Music Notes – Sunday, December 18th:
This week’s musicians are Dylan Moffitt, The Chancel Choir, The Women’s Ensemble, and UUCC Music Director Mike Carney
This Sunday, December 18th is a big day for music at UUCC! We’ll have our special music service at 10:15 a.m., led by UUCC Music Director Mike Carney and featuring music from the Chancel Choir, Women’s Ensemble, and YoUUth Choir along with guest percussionist Dylan Moffitt. Much of this week’s music comes from A Winter Solstice Singing Ritual, conceived by Julie Forest Middleton and Stasa Morgan-Appel. Scroll down for more information about this week’s amazing service music. Dec. 18th is also the date of a special 7:00 p.m. concert in our sanctuary by the contemporary string group Cello Fury. Click here to learn more about this special concert.
Dylan Moffitt, guest percussionist
Multi-talented percussionist Dylan Moffitt has distinguished himself both in classical music and the world music genres. Moffitt has recently played in the percussion sections of The Cleveland Orchestra, The Blossom Festival Orchestra and Band, The Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra, The West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and The Firelands Symphony Orchestra among others. In addition to orchestral playing, Dylan also is a frequent performer and teacher of world music. As an educator, he has helped to lead classes in introductory frame drumming and world rhythms at both the Cleveland Institute of Music and at Oberlin College. Moffitt received his BM from the Cleveland Institute of Music and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree at the Institute under Richard Weiner and Paul Yancich of the Cleveland Orchestra. In addition to his studies at the Institute of Music, Dylan studies world percussion with Jamey Haddad, N. Scott Robinson, Sri. Amrit N., and B. Shree Sundarkumar.
Special Music: We Are a Circle – Hamouris
“We Are a Circle” was composed for Welcome to Annwfn, a 1986 project conceived and created by the Northern California-based sister-and-brother team of Deborah and Rick Hamouris. The music and lyrics for this song were composed by Rick Hamouris, who described his creative process in this way in an article from pagansong.com: “I wrote this song as a gift for our last circle gathering prior to their (two friends and colleagues) departure. I was in a blues band at the time and had a two-and-a-half-hour drive to one of our gigs. I heard the chorus spring into my head fully formed with the melody. Since I was driving, I had no access to writing implements, so the only way to capture it was to sing over and over until a new melody and a verse came to mind. Line by line, I sang and repeated the song, so far, until it was complete. Five verses later I arrived at my destination. This became a common process for all my songs on the album, since I was working regularly and most locations were at least 90 minutes from home.”
Opening Hymn: #1063 Winter Solstice Chant – Palmer
Phillip Palmer (b. 1980) originally composed “Winter Solstice Chant” for the 2003 Winter Solstice Celebration at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Monmouth County, New Jersey. The song is #1063 in our Singing the Journey hymnbook.
Centering Music: Benedicta es – Carol, arr. Schleef
“Benedicta es” (‘Blessed Be’) is an earth-centered chant written by Chris Carol and arranged for treble voices by Susan Schleef. The UUCC Women’s Ensemble will perform the song in this Sunday’s service.
Offertory: Kore Evohe – Schrag & Becker
“Kore Evohe” was composed in 1998 by John Schrag (b. 1964), based on an existing chant by Sabina C. Becker (b. 1967). The Greek title translates to “Hail, Kore” and is a song of praise to Kore (also known as Persephone), who is the Greek goddess of Spring. According to legend, Kore travels to the Underworld late in the year, which causes winter to happen. When Kore returns, she brings spring back to the world. The song was dedicated to and first performed by the Crescendo: The Tampa Bay Womyn’s Chorus.
Closing Hymn: #118 This Little Light of Mine
“This Little Light of Mine” is an African American gospel song whose origins are unknown. The song first began appearing in church and school settings during the 1920s and 1930s. Interestingly, the first few known instances of the song being performed are scattered around the United States, from Illinois to Texas to Montana to Missouri, so we cannot even say with any certainty in which particular city or region the song originated. Today, “This Little Light of Mine” is sung all over the world and is found in dozens of hymnals, including our own Singing the Living Tradition (#118).
Special Music: Let the Spirit Come to You – Judith
Dr. Anodea Judith is a musician, teacher, speaker, healer, and writer. She holds Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Psychology and Health, is a Registered Yoga Teacher, and therapist with lifelong studies in somatic psychology, mythology, history, sociology, systems theory, and mystic spirituality. Judith is best known for her groundbreaking work reviving the chakra system of ancient yoga, and its profound correlation to human psychology, cultural evolution, and the downward process of manifestation. Her best-selling books have gained worldwide recognition with over a million books in print in 18 languages, and she is also a well-loved workshop presenter, in both in-person and virtual spaces. Judith’s central vision is that our evolutionary challenge is learn how to create Heaven on Earth (from anodeajudith.com) She composed “Let the Spirit Come to You” in 1978, and in this Sunday’s service, her song will be sung by UUCC’s YoUUth Choir.
Postlude: When We Are Gone – Starhawk/Hill
“When We Are Gone” was written in 1993 for the album Second Chants: More Ritual Music by the Pagan author, musician, and activist Starhawk (b. 1951 as Miriam Simos) with Rev. Anne Hill, founder of Serpentine Music & Media. The song will be performed this Sunday by all of our musicians along with members of the congregation.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director