Free Concert in our sanctuary – this Sunday at 7 p.m.
If you enjoyed our guest musicians from The Greater Cleveland Flute Society (GCFS) on Sunday, April 10th, don’t miss GCFS’s annual Cleveland Composers’ Connection Concert at 7 p.m. this Sunday, April 24th in our sanctuary! This concert is free and open to the public, and I hope to see you there!
Music Notes – Sunday, April 24th:
This Sunday’s musicians are Abs Burkle, Nora Lubbers, and UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley.
Opening Hymn: #1064 Blue Boat Home – Mayer
A native of Minnesota, folk musician Peter Mayer (b. 1963) is a guitarist and songwriter who specializes in earth-centered music, and the theme of environmental justice will resonate throughout this week’s service and its musical selections. UU congregations know and love Peter as the lyricist behind “Blue Boat Home”, which first appeared on Mayer’s album The Great Story and is #1064 in our Singing the Journey hymnbook. The melody Mayer set his inspiring words to is called “Hyfrodol”, a popular Welsh hymn tune credited to Rowland Prichard (1811-1887).
Centering Music: Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon
One of the signature anthems of American popular music, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was written by Paul Simon (b. 1941) in January of 1970 and released as a single later the same year on the Simon and Garfunkel album of the same name. The song would become the biggest hit for Simon and Garfunkel, staying at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 6 weeks, and winning five 1971 Grammy Awards, including both Record of the Year and Song of the Year. To date, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” has sold more than 6 million copies worldwide, has been sung and recorded by Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, and dozens of other artists, and was ranked number 48 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Meditation Response: #123 Spirit of Life – McDade
“Spirit of Life” is #123 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal and is a favorite hymn of many UUs. The composer of “Spirit of Life”, Carolyn McDade (b. 1935), describes herself as “a songwriter, spiritual feminist, and social activist” (carolynmcdademusic.com). Originally, McDade was reluctant to see “Spirit of Life” included in our hymnal, as she thinks of her song as a personal and living prayer as opposed to a hymn. Despite her misgivings at the time, “Spirit of Life” has become the most frequently sung hymn within UU congregations around the world – many UUs know the words by heart, and some of our sister churches sing this song together every Sunday.
Offertory Music: Dear Theodosia – Miranda
“Dear Theodosia” is a song from Hamilton: An American Musical, a Broadway show about the life of Alexander Hamilton. The book and score for Hamilton were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (b. 1980), and the show uses an innovative hybrid approach to music and storytelling, incorporating elements of hip-hop, pop, soul, and R&B, along with traditional-style show tunes and dialogue. Miranda and the show’s producers have also been intentional about casting non-white actors as American Founding Fathers and other historical figures. The show received wide critical acclaim and was nominated for a record 16 Tony Awards, winning 11, including Best Musical. Hamilton has been a smash commercial hit since its 2015 debut, and is currently running in New York, Chicago, London and with multiple touring productions. This Sunday, “Dear Theodosia” will be performed as a duet by Abs Burkle and Nora Lubbers, accompanied by Karin Tooley.
Closing Song: Take Me Home, Country Roads – Denver, Danoff, and Nivert
“Take Me Home, Country Roads” is a country/folk anthem written by John Denver (1943-1997) along with Bill Danoff (b. 1946) and Taffy Nivert (b. 1944). The song was included on Denver’s breakthrough 1971 album Poems, Prayers & Promises and released as a single in April of 1971, eventually reaching number two on Billboard’s US Hot 100 singles chart. It is considered to be Denver’s signature song, and has become an indelible part of West Virginian culture, becoming one of the four official state anthems of West Virginia in 2014 and frequently used in the state’s tourism campaign.
Postlude: Yesterday – McCartney
“Yesterday” is one of the most recognizable and iconic songs ever written. Although officially credited as a Lennon-McCartney composition, “Yesterday” was written and first sung exclusively by Paul McCartney (b. 1942), who has stated in multiple interviews that the song came to him in a dream, and he rushed to a piano in the middle of the night to write down the melody before forgetting it. For several weeks, McCartney was convinced that he was only remembering someone else’s composition rather than creating one of his own. Released in 1965, “Yesterday” was nominated for six Grammy Awards and rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and many international markets. The song is still well-known today, in part because it is one of the most covered songs in history, with an incredible 2,200+ cover versions released to date. Among many other accolades, “Yesterday” was chosen as the best song of the 20th century in a 1999 BBC poll of music experts and listeners, and was rated the no. 1 pop song of all time by MTV and Rolling Stonemagazine the following year. This Sunday, you’ll hear a piano interpretation of “Yesterday” by UUCC’s own Abs Burkle.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director
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