Come, Sing a Song with Me
We’re very happy to say that the UUCC Chancel Choir has returned to regular Wednesday evening gatherings after a nearly two-year hiatus, and the choir will be singing in several upcoming UUCC services. The UUCC Chancel Choir is open to all adults and high school youth who are interested, regardless of experience level. The choir rehearses at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday evenings in the Worship Center (Room 208), and professional childcare is available for any who need it. If you have any questions, please get in touch with UUCC Music Director Mike Carney. We hope to see you next Wednesday!
Music Notes – Sunday, March 13th:
This Sunday’s musicians are UUCC Music Director Mike Carney and The Chancel Choir.
Chimes: Funga Alafia – West African
“Funga Alafia” is a folk song believed to have originated with the Yoruba culture in what is now Nigeria, although the exact origins of the song are subject to some scholarly debate. It is a song of welcome and is often used to begin a community celebration or worship service.
Opening Hymn: #360 Here We Have Gathered – Carpenter
A favorite opening hymn in many UU Congregations, #360 “Here We Have Gathered” is based on a Genevan psalter that dates back to at least the 16th century, juxtaposed with a 20th-century text by UU songwriter Alicia Carpenter (1930-2021). “Here We Have Gathered” is one of 10 hymns in Singing the Living Tradition that were written or co-written by Ms. Carpenter. Some of her other contributions to our hymnal include #6 “Just as Long as I Have Breath” and #300 “With Heart and Mind”.
Centering Music: Piano Blues No. 2 – Copland
American composer, conductor, and educator Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Best known for his ballet scores, which included Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, and Billy the Kid, Copland’s compositional output was wide-ranging and eclectic, and included several pieces for solo piano. “Piano Blues No. 1” is from Copland’s Four Piano Blues, which he wrote between 1926 and 1948. Copland dedicated “Piano Blues No. 1” to his friend and colleague Leo Smit (1921-1999), a renowned American pianist who often performed Copland’s music.
Meditation Response: 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)
Offertory Music: Pavane – Warlock
Philip Arnold Heseltine (1894-1930), better known by his pseudonym Peter Warlock, was a British composer, author, and music journalist. As a composer, Warlock was most famously known for vocal and choral music, although he also wrote a number of instrumental pieces. “Pavane” is the second movement from Warlock’s 1926 Capriol Suite, originally written for two pianos but later adapted by the composer for orchestra. On Sunday, you’ll hear an organ arrangement of “Pavane” by UUCC Music Director Mike Carney.
Closing Hymn: #131 Love Will Guide Us – Rogers
Sally Rogers is an award-winning folk musician, songwriter and children’s arts educator. 2019 marked Sally’s 40th year as a songwriter, performer and educator, and she is still steaming ahead, warming hearts and minds wherever she goes. Her songs “Lovely Agnes” and “Touch of the Master’s Hand” have frequently been mistaken for traditional, while “Love Will Guide Us” and “Circle of the Sun” are now anthems for rituals of passage and protest (from sallyrogers.com). Rogers’ gospel-inspired “Love Will Guide Us” is #131 in our Singing the Living Tradition” hymnal and is a favorite of many UUs.
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