Music Notes – Sunday, January 25th:
This Sunday’s musicians are The Chancel Choir and UUCC Music Director Mike Carney
Centering Music: January – Gjeilo
Norwegian-born Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) is one of the rising stars in the classical music world of the 21st century. He holds composition degrees from both The Royal College of Music in London and The Juilliard School in New York and spent several years as composer-in-residence with the renowned choral group Voces8. “January” is from Gjeilo’s Five Pieces for Piano, which he wrote during 2006-2007 in New York City.
Song: Oh, I Woke Up This Morning – Wesby
“Oh, I Woke Up This Morning” is a gospel-inspired social justice anthem written in 1961 by Robert Wesby (1927-1988). A Baptist minister and activist from Aurora, Illinois, Wesby first sang the song while imprisoned in Hinds County, Mississippi for taking part in Freedom Rides. Wesby’s music was inspired by an old Gospel song of the same name, but his reimagined lyrics became the enduring version of the song, becoming one of the anthems of The Civil Rights Movement, and which is still sung today in marches, sit-ins, schools, and worship services. “Oh, I Woke Up This Morning” is #153 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal.
Special Music: Will You Be There? – Ellington
One of the true legends of American music, jazz composer and bandleader Duke Ellington (1899-1974) was best known for writing dozens of jazz standards, including “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”, “Mood Indigo”, and “Come Sunday”. Late in his career, Ellington composed three larger works (each titled Sacred Concert) that combined elements of jazz, classical music, choral music, spirituals, gospel, blues and dance and explored Ellington’s relationship with the spiritual world. Ellington called these compositions “the most important music I’ve ever written”. “Will You Be There?” is from Sacred Concert No. 1, which premiered in 1965.
Offertory: I Lift My Voice – Ramsey
Dr. Andrea Ramsey (b. 1977) enjoys an international presence as a composer, conductor, scholar and music educator. Before leaping into full time composing and guest conducting, Andrea held positions at The Ohio State University and the University of Colorado Boulder. An award-winning composer with approximately 100 works to date, she believes strongly in the creation of new music. A native of Arkansas, Andrea has experienced in her own life the power of music to provide a sense of community, better understanding of our humanity and rich opportunities for self-discovery. (from andrearamsey.com) Of her 2017 composition “I Lift My Voice”, Dr. Ramsey says: “I was inspired by the line ‘with glad defiance in my throat, I pierce the darkness with a note’ from James Weldon Johnson’s poem, The Gift to Sing, and I created this tune in hopes of acknowledging the power of music and the importance of community in pursuing justice and unity.”
Song: When the Spirit Says Sing – Spiritual
“When the Spirit Says Sing” (also known as “I’m Gonna Sing”) is among the best-known of traditional African American Spirituals. Its origins are unknown, but the song first began appearing in hymnals during the 1950s and became one of the rallying anthems of The Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. It is included in our Singing the Journey hymnbook as #1024 under the title “When the Spirit Says Do”.
Postlude: Rise – Abela
“Rise” is a social justice anthem written by American musician, composer, and educator Arianne Abela, who currently serves as the director of choral activities at Amherst College in Massachusetts. At Amherst, Abela is the Artistic Director of Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble, a choral chamber group that “presents vocal music with the highest artistic excellence, while celebrating racial, ethnic, and gender diversity” (amherst.edu).
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director