Music Notes – Sunday, September 20th:
This Sunday’s musicians are The Treble Ensemble and UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley
Centering Music: Prayer – Bloch
Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) was a composer and music educator primarily known for his orchestral and chamber music. Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, Bloch moved to the United States in 1916 and became the first musical director of the Cleveland Institute of Music upon the founding of the school in 1920. Much of Bloch’s music was inspired by his faith, including “Prayer”, which is the opening movement of From Jewish Life, a 1924 suite for cello and piano.
Song: I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free – Taylor and Dallas
#151 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnbook, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” is a jazz-gospel song written in 1963 by Billy Taylor (1921-2010) and Dick Dallas (1937-2004). The song became one of the anthems of the American Civil Rights Movement and has been covered by dozens of artists, most famously by Nina Simone in 1967.
Joys and Concerns Music: Kol Nidrei – Bruch
Max Bruch (1838-1920) was a German composer, violinist, and music educator of the Romantic Era. Bruch wrote more than 200 works in varying styles, but he is probably best-remembered today for his violin concertos, as well as for Kol Nidrei (op. 47), an 1880 composition for cello with orchestra. Although Bruch was a Protestant Christian, he was inspired by Jewish folk music, and incorporated melodies from that tradition into Kol Nidrei (“All Vows”). The opening theme, introduced by the cello in Bruch’s original setting, is meant to represent the voice of the cantor reciting the “Kol Nidre” declaration, which traditionally begins the worship service in the Jewish celebration of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). Bruch’s Kol Nidrei is still performed frequently today by orchestras around the world.
Offertory Music: Arlington (Mehta)
Nikky Mehta (b. 1969) is a Canadian musician, author and songwriter who is a founding and current member of the country/folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys. Mehta wrote “Arlington” for the group’s 2004 debut album 40 Days and her song was honored as a finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition for that same year.
Song: One More Step – Poley
Canadian UU Composer Joyce Poley (b. 1941) wrote “One More Step” in 1986 and its message of commitment and perseverance still rings true today. “One More Step” is #168 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal and is a favorite of many UUs around the world.
Postlude: Nothing But Peace Is Enough – Scott
#167 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal, “Nothing but Peace Is Enough” is a song by UU composer, performer, activist, and friend of UUCC Jim Scott (b. 1946), who also wrote and arranged several other songs found in our hymnbooks, including “Gather the Spirit” and “May Your Life Be as a Song”. Jim’s inspiration for this song was the people who walked for six months on the Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament in 1986.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director