To View Program for Unity
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Friday, October 30, 2020 at 7:30 pm Central Post-Concert Discussion with Craig Hella Johnson, Andrew Timm, Simon Barrad, Kathlene Ritch and Sonja DuToit Tengblad Sunday, November 1, 2020 at 3:00 pm Central Post-Concert Discussion with Craig Hella Johnson, Andrew Timm, Sarah Brauer, and Melissa Givens Streaming at conspirare.org/unity beginning Monday, November 2 Program O Thou Who art unchangeable Samuel Barber (1910 – 1981) (from Prayers of Kierkegaard, Op. 30) Melissa Givens, soprano Chant: Where there is sorrow there is holy ground Craig Hella Johnson (b. 1962) Litany John Musto (b. 1954) Dashon Burton, baritone and Carla McElhaney, piano Requiem Eliza Gilkyson, arr. Craig Hella Johnson Poem: Once the World Was Perfect Joy Harjo (b. 1951) Shari Wilson, reader O ewiges Feuer, or Ursprung der Liebe J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750) (from Cantata BWV 34) Wish Erika Fine In Time of Plague N. Scott Momaday (b. 1934) nameless Mahogany L. Browne (b. 1976) Readers (in order of appearance: Gitanjali Mathur, Ernest Harrison, Simon Barrad, Melissa Givens, Laura Mercado-Wright, Kathlene Ritch, Chelsea Helm, Sonja DuToit Tengblad A Thousand Beautiful Things Annie Lennox (b. 1954), arr. Craig Hella Johnson Kathlene Ritch, soprano Shall We Gather Traditional, arr. Craig Hella Johnson Charles Wesley Evans, bass Me/No (world premiere) Deke Sharon Agnus Dei (Adagio for Strings, Op. 11) Samuel Barber If I Had a Hammer Craig Hella Johnson God Bless America Irving Berlin (1888-1989) Then the Great Song (excerpt from Siddhartha) Herman Hesse (1877 – 1962) Dashon Burton, reader Dona Nobis Pacem (Mass in B minor) J.S. Bach Remember Joy Harjo (b. 1951) Laura Mercado-Wright, reader Bless this House May Brahe (1884-1956) arr. Paul Ayres (b. 1970) 1 UNITY CONCERT TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS O Thou Who are unchangeable, Whom nothing changes, May we find our rest And remain at rest in Thee unchanging. Thou art moved and moved in infinite love by all things; the need of a sparrow, even this moves Thee; and what we scarcely see, a human sigh, the moves Thee, O infinite Love! (the need of a sparrow, even this moves Thee; and what we scarcely see, a human sigh, the moves Thee, O infinite Love!) - Søren Kierkegaard Where there is sorrow, there is holy ground. - Oscar Wilde Litany Gather up In the arms of your pity The sick, the depraved, The desperate, the tired, All the scum Of our weary city. Gather up In the arms of your pity. Gather up In the arms of your love– Those who expect No love from above. - Langston Hughes Requiem Mother mary, full of grace, awaken All our homes are gone, our loved ones taken Taken by the sea Mother mary, calm our fears, have mercy Drowning in a sea of tears, have mercy Hear our mournful plea 1 Our world has been shaken We wander our homelands forsaken In the dark night of the soul Bring some comfort to us all Oh mother mary come and carry us in your embrace That our sorrows may be faced Mary, fill the glass to overflowing Illuminate the path where we are going Have mercy on us all In funeral fires burning Each flame to your mystery returning In the dark night of the soul Your shattered dreamers, make them whole, Oh mother mary find us where we've fallen out of grace Lead us to a higher place In the dark night of the soul Our broken hearts you can make whole Oh mother mary come and carry us in your embrace Let us see your gentle face, mary - Eliza Gilkyson (The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe.) - Joanna Macy Once the World Was Perfect Once the world was perfect, and we were happy in that world. Then we took it for granted. Discontent began a small rumble in the earthly mind. Then Doubt pushed through with its spiked head. And once Doubt ruptured the web, All manner of demon thoughts Jumped through— We destroyed the world we had been given For inspiration, for life— Each stone of jealousy, each stone Of fear, greed, envy, and hatred, put out the light. No one was without a stone in his or her hand. There we were, Right back where we had started. We were bumping into each other In the dark. And now we had no place to live, since we didn't know 1 How to live with each other. Then one of the stumbling ones took pity on another And shared a blanket. A spark of kindness made a light. The light made an opening in the darkness. Everyone worked together to make a ladder. A Wind Clan person climbed out first into the next world, And then the other clans, the children of those clans, their children, And their children, all the way through time— To now, into this morning light to you. - Joy Harjo O ewiges Feuer, or Ursprung der Liebe (from Bach Cantata BWV 34) O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, O eternal fire, o source of love, Entzünde die Herzen und weihe sie ein. ignite our hearts and consecrate them. Laß himmlische Flammen durchdringen und wallen, Let heavenly flames penetrate and surge over us, Wir wünschen, o Höchster, dein Tempel zu sein, we