So here’s my list of songs from both Singing the Living Tradition (SLT) and Singing the Journey (STJ) that can be done meaningfully in worship with a small group, with or without simple accompaniment or a song leader:

• “Dona Nobis Pacem” (SLT #388)
• “Come Let Us Sing” (SLT #368)
• “Rise Up, O Flame” (SLT #362)
• “Sing and Rejoice” (SLT #395)
• “Enter, Rejoice, and Come In” (SLT #361)
• “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah” (SLT #201)
• “Every Time I Feel the Spirit” (SLT #208)
• “Gathered Here” (SLT #389)
• “Come, Come, Whoever You Are” (SLT #188)
• “Lean on Me” (STJ #1021)
• “Siyahamba” (STJ #1030)
• “Comfort Me” (STJ #1002)
• “Guide My Feet” (SLT #348)
• “Meditation on Breathing” (STJ #1009)
• “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” (SLT #98)
• “What Wondrous Love” (SLT #18)
• “Spirit of Life” (SLT #123)
• “Morning Has Broken” (SLT #38)
• “Precious Lord, Take My Hand (SLT #199)
• “I’ve Got Peace Like a River” (SLT #100)
• “We’re Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table” (SLT #407)
• “Amazing Grace” (SLT #205)
• “There is More Love” (SLT #95)
• “There’s a River Flowin’ in My Soul” (STJ #1007)
• “Come, Sing a Song with Me” (SLT #346)
• “From You I Receive” (SLT #402)
• “Building Bridges” (STJ #1023)
• “Vieni Spirito Creatore” (STJ #1049 but only in the Italian)
• “Freedom is Coming” (STJ #1035 - simplify it and do it a cappella)
• “I’m On My Way” (SLT #116)
• “This Little Light of Mine” (SLT #118)
• “Come and Go With Me” (STJ #1018)
• “Gather the Spirit” (SLT #347)
• “We Shall Overcome” (SLT #169)
• “Simple Gifts” (SLT #16)
• “My Your Life Be as a Song (STJ #1059)
• “I Know This Rose Will Open” (SLT #396)
• “Over My Head” (SLT #30)
• “We Are a Gentle, Angry People” (SLT #170)
• “Go Now in Peace” (SLT #413)
• “Gaudeamus Hodie” (SLT #390)
• “Alleluia Amen” (SLT #383)

Comments? Additions or subtractions?

So I have more to say about Singing the Journey after experiencing some of the music at this year’s General Assembly. You can read my original reviews of each every song contained in the hymnal supplement using the links in the left sidebar.

Things started off well, I think, with the Opening Ceremony and hymn number 1046, Shall We Gather at the River. I liked this one on my first encounter, and I like it still. I think it worked with the large group, though I’m sure there were factions around the hall singing in different interpretations of the meter due to the impossible audio conditions. The children’s choir at the Closing Ceremony also sang this, quite beautifully.

The Sunday morning worship’s opening hymn was number 1000, Morning Has Come. True to the nature of convention-center worship style, the words were projected on the screens in the front and no one but the choir had any music in front of them. They sang the first verse, as a way of teaching the song to the congregation, but the quality of the amplification of the choir was so very very poor and tinny that it was, at least from where I was sitting, completely unhelpful.

Here’s what I originally said about this song:

The first note that the congregation sings after an intro that does not include the melody of the hymn comes out of nowhere. The chord at the end of the intro sounds completely unrelated to the beginning of the melody, and we’ve all been in the congregation when this happens - miss the first note, and you’re toast for the rest of the hymn.

Sure enough, no one around me could follow the music.

In addition, there’s a melodic shift in the third stanza as the melody moves upward to an E flat that no one caught until maybe the last verse.

Now don’t get me wrong: I like this song, and I think it’s a good addition to the UU repertoire. However, it is incredibly unsuited for this particular style of worship, one that the creators of the supplement specifically claimed to be aiming for. If they had bothered to print the music in the order of service, which easily could have been done, more people would have sung it and helped those who don’t read music along. As it was, we were floundering, people, and that’s no way to start an otherwise fantabulous service.

