Mood: Joyful
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STLT#146, Soon the Day Will Arrive
I was hoping Jacqui James would bail me out today. I was really hoping there would be some long explanation of the origins of this song – that the lyricist, Ehud Manor, had written this in response to a particular moment/tragedy/event that I could expand upon, or that the composer, Nurit Hirsch, had discovered an… Continue reading
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STLT#126, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
It feels a little like cheating that this was our closing hymn yesterday, and I’ve had it as an earworm for 24 hours – and it’s been on my mind since I first chose it for this service weeks ago. And in this case, I don’t even care that only verse one is original, and… Continue reading
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STLT#122, Sound Over All Waters
My love/hate relationship with lyricist John Greenleaf Whittier continues. As regular readers may remember, I have loved some of his lyrics; I loved the movement in No Longer Forward or Behind and the call to action hidden under Immortal Love… and I have hated others; I found the ‘people suck’ attitude of The Harp at… Continue reading
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STLT#118, This Little Light of Mine
This is traditionally a cheery piece – one of the few songs Unitarian Universalists feel comfortable clapping to. Everybody knows it and harmonizes to it and it feels sweet and simple and fun. This morning, after a Saturday full of the unreasonable ban against some of our Muslim neighbors – which, despite a stay from… Continue reading
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STLT#116, I’m On My Way
I don’t know where to begin with this one – while it is a joyful song of determination to sing, there are so many layers of complexity, and as a middle-aged white woman, I feel uncomfortable making any assumptions or proclamations about the things that make me go “hmm” here. So I’ll pose some questions and… Continue reading
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STLT#100, I’ve Got Peace Like a River
Happy Hundredth Hymn! Thanks, readers, for being here, commenting, engaging, and occasionally educating. Only 390 more to go! Now… this song is a unquestionably a zipper song. It is highly repetitive and easy to learn. What’s fun about it is when people start harmonizing – it turns it from ‘dear god make it stop’ (with flashbacks… Continue reading
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STLT#76, For Flowers That Bloom about Our Feet
I feel like I have been nothing but critical lately – which may be connected to my general mood or just because I hit some hymns that don’t work for me. But this morning – this weird morning that on Long Island is disturbingly warm (53 degrees) and blustery and elsewhere is bitterly cold and… Continue reading
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STLT#75, The Harp at Nature’s Advent
Let’s just tuck right in, shall we? This is a pretty and light tune (albeit with an odd harmonic choice in the second phrase), and it accompanies pretty and light lyrics, almost. Because while everything is lovely and wonderful in nature, from star to sea, from earth to sky, apparently our lyricist, John Greenleaf Whittier, thinks… Continue reading
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STLT#61, Lo, the Earth Awakes Again
And with one turn of a page, we enter the sublimely ridiculous. Yes, it’s time, in these last days of autumn, as the nights grow dark and cold, to begin singing our Spring and Summer songs. Because if spiritual practice teaches us anything, it’s to expect bizarre coincidences and juxtapositions. Plus, this is what I… Continue reading
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STLT#47, Now on Land and Sea Descending
More signs of life returning? Now on land and sea descending, brings the night its peace profound; let our vesper hymn be blending with the holy calm around. (Chorus) Jubilate! Jubilate! Jubilate! Amen. Jubilate! Jubilate! Jubilate! Amen. Soon as dies the sunset glory, stars of heav’n shine out above, telling still the ancient story —… Continue reading
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links
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