Music Notes – Sunday, November 28th:
This Sunday’s musicians are UUCC Music Director Mike Carney, UUCC Pianist Karin Tooley, and Rev. Randy Partain.
Opening Hymn: #52 In Sweet Fields of Autumn
To most UUs, “In Sweet Fields of Autumn” may not be one of the most familiar hymns in Singing the Living Tradition, but its gently rolling melody and words expressing the bittersweet beauty of this time of year make it a worthy addition to our hymnal. The tune, known as “Cradle Hymn”, may sound familiar, as it is most famously associated with the well-known Christmas carol “Away in a Manger”. That tune was written in 1895 by American musician and hymnist William Kirkpatrick (1838-1921), and the words we’ll sing on Sunday are from American author and poet Elizabeth Madison.
Centering Music: Thanksgiving – Winston
American pianist and composer George Winston (b. 1949) is known mostly for folk and jazz, although he has written and performed in a wide range of styles. According to Winston, his contemplative “Thanksgiving” was ‘inspired by friends and places of Miles City, Montana’. “Thanksgiving” is the first track of Winston’s 1982 album December.
Sung Meditation: #1037 We Begin Again in Love
#1037 in our Singing the Journey hymnbook, “We Begin Again in Love” is a responsorial hymn with both spoken and musical elements. The words are by Rev. Robert L. Eller-Isaacs (b. 1951), who is currently serving as co-minister of Unity Church–Unitarian in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the music is by Les Kleen (b. 1942), who served for more than 20 years as choir director at the First Unitarian Universalist church of Columbus, Ohio.
Offertory music: In My Life – Lennon/McCartney
“In My Life” is a song by The Beatles from their 1965 album Rubber Soul. The song was primarily written by John Lennon with some contributions by co-writer Paul McCartney and producer George Martin. Although not released as a single, “In My Life” was an important song for other reasons. Lennon described it as his “first real major piece of work” because of the song’s deeply personal meaning, and Rolling Stone magazine ranked “In My Life” as #23 on their list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” and #5 on their list of the “100 Greatest Beatles Songs”.
Special Music: I Release You – Partain
“I Release You” is an original composition by UUCC’s Rev. Randy Partain. In Rev. Randy’s own words: “Holding onto resentment can seriously hinder our ability to nurture greater wholeness in the world around us. Rather than using our energy to create a global community with peace, liberty, and justice for every person, we spend energy on harboring ill will toward those we believe to have wounded us. ‘I Release You’ is a song about the human act of offering and seeking forgiveness, a necessary practice if we aim to more fully manifest a vision of wholeness and well-being in our own lives and in the lives of others.”
Closing Hymn: #226 People, Look East
The words for the now-familiar advent hymn “People, Look East” were written by British poet and author Eleanor Farjean (1881-1965), who is also the author of “Morning Has Broken” and many other hymns. Farjean’s setting was first published in 1928 in The Oxford Book of Carols under the title “Carol of Advent”, and is now found in hundreds of hymnbooks, including our own Singing the Living Tradition (#226). The melody, based on a traditional French hymn tune known as “Besançon”, dates to at least the late 19th century.
Postlude: I Will Sing Praises – Smallwood
Atlanta native Richard Smallwood (b. 1949) is a musician, songwriter, and bandleader who has helped to redefine American Gospel music over the last 40 years. Smallwood has sold millions of records, is a Grammy-award winner and was inducted into the Gospel Hall of Fame in 2006. His songs are sung and played in worship services around the world and have been covered by many artists, including Whitney Houston, Oleta Adams, and Destiny’s Child. “I Will Sing Praises” was released in 1996 on Adoration, Smallwood’s first album with Vision, a gospel ensemble he still leads to this day.
-Mike Carney, UUCC Music Director