Then there was the Closing Ceremony, where one of the hymns was the newly titled Then May I Learn, otherwise known as number 1012 from STJ, When I Am Frightened. Apparently this song is included in the newest offering from the UU Musician’s Network, a children’s collection.

I wasn’t very kind in my original review, and I can’t say I feel any differently about the song now. But I’ll add this, since this song is now being pointed at kids - it’s in the wrong key.

Kids under 12 have a hard time singing lower than the E above middle C, and this song stays right in that tricky range through both sections of the melody. It needs to be pitched up about a third to really work for kids’ choirs - the highest note is then a D.

I stand by my original statement that it’s not really a hymn, but I’ll admit that it would be disgustingly adorable for a kids’ choir anthem.

As a whole, the music this year was a lot better than last year, but the audio setup was abominable. Part of that was the formation of the hall itself, and part of it was - what, gremlins? I don’t know, but it hurt my ears a lot. I was glad not to be in Plenary.

Any additional comments, anyone? I’ll write about contemporary worship in general in another post as well.

So we’re still talking about Singing the Journey, as more people find and comment on my review series (see the bar at the left for individual entries).

I knew this would happen, that I would ruffle a lot of feathers and perhaps cause some people pain through my reviews of their individual work. And I know it hurts when people don’t like something that you put a lot of time and effort into, especially if they perhaps write some not so supportive statements about it, but I think it’s important to be honest. There’s a difference between tearing down and object and tearing down a human being - and it’s particularly hard for artists of all ilks to differentiate between those two. Here’s what I wrote in the comments on the last STJ post in response to a reader who felt I’d been less than respectful in my reviews:

I think it’s going a bit far to say that because I’ve written some negative reviews of some people’s work that I am not showing those people respect. It’s more than possible to respect and affirm an individual without continuous praise and back-patting.

I’ve found that when criticism is only positive and artists are expected to improve by inferring the negative stuff from silence, nothing grows. Not to say that I’m any kind of a professional critic, but I would hope that those muscians accomplished enough to have a work published in a collection like this would have a thick enough skin to learn from others’ reactions to their work, professional or not. That line, “If you can’t say something nice…” isn’t always in play in real life, as much as we wish it could be. So no, I don’t pull punches. But neither do I say, “Man, the idiot who wrote this piece of dreck should be absolutely ashamed, has no talent, and should go hide under a rock, never to make music again.”

Some work IS dreck. But that doesn’t mean the person who did the work should be torn down. Some work is fabulous, and likewise that doesn’t mean the person who created it should be put on a pedestal. We’re all human.

The situation reminds me of when I was a Mary Kay lady. (Who knew? Three years of my life!) The culture in Mary Kay is to always be positive, to always build people up - which is great, but to a point. So if the other women in my unit thought that my favorite new suit was absolutely horrific, did me no favors and should be burned, they would simply refrain from commenting on it. If they thought that my hair looked better than average on a given day, they would gush in rapture.

Somehow, I was supposed to pick out the constructive criticism from the silence. If nobody offered me a compliment on a particular outfit or accessory, it was expected that I would just know never to wear it again. And yes, most events were centered around how faaaabulous we all looked, ’cause we were selling makeup, right?

But it’s the same all over the place. Look at Paula on American Idol. (Yeah, I watch it. It’s oddly fascinating.) Even when a performance just isn’t good, and maybe the singer could learn about what wasn’t good and do better next time, Paula just tells them that they’re perfect, amazing, and are going to be big stars. And when they make the same errors next week and get sent home, they wonder what went wrong. And the fans, when a judge tries to offer something constructive/negative, just boo as if these quasi-celebrities could never make any mistakes.

Same thing when I was in college - audition after audition after audition, and no good parts for the first three years, and no one would give me any kind of guidance as to how I could improve and grow, either as a performer or as a professional. (Like, “Hey Jess, get the chip off your shoulder and stop thinking we’ll simply hand it to you - you have to actually work for this!” If someone had smacked me upside the head and said that sometime in my freshman year, who knows where I’d be now!)