wish, o Highest, to be Your temple, Ach, lass dir die Seelen im Glauben gefallen. Ah, may our souls be pleasing to you in faith! - Anonymous Wish The weeks go by, the fourth, the fifth, And normalcy’s become a myth. I want to hug, I want to hold, I want this deadly scourge controlled. I want to walk amidst a crowd. I want to lift this morbid shroud. I sit, sequestered in my home, And yearn to mingle, travel, roam. My energy is out of whack — I want my normal problems back. - Erika Fine In the Time of Plague We keep indoors. When we dare to venture out We are cautious. Our neighbors Smile, but in their eyes there is Reserve and suspicion. They keep their distance, As we do ours, in mute accord. Much of our fear is unspoken, For there is at last the weight of custom, The tender of rote consolation. We endure thoughts of demise And measure the distance of death. 1 Death too wears a mask. But consider, there may well be good In our misfortune if we can find it. It is Hidden in the darkness of our fear. But discover it and see that it is hope And more; it is the gift of opportunity. We have the rare chance to prevail, To pose a resolution for world renewal. We can be better than we have ever been. We can improve the human condition. We can imagine, then strive to realize, Our potential for goodness and morality. We can overcome pestilence, war and poverty. We can preserve our sacred purpose. We can Determine who we are in our essential nature And who we can be. We are committed to this end For our own sake and for the sake of those Who will come after us. There is a better future, And we can secure it. Let us take up the task, and Let us be worthy of our best destiny. - N. Scott Momaday And we all finally come to know the liberation and healing for all which occurs when we proclaim over and over until it is known and realized. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter. nameless A Thousand Beautiful Things Every day I write the list Of reasons why I still believe they do exist (A thousand beautiful things) And even though it's hard to see The glass is full and not half empty (A thousand beautiful things) So, light me up like the sun To cool down with your rain I never want to close my eyes again Never close my eyes Never close my eyes I thank you for the air to breathe The heart to beat The eyes to see again (A thousand beautiful things) And all the things that's been and done The battle's won 1 The good and bad in everyone (This is mine to remember) So, Here I go again Singing by your window Picking up the pieces of what's left to find The world was meant for you and me To figure out our destiny (A thousand beautiful things) To live To die To breathe To sleep To try to make your life complete (Yes yes…) So Light me up like the sun To cool down with your rain I never want to close my eyes again Never close my eyes Never close my eyes That is everything I have to say (That's is everything I have to say) - Annie Lennox Shall we Gather Shall we gather at the river Where bright angel feet have trod With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God? Yes, we'll gather at the river The beautiful, the beautiful river Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God - Robert Lowry Agnus Dei Agnus Dei, The Lamb of God Qui tollis peccata mundi, Who took the sins of the world, Miserere nobis. Have mercy upon us. Agnus Dei, The Lamb of God Qui tollis peccata mundi, Who took the sins of the world, Dona nobis pacem. Grant us peace. - John 1:29 1 Me / No me no If I had a Hammer If I had a hammer I'd hammer in the morning I'd hammer in the evening All over this land I'd hammer out danger I'd hammer out a warning I'd hammer out love between My brothers and my sisters All over this land If I had a bell I'd ring it in the morning I'd ring it in the evening All over this land I'd ring out danger I'd ring out a warning I'd ring out love between My brothers and my sisters All over this land If I had a song I'd sing it in the morning I'd sing it in the evening All over this world I'd sing out danger I'd sing out a warning I'd sing out love between My brothers and my sisters All over this land I got a hammer And I've got a bell And I've got a song to sing All over this land It's the hammer of justice It's the bell of freedom It's the song about love between My brothers and my sisters All over this land - Lee Hays & Pete Seeger 1 God Bless America God Bless America, land that I love Stand beside her and guide her Through the night with the light from above Tell her what she hasn't known How her heart can lead her there So near to where she needs to be May we sing together soon From the mountains to the prairies To the oceans white with foam Love her like the child she is Hold her while she shakes in fear Heal the rage that fills her soul Comfort all the hurt within Bewildered child your sorrows burn Still so far from where you dream Freedom is your secret name You will come to feel her joy -Michael Dennis Browne & Craig Hella Johnson God bless America God Bless America God Bless America My home sweet home.