Music Notes – Sunday, January 19th:
This Sunday’s musician is UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley
Prelude: Gathered Here – Porter
#389 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal, “Gathered Here” was written in 1990 by Phil Porter (b. 1953), an artist, dancer and arts educator and United Church of Christ lay minister who is known for his work as an LGBTQ+ activist. The simple, overlapping melody and haunting harmonies have made “Gathered Here” a longtime favorite in both UU and UCC worship services.
Song: Dear Weaver of Our Lives’ Design – Herman/Dorian
“Dear Weaver of Our Lives’ Design” is #22 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal. The words come from American UU linguist, scholar, and educator Nancy C. Dorian (1936-2024), and the music is a 16th century German hymn tune most commonly known as “Lobt Gott, Ihr Christen” (Praise God, All Christians). The tune is credited to Nikolaus Herman (c. 1500-1561), a German Lutheran teacher and cantor who is best known today as a hymnist. This tune was reinvigorated almost 200 years after its original composition when it was harmonized by Baroque master Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), and Bach’s harmonization is included in our hymnal (and in most hymnal treatments of the tune today).
Offertory Music: Hurt – Reznor
“Hurt” is a song by American singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter Trent Reznor (b. 1965), whose career began in Cleveland, and who is best known today as the frontman for the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. “Hurt” was the final track of Nine Inch Nails’ 1994 album The Downward Spiral, and has become one of the band’s best-loved songs. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Song (losing out to “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette) and was famously covered in 2002 by country music legend Johnny Cash (1932-2003) – Cash’s version won the 2003 Country Music Association award for Single of the Year. The song’s lyrics deal with depression and addiction, both of which Reznor was struggling with during the time when he wrote “Hurt”.
Song: We Are Not Our Own – Hurd/Wren
“We Are Not Our Own” (#317) is one of the lesser-known hymns in Singing the Living Tradition. The words come from British poet, theologist and prolific hymn writer Brian Wren (b. 1936), who is the author of several other hymns in Singing the Living Tradition, including “Name Unnamed”, “Joyful Is the Dark”, and “Love Makes a Bridge”. The arching, hopeful tune for “We Are Not Our Own” was written by Dr. David Hurd (b. 1950), a composer, organist, and educator who currently serves as the Director of Music at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Times Square, New York City.
Postlude: The Weary Kind – Burnett and Bingham
“The Weary Kind” is a country song written for and featured in the 2009 film Crazy Heart. The song was written by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Ryan Bingham (b. 1981) along with T Bone Burnett (b. 1948), a producer, guitarist, and songwriter who played in Bob Dylan’s band throughout the 1970s and is known for his work on film soundtracks, which include O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Cold Mountain (2004), and Walk the Line (2005). “The Weary Kind” was critically acclaimed, winning numerous honors including The Academy Award for Best Original Song and Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director