choral works written during the last 50 years, expresses the faith that divine love can help us to overcome even the greatest of tragedies.
Song: Love Is My Religion – Marley
“Love Is My Religion” is the title track and lead single from the 2006 solo album of the same name by Jamaican reggae musician/songwriter/author Ziggy Marley (b. 1968), and the song has become a favorite of his fans. Marley’s Love Is My Religion album won Best Reggae Album at the 49th Grammy Awards, one of eight Grammys Marley has earned to date.
Postlude: Love Will Rise Again – Miller
American composer, conductor and performer Mark Miller (b. 1958) believes passionately that music can change the world. He also believes in Cornell West’s quote that “Justice is what love looks like in public.” Mark’s dream is that the music he composes, performs, teaches and leads will inspire and empower people to create the beloved community. Mark serves as Assistant Professor of Church Music at Drew Theological School and is a Lecturer in the Practice of Sacred Music at Yale University (from markamillermusic.com). Of “Love Will Rise Again”, Miller says: “When Kris Lamb commissioned me to write a piece in memory of her brother, she shared that her brother was part of, and a supporter of the LGBTQ community, and asked that the piece celebrate the values of respect and inclusion her brother stood for…I began work on the composition in 2021, and the words ‘I won’t give up on you, don’t give up on me’ kept coming back to me. In the midst of the pandemic, I realized I was singing this song as much for me as writing it down for others…We will sing through the loss and overcome fear and hatred together, and that although it might seem vanquished for a time, love will rise again.”
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director