Or look at little kids and art. How many times have you seen parents look at the slightest scribble on a piece of paper and declare it a masterpiece, worthy of framing! Kids don’t learn from that. At first, yes, it’s extremely important to encourage and praise those efforts, but as a kid gets older, it’s equally important to help them learn how to make it better. How to take a stick figure and make it into a person, how to take that scribble of blue across the top of the page and bring it down to make the whole sky, how to look critically at their own work, acknowledging the good and learning from the bad, how to make it look like they see it in their minds’ eyes.

So anyway. I’m not trying to set myself up as this fantastic professional hymnal-critic or anything, ’cause I’m not. But I hate to do anything half-assed, and I’m not going to wax rhapsodic over something in pretense just to avoid saying something negative that might hurt. Affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every person includes rapping some knuckles every once in awhile. Not in the spirit of meanness, but in the spirit of growth. Sometimes we need to be told, point-blank, that what we’re doing isn’t right, or that not everyone likes it, or that it’s simply crap. We’re not fragile, not at the core. We need to be told that we can do better. You take your bruises, you heal, and you hopefully learn and move on.

So that the obsession may cease, here follows the last song-by-song review of hymns from Singing the Journey, the UUA’s new hymnal supplement. For other installments, see the bar over on the left.

1068: Rising Green

Absolutely gorgeous, words and music both. This hymn is sure to become a favorite - an accessible, yet beautifully musical melody, with a nice flowing accompaniment that provides good support. I would suggest a slight lift at the end of the first phrase; it’s a note that wants holding out just a bit longer than notated. And don’t sing it too slow!

1069-1073: Earth Centered Chants

There are five chants here that the notes say can be sung together. The notes have the numbers of the pieces wrong, though (1068-1072 instead of 1069-173), suggesting a late addition or subtraction from the book.

As a group, these don’t do a whole lot for me. Some are better than others, as I shall go into below, but I wonder at the choice to devote five slots to basically the same music. It’s interesting that they can be overlapped, but they’re different lengths, markedly different notated tempos, and there are no suggestions listed as to how one might make this happen in a congregational setting. A choir could probably put something really neat together using these pieces, but this is supposed to be group singing, right?

I’d also like to point out that while the commission who created this book may have expected a songleader or cantor in every church (see Jason Shelton’s post over at Philocrites, this is never clearly stated as an expectation in the book itself. Nor is it expressed at the UUA’s website section devoted to the book. And it’s not actually a reality in our churches - some have ‘em, some don’t, and some shudder at anything that smacks of “contemporary worship.” So to put a section in with the cryptic note that “All of these chants may be sung at the same time” adds needless confusion to what has been billed as a congregational resource, not merely one for professional/volunteer music staff.

To my mind, teaching a song or songs during a service is disruptive. The material has to merit that kind of attention in disturbing the flow of carefully planned liturgy. None of these chants speak to me in such a way as to be worth it.

1069: Ancient Mother

Most will recognize this from a quite effective choral arrangement popular in UU choirs. The plain chant is okay, where the choral piece is striking. This would be fine as a response to a reading, but don’t choose it as a stand alone hymn.

1070: Mother I Feel You

This is nice, but very poorly notated. Do we sing the verses all in a row, then the “heyas,” or repeat the “heya” after each verse, or sing them together as a two part hymn? It could be done all three ways, but needs to perhaps notate one and offer suggestions for the others in notes. As it’s written here, there has to be explanation rather than “Rise and sing!”

1071: On the Dusty Earth Drum

Not bad, but an odd second phrase. Will sound pretty good as a round. Nothing that special.

1072: Evening Breeze

Nice, short, a good round.

1073: The Earth is Our Mother

The only real chant-sounding piece in this group, but far far far too long with all six verses. Either do just the first three, where the words of verse two add on to verse one and the third is a repeat of the first, or do the first, fourth, fifth and sixth verses.

The Last Hymn!!!

1074: Turn the World Around

I love this song. I love the Muppets singing this song. I love singing this song with lots of other people.

And I wanted to be able to end this series with that. However, this arrangement of this song I find extremely disappointing.

It’s notated as a six page hymn with no less than TEN repeats.

