Hello members and friends of UUCC,
I hope you are all staying healthy and safe this week. Please join us on Sunday for our virtual service, which is centered around our third UU Principle: acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth. We’ll have some great music in that service, and you can learn more about those songs below in this week’s Music Notes…
Music Notes – Sunday, January 17th: Music 1: Gather the Spirit – Jim Scott
#347 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal, “Gather the Spirit” is one of the most familiar and well-loved hymns of our UU faith. The song was written by UU composer, performer, activist, and friend of UUCC Jim Scott (b. 1946), who also wrote and arranged several other songs found in our hymnbooks, including “May Your Life Be as a Song” and “Nothing but Peace Is Enough”. The version of “Gather the Spirit” you’ll be hearing (and hopefully singing along with) this Sunday was recorded live at UUCC on March 3rd, 2019 and features Jim Scott (guitar and lead vocals), James Kellerman (saxophone), Aaron Burkle (percussion), Mike Carney (piano), and the members of UUCC.
Music 2: Everything Possible – Fred Small
Singer-songwriter, lawyer, activist, and UU minister Fred Small (b. 1952) was born in Plainfield, New Jersey and currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He started out as a lawyer working for the Conservation Law Foundation, but soon answered another calling and became a full-time folk singer and songwriter. Some of Small’s best-known songs are “Heart of the Appaloosa”, “Cranes Over Hiroshima”, and “Everything Possible”, which was first released in 1985 on his album No Limit. “Everything Possible” was also was used for the finale of the AIDS benefit musical Heart Strings in 1992 and is included in our Singing the Journey hymnbook (#1019). This Sunday, “Everything Possible” will be led by UUCC’s Chancel Choir with soloists Alicia Burkle and Molly Watkins.
Music 3/Offertory: Love Can Build a Bridge – John Jarvis, Naomi Judd, and Paul Overstreet
“Love Can Build a Bridge” was a hit for the mother-daughter country duo The Judds in 1990. The song, which was written by Naomi Judd, John Jarvis, and Paul Overstreet, became a top 5 country hit and won a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group. A few years later, the song was covered by Children for Rwanda as part of a benefit for the British charity Save the Children, becoming a mainstream pop hit in the Uniter Kingdom.
Closing Hymn/Postlude: I Am Willing – Holly Near
Born in Ukiah, CA in 1949, Holly Near began singing in high school, and soon built on her performing career with acting parts on Mod Squad, Room 222, and The Partridge Family, and later as a cast member of the Broadway musical Hair. In 1972, Holly was one of the first women to create an independent record company, paving the way for other female recording artists like Ani DiFranco. Often cited as one of the founders of the Women’s Music movement, she not only led the way for outspoken women in the music world, but also worked for peace and multicultural consciousness. Another significant arena of Holly’s activism is the LGBTQ community, and in 1976 she became one of the first celebrities to discuss her sexual orientation openly. Throughout her long career Holly has worked with a wide array of musicians, including Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, and many others. She has received honors from the ACLU, the National Lawyers Guild, the National Organization for Women, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; she was named Ms. Magazine’s Woman of the Year and received the Legends of Women’s Music Award. (from hollynear.com). “I Am Willing” originally appeared on Holly Near’s 2003 album Cris & Holly, a collaborative project with fellow folk artist and activist Cris Williamson (b. 1947). “I Am Willing” has since become one of Holly’s best-loved songs and has been performed all around the world. The arrangement you’re hearing today was written in 2008 by Steve Milloy and features percussionist Aaron Burkle, pianist Mike Carney, and vocal soloists Alicia Burkle, Jane Peterson, and Amy Collins.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director