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 20th:
This Sunday’s musicians are Molly Watkins and UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley.
Opening Hymn: #128 For All That Is Our Life – Rickey & Findlow
#128 in Singing the Living Tradition, “For All That Is Our Life” has been a favorite UU hymn for many years. The song resulted from a collaboration between composer Patrick Rickey (b. 1964), a California-based songwriter and church musician and Rev. Bruce Findlow (1922-1994), a British author, educator and UU Minister who wrote the lyrics.
Centering Music: Nobody Not Really – Keys & Smith
“Nobody Not Really” is a 2003 song written by Alicia Keys and Taneisha Smith for Keys’ second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. Born in 1981 as Alicia Augello Cook, Keys is a 15-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer and is also an accomplished actress, a New York Times best-selling author, an entrepreneur and a powerful force in the world of philanthropy and in the global fight against HIV and AIDS. (from aliciakeys.com)
Meditation Response: #100 I’ve Got Peace Like a River (Frey)
“Peace Like a River” is generally credited to Marvin Frey (1918-1992), an American evangelical minister and composer of over 2,000 songs. However, some musicologists believe the song may have its roots in the African American Spiritual tradition, and Frey simply transcribed and arranged an existing song. Regardless of its true origins, “Peace Like a River is unquestionably one of the best-known American hymns ever written. It is #100 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal and is also found in the hymnbooks for dozens of other denominations.
Offertory Music: Beautiful – Perry
“Beautiful” was written in 2001 by singer and songwriter Linda Perry (b. 1965), who is best-known as the lead singer and creative force behind the 1990s alt-rock band 4 Non Blondes. Perry originally wrote “Beautiful” with the idea that she would sing the vocal part herself, expecting to record and release it as part of an upcoming solo project. However, while preparing for a recording session with pop diva Christina Aguilera (b. 1980), Perry invited Aguilera to sing through “Beautiful” as a warm-up and icebreaker. Perry was so moved by Aguilera’s raw, emotionally charged take on the song that she changed her mind and offered the song to Aguilera. Aguilera accepted but wanted to re-record the ‘demo’ version she had originally recorded. Perry would not allow it, though, insisting that Aguilera’s unvarnished, imperfect recording was the ideal expression of the song’s message. That original recording of “Beautiful” was ultimately released on Aguilera’s 2002 album Stripped, and the song became hugely successful, both commercially (reaching #2 in the U.S. and #1 in Canada, Australia, and the U.K.) and critically (achieving near-universal acclaim and winning the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance as well as a GLAAD Media Award for the music video’s positive portrayal of gay and transgender people).
Closing Hymn: Come and Go with Me – African American Spiritual
“Come and Go with Me” (also known as “Go with Me to that Land”) originated as an African American spiritual. The song features call-and-response singing and lyrics expressing the hope of a better world to come, and has been recorded by many artists, including Bernice Johnson Reagon, Blind Willie Johnson, and Peter, Paul and Mary. “Come and Go with Me” is also #1018 in our Singing the Journey hymnbook, arranged by Kenny Smith (b. 1965).
Postlude: Hey Brother – Bergling, Fakir, Maggio, Pontare and Pournouri
“Hey Brother” was a hit single for Swedish DJ, producer, and songwriter Tim Bergling (1989-2018), better known by his stage name Avicii. The song was co-written by Bergling along with several collaborators: Salem Al Fakir, Veronica Maggio, Vincent Pontare, and Ash Pournouri. The song features an unusual mixture of country, band music, and electronica, and it tells the story of two brothers from the American heartland growing up in the shadow of the Vietnam War. “Hey Brother” was the third single released from Avicii’s 2013 debut album True, becoming a top 20 hit in the U.S. and climbing to #2 in the U.K. This Sunday, you’ll hear a piano arrangement of this song by UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director