The song is supposed to be sung in the three main parts, then put all together with everyone singing the part they like best. This, however, is both too structured, as to the ordering of what gets repeated where and when and how many times, and not structured enough, as to not showing where parts should really overlap. So it ends up as a confusing road map that doesn’t really get you anywhere. The piano is definitely accessible, but the format just falls flat. This is particularly true in the second to last section, where the piano just holds chords - relying on the congregational vocal to supply the momentum rather than supporting it. The accompanist could play unison octaves here to help drive the thing along.

But really, I would leave this lie and ask the choir to sing the very nice choral version, inviting the congregation to sing along. And so relegate this to mid-sized and up churches, when we could have had a rendition that would work in smaller churches.

I’m very sad about this.

And now a brief word of ending for the series, though I may have to write a full-on round up post.

My reviews have obviously been mixed for this book. There are things I love love love and things I HATE, and all manner of reactions in between. Please do not take my sometimes negative words as any kind of slam on the work done by the very talented and dedicated members of the commission which created this resource. They were given a project and a very very limited amount of time and resources with which to complete it, and this is the result - a bit of a mixed bag, but with lots of blood, sweat, and tears poured over top.

I would hope that the mostly positive reception to the book from all over the denomination will lead to a greater commitment of resources to its revision, and/or a more carefully planned development of the next full hymnal.

I applaud all those who worked on this resource. I applaud all those whose music is included. I don’t like all of it, but I don’t have to. Neither do you, and neither do all the people who were on the commission. But it was a ton of work, and I applaud that commitment and effort and talent which made it happen.

And that, my dear friends, is that. Please chime in with your own thoughts and experiences with this music.

And here follows reviews on hymns 1061-1067 in the UUA’s hymnal supplement, Singing the Journey.

1061: For So the Children Come

One of my favorite poems ever! I am so glad to see this in a responsive format, and a nice tune for the congregation. However, I feel the setting of We Begin Again in Love, number 1037, is a better example of truly effective responsive singing with the changing mood of the accompaniment under a simple melody. There is room here for an accompanist to improvise if so moved.

What I love about this poem is that it’s not just for Christmas (though traditionally used then). Our church in Milwaukee gave us a framed copy for Brandon’s dedication that still hangs in his room. If this were chosen for a service outside of Christmas/Solstice, perhaps omit section 2 of the reading.

1062: All Around the Child

A nice melody, but a needlessly clashing accompaniment. The words are great, and could also be used in spring or for child dedications. The last line is right out of Once in Royal David’s City, which might drive people crazy until they remember where they’ve heard it before! Very pretty, but I really wish the accompaniment were cleaner.

1063: Winter Solstice Chant

Play it with full orchestra, and this sounds like something out of an Errol Flynn movie. I don’t like songs like this, that try too hard and overcomplicate what could be simple and elegant. The words are overly syllabic for a chant.

1064: Blue Boat Home

I like this. The first time, either play the melody part way through or plant strong singers in the congregation. Once the group recognizes that they know this song, it’s golden. Great words, great adaptation of a well-loved hymn tune, and nice to sing as a group. The piano isn’t hard, just not obvious if you’ve not heard the tune done this way before.

1065: Alabanza (As the Rain is Falling)

Simple, repetitive melody, but pleasant. Spanish is a tough language for non-speakers, with difficult vowel combinations. The English for this is lovely, and hopefully a good translation. It would be an interesting arrangement to have a soloist sing the Spanish verses, alternating with the congregation. Nice song.

1066: O Brother Sun

This is a hard tune to breathe, one where you don’t want to take it too slow, but too fast and there’s no room to catch a breath. That said, I LOVE it. Wonderful adaptation of the words from St. Francis, and Ye Banks and Braes is such a great tune.

I have to add a nod here to Sharon Anway, who first paired these words and this melody, ’cause she’s from my home town of Cedar Falls, Iowa! I think I remember her playing in the pit band for a production of Quilters my stepmother was in about fifteen years ago.

1067: Mother Earth, Beloved Garden

This is just too long. Maybe it would work if it were broken up - it’s formatted as if you’re calling the four quarters in Circle. In a traditional service, though, I wouldn’t want to do more than one verse. It’s too dirge-y, even up tempo.

