Music Notes – Sunday, May 29th:
This Sunday’s musician is UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley.
Opening Hymn: #2 Down the Ages We Have Trod – Benjamin/Storey
One of the best-known living UU composers, Thomas Benjamin (b. 1940) remains an active performer, educator, and composer. Many of his works can be found in our Singing the Living Tradition and Singing the Journey hymnals. Published both as a composer and an author and the recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Benjamin taught for many years at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music and also taught music theory and composition at the esteemed Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. Benjamin wrote the music for “Down the Ages We Have Trod” (#2 in Singing the Living Tradition), setting words by British Unitarian minister and poet John Andrew Storey (1935-1998).
Centering Music: The Butterfly Lovers (Gang and Zhanhao, transcribed by Karin Tooley)
Based on the ancient legend of the same name, The Butterfly Lovers’ Concerto is among the best-known Chinese orchestral works. The music was co-written in 1959 by He Zhanhao (b. 1933) and Chen Gang (b. 1935) while they were students at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Most of the melodic and harmonic material in the concerto uses the pentatonic (5-note) scale that is prevalent in much of the traditional folk music from East Asia. The adaptation of the work for solo piano you are hearing today is by UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley.
Meditation Response: #312 Here on the Paths of Every Day
#312 in our Singing the Living Tradition hymnal is a lesser-known hymn for most UUs, but one that definitely deserves a second look. The words come from “Earth Is Enough” by American poet and educator Edwin Markham (1852-1940). The tune, called “Fillmore” is believed to have been written by New England musician and composer Jeremiah Ingalls (1764-1838).
Offertory music: Circle – Chapin
Award-winning American singer/songwriter, guitarist, and activist Harry Chapin (1942-1981) was successful and widely influential in both the folk and pop music scenes of the 1970s. Chapin had multiple albums certified platinum (over 1 million units sold) and is an inductee in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Chapin also played an important role in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977, and in 1987, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian efforts. “Circle” was released on Chapin’s 1972 album Sniper and Other Love Songs. Although the song did not chart as a single, it was a favorite of Chapin’s fans and eventually became the unofficial “Chapin theme song”, appearing on multiple compilation albums and performed in nearly all of Chapin’s live concerts.
Closing Hymn: We Are Not Our Own – Hurd/Wren
“We Are Not Our Own” (#317) is one of the lesser-known hymns in Singing the Living Tradition. The words come from British poet, theologist and prolific hymn writer Brian Wren (b. 1936), who is the author of several other hymns in Singing the Living Tradition, including “Name Unnamed”, “Joyful Is the Dark”, and “Love Makes a Bridge”. The arching, hopeful tune for “We Are Not Our Own” was written by Dr. David Hurd (b. 1950), a composer, organist, and educator who currently serves as the Director of Music at the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Times Square, New York City.
Postlude: Tranquil Mountain with Birds Singing – Traditional Chinese melody, arr. Tooley
“Tranquil Mountain with Birds Singing” is a traditional folksong, believed to have originated in the Hunan province of China. The arrangement and performance of this song featured on Sunday are both by UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director