Music Notes – Sunday, January 7^th: 

This Sunday’s musician is UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley

Opening Hymn: #1008 When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place – Poley  

#1008 in our Singing the Journey hymnbook, “When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place” was written in 1996 by UU musician and composer Joyce Poley (b. 1941). This song “invites us to see ourselves in others. As we come to understand that all people have wisdom to share and stories to tell—regardless of culture, race, social status, or faith—we begin to realize how important our commonalities are, and how interwoven our lives. When we open ourselves to this sacred idea, then ‘our heart is in a holy place’.” (from uua.org)

Offertory Music: Fast Car – Chapman

Cleveland native and four-time Grammy Award winner Tracy Chapman (b. 1964) is a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and activist. As a social advocate, Chapman has supported Amnesty International, the AIDS/LifeCycle Ride to End AIDS, and has co-sponsored multiple programs to support students in the Cleveland Public Schools. Her musical style is difficult to define, incorporating elements of rock, blues, gospel, and folk, all of which are underpinned by her distinctive vocals and guitar playing. Although her career now spans more than 30 years and includes seven studio albums along with numerous other endeavors, Chapman is most widely known today for “Fast Car”, which was the first song released from Chapman’s self-titled 1988 debut album. The song, which is about a young working-class woman trying to escape the cycle of poverty which she was born into, became a top ten hit in both the U.S. and U.K. and earned Chapman three Grammy Award nominations, winning for Best Female Pop Performance. “Fast Car” gained new life in 2023 when it was covered by American country music singer-songwriter Luke Combs (b. 1990). Combs’ version of “Fast Car” was hugely successful, reaching #1 on the Country Airplay chart in the U.S. during July of 2023, and crossing over to mainstream pop success as well. The success of Combs’ cover eventually led to Chapman becoming the first black woman and black songwriter to receive a Country Music Award, which she received when “Fast Car” was named Song of the Year in 2023. In a recent interview with Billboard, Chapman said: “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there. I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”

Closing Hymn: How Could Anyone – Roderick 

Libby Roderick (b. 1958) is a singer-songwriter and activist from Alaska. Her song “How Could Anyone” (#1053 in Singing the Journey) was written in response to a friend in pain. It has been heard around the world, translated into many languages, and is reprinted in many books. The simple folk tune and words have been embraced by people with many types of pain, from AIDS orphans to cancer survivors and prisoners. The lyrics have been used for healing in many different settings, including churches, hospitals, shelters, rallies, weddings, and funerals. (from uua.org)

Postlude: Tightrope – Monáe, Irvin, Joseph, and Patton

“Tightrope” is a 2010 song cowritten and recorded by American singer, rapper, songwriter, and actor Janelle Monáe Robinson (b. 1985), more commonly known by her stage name Janelle Monáe. Monáe first began singing in her church choir at a young age, and after attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy for a year and half, she produced and self-released her first demo album, The Audition (2003), which she sold out of the trunk of her car while working at an Office Depot in Atlanta. Soon thereafter, Monáe’s work began gaining attention in the Atlanta area and her career began to gather momentum. As of 2024, Monáe has released four studio albums along with other singles and EPs, has appeared in more than 20 film and television projects including Hidden Figures, Moonlight, and Glass Onion, and has received numerous awards, including the ASCAP Vanguard Award (2010), the Rising Star Award (2015), and the Trailblazer of the Year Award (2018) from Billboard Women in Music. Although she generally continues to use she/her pronouns, Monáe identifies as nonbinary, saying in a 2022 interview on Red Table Talk, “I’m nonbinary, so I just don’t see myself as a woman, solely … I feel like god is so much bigger than the ‘he’ or the ‘she.’ And if I am from God, I am everything.”