I’m puzzled by the Goddess-centered and modern Pagan fascination with open fifths. I would rather do something a little more lyrical than chant-like with some of these texts, which would also feel, to me, less like the cultural appropriation of Native American tradition. Personal preference.

More later in the week.

I’m back at the piano, having vacationed (twice!), birthdayed and re-entered work. And having spent a bunch of time preparing wedding music for tomorrow which I really don’t like but will sing for money.

[I can now understand singers who offer a specific list for weddings and won't do things off the list. I need to get my repertoire to the point where I can do that. Don't like singing songs by people named Twila. Or Lloyd-Webber. Especially not in the same wedding!! But I will do them as if I like them. Harder than it looks. I digress.]

Here is the 1st of the last three posts on Singing the Journey. Home stretch, baby!

1052: The Oneness of Everything

This has a lovely, soaring melody, mostly supported well by the piano but still better once you’ve done it a few times. The first note of both main phrases will seem to come out of nowhere until more than a few in the congregation know the song. Not for a small group unless you have more than two or three strong singers. A great lyric, deep without being gibberish like other “heavy” hymns.

1053: How Could Anyone

I’ve always loved these words. The arrangement is pretty basic, with room for embellishment or improvisation. It would be nice for noodling before a sung response to meditation. Fitting, and simple (if you don’t count the 4 sharps!).

1054: Let This Be a House of Peace

Nice words. Tricky rhythms, though, and sometimes the word placement on the notes doesn’t quite feel right. I feel it’s worth learning, with a fun, crashy accompaniment. The two part section in the refrain is a bit over complicated, with a 16th note triplet where straight 16ths would give the same effect and be easier to sing. A minor complaint for an otherwise fun piece.

1055: How Sweet the Darkness

I like this a lot. Nice melody, good range, good support from the piano/organ with room for noodling. The end chord doesn’t resolve at the last verse - makes me wish for a 2nd ending for more closure, but some people like this effect.

1056: Thula Klizeo

My first thought was, how many hymns in Zulu does one book need? But then I sang it and read the translation and I like it a lot. It’s fun, with good words (actually easier to pronounce than Siyahamba, which I love), and not hard to learn. You may need a song leader for the first time, but you could try it without, depending on your accompanist.

1057: Go Lifted Up

Deceptively simple. Go easy on the left hand the first few times, and it’s not hard to learn. I like it, though not for every week, and certainly not for “singing out the children.” (I hate that phrase.) A good sung benediction response.

1058: Be Ours a Religion

Pretty. Straightforward. Rather a predictable, obvious melody with the rising scale, but it’s a short response and not a full hymn, so it doesn’t bug me too much. Very nice, and I love the Parker words.

1059: May Your Life Be As a Song

Lovely. The contrast of the positive message with the simple, minor tune is striking. The tune is simple enough that a congregation might be enticed to sing it as a round, but, as is the case with many songs in this book, the typesetter didn’t line up the measure lines from one part to the next. This is such a simple thing! Another minor bone to pick: the syntax doesn’t quite work grammatically. This didn’t bother me until I thought about the words as poetry, but we go from “resounding in the night” to “softly serenade the stars.” Again, didn’t bug me until I thought about it, and I’d still sing it.

1060: As We Sing of Hope and Joy

An odd little hymn. The melody is straightforward, but the accompaniment takes some weird turns. I am bothered by the E flat major chord at the end of the second measure, which sticks out for some reason. It’s better with either a D or a C in the alto instead of the E flat. Verse two also bothers me, with a call to dampen joy. I don’t think we should ignore suffering, but I like noisy gongs! This isn’t awful, but isn’t great, either. Definitely take it faster than the meter is marked, or it will turn into a dirge.

So ends the reviewing, for now. Two more posts of individual songs coming soon, then a wrap-up and discussion (hopefully!).

Back from vacation, and back at the piano. It’s still hot.

Here follows hymns 1046-1051 in the UUA’s new supplement to the hymnal, Singing the Journey. Enjoy!

1046: Shall We Gather at the River

This is one of those songs that I can’t believe wasn’t in the first hymnal. It’s fun to sing, the poetry is lovely, and the arrangement simple with room for embellishment if the pianist is so moved. What I like about this song is that it’s a journey song with a clear destination. We don’t know exactly what the river looks like, but we know its qualities, and we’ll know it when we get there. And we know that’s where we’re going. Great song.

1047: Nada Te Turbe

Another Taizé song, but nothing special. The Spanish is accessible, but the English rather dull - might be nicer in French or Italian, but why bother?

1048: Ubi Caritas

Also Taizé, but I like this one. It’s pretty, interesting Latin, and would be a lovely response after pastoral prayer or a reading. I would hate to sing it over and over and over Taizé-style, though. It would drive me gently mad.

1049: Vieni Spirito Creatore

I like this piece a lot, but only in the Italian. For one thing, the English translation is overly wordy - the Italian translates simply as “Come, spirit of creation, come,” but the English has us inviting the Spirit over for a beer. And the Spanish calls the Spirit “Señor,” which, while I know is a function of a language that assigns genders to words, still bugs me. But it’s lovely and not too hard in Italian, either with just a few repetitions or in true “ad nauseum” Taizé style.

1050: Jazz Alleluia

This sounds really familiar, but I can’t quite place it. Like something from a kids’ choir I was in a long time ago. It’s okay, nothing real special, but hard for a congregation to learn as the accompaniment doesn’t even pretend to support the melody. A congregation will never sing this in a round, but even a small choir could use it as an introit or response. IT doesn’t do a whole lot for me.

1051: We Are

Ah, Ysaye Barnwell. I like this song as a song. As a congregational hymn, its lack of breaths or breaks of any kind becomes rather maddening. I feel it could have been simplified for a better group experience - as it is, there are far too many repeats and I feel that the congregation will gasp and struggle their way through it. Lots of great poetry here, but this piece has a tendency to either run away with the piano, at which point there is no hope of getting one’s mouth around all the words, or dragging interminably. At the very least, cut the middle section repeat, and cut the four written repeats at the end to two. Ideally, leave it for the choir, and get a better choral arrangement.

More later, before we go on our East Coast tour of grandparents and sights next week.

There’s been some talk about the process by which Singing the Journey came into being.

Commission member Jason Shelton writes regarding questions about the number of credits members of the commission have in the new supplement:

Time. There simply wasn’t enough time. The commission that put together Singing the Living Tradition had seven years to complete their task. We had one.

So what was the rush?

John’s review post said, “I think a potentially great music resource was rendered merely “OK” by this process.” I agree.

I don’t want to detract from the talent, time and effort that members of the commission put into this project. On the contrary, I think that for a year’s work mostly long distance, they’ve come up with a lot of good stuff, and potential for more. But I’m not going to pull any punches here, in the interest of constructivity.

I’m now over the halfway point in my hymn by hymn review of the book, and I’m coming to the conclusion that it simply was not ready for release. There are many problems with the “singability factor” of many of the pieces chosen, and a good number of songs that, in my opinion, should never have made it through the first cut. There are gratuitous “cultural” pieces in formats that make it impossible to use them as hymns, and there are pieces that are completely inaccessible to smaller congregations.

If the purpose of the the creation of this book was to truly supplement Singing the Living Tradition, to add to the body of congregational singing, then there are two key points that were never addressed.

First, the actual format of the printed music and lyrics on the page is not always best suited for hymn singing. The vast majority of non-English songs have the lyrics for the verses after the music. Many of the songs include confusing repeats, bridges, and other “jumping around.” This does not inspire confidence in a congregation, and instead results in half-hearted singing with puzzled looks as they page back and forth trying to figure out where everyone is. Hymn singing shouldn’t be painful.

Second, what is the true nature of congregational singing, and do all of these choices truly reflect how people sing together in church? In my experience, congregations sing when they enjoy or are moved by the process of singing, when they’re not hampered by the difficulty or inanity of the song. As a group, congregations don’t like to be alienated by the music on the page, they don’t like unpronouncable words, they don’t like confusing repeats, they don’t like illogical melodies not backed up in the accompaniment. When the process of learning the song hampers the actual singing of it, all meaning is lost. I feel that there are many choices in this book that do not serve the nature of group singing, that are more suited for choir anthems or solo singing. I think that in the commission’s rush away from traditional, “four-square” hymns they have somewhat overcompensated by including pieces that just don’t fit. Like the Duke Ellington song, Come Sunday which is in SLT, songs like Daoona Nayeesh and Everything Possible just aren’t suited for this purpose.

Both of these issues could have been addressed by singing through the entire book with a group or groups of typical, not necessarily musical, congregants. Maybe a lay song leader or two for some of the rounds, but otherwise just an average piano accompanist and a group of people singing in a room.

If the commission had taken more time with the project, then things like this could have been more adequately addressed. Then maybe we would have a supplement filled with more gems like the sung responses for Rob Eller-Isaac’s We Begin Again in Love and Sophia Lynn Fah’s And So the Children Come. These are thoughtful, moving settings that are infinitely valuable, much more so than gratuitous cultural appropriation and reworked pop songs.

As it is, this is a good resource, both for examples of great songs for group singing and of what not to sing in a congregation. I’d like to view it as a tentative starting point for a continually growing canon of Unitarian Universalist hymnody. Take what you can use, and leave the rest.

I’m in the “cultural” section of Singing the Journey now. I hate that this book went this direction, much like Singing the Living Tradition, where songs are included which no congregation would ever think of attempting because of how their inclusion makes us look as a denomination. It’s like shouting, “Look at how open-minded we are!” to an empty room. I’d rather have a hymnal where each and every song is available and accessible for true congregational singing, instead of including a gratuitous “skip me” section.

I warned y’all that I’m passionate about hymn singing, right?

But here we go. Hymns 1038-1045.

1038: The 23rd Psalm Dedicated to My Mother

I am pleasantly surprised by this piece. It’s very accessible, and moving. The minister could lead it, if the minister can carry a tune ;-), instead of a song leader. The words in the first measure are chanted in a speaking-like rhythm (think the unison parts of a responsive reading), then it moves into the melodic measures. It’s quite nice, and I love the alternative pronouns. The challenge to it is getting the congregation to participate - it may feel slightly awkward at first, but I think the effect is worth it.

1039: Be Thou With Us

A nice benediction, this has a somewhat traditional melody without feeling stodgy. The accompaniment adds texture, in a good way. I can see this becoming a mainstay of UU liturgy, but I wouldn’t sing it every single week.

1040: Hush

This is another well-loved choral anthem which the congregation will enjoy singing. However, this is a very different arrangement than the one most people know, different enough to make it awkward. I can see this frustrating a congregation until they learn it well - which might take awhile. Don’t get me wrong, I like the arrangement. I just think it will trip folks up. It’s also not easy for the accompanist in four flats.

1041: Santo

Again, with the verses printed after the music. There’s a ton of blank space here, WHY?? This leaves out all indication of what syllable goes where for the Spanish, which, again, makes it less likely that a congregation will be willing to even try it.

But, I find this piece mediocre. I don’t like the translation; I feel it’s sanctimonious. It’s not clearly notated if the verse repeats, or if the repeat is to the beginning, and there are no ending syllables written on the last chord. The melody is quite dull. I’m under-impressed.

1042: By the Rivers of Babylon

I love this song, but I don’t feel it belongs in the hymnal. This arrangement’s format is very odd, without a repeat back to the main theme. Not something I can see sung in a typical service in a typical church, or at least not in this format. Find a good arrangement for the choir and invite the congregation to sing along.

I feel that a better choice, if you wanted to include a good reggae/Marley song, would have been “Three Little Birds.” You know the one, “three little birds pitch by my doorstep, singing sweet songs of melodies pure and true, sayin’, this is my message to you-ou-ou… Don’t worry.”

1043: Székely Áldás

This is very pretty, but it’s not a hymn. The two parts, one in Transylvanian and one in English, are seemingly unrelated and neither of them are echoed in the accompaniment. The words are accessible, thanks to a pronunciation guide at the bottom of the page, and the parts aren’t all that hard, but there’s no strong melodic foundation to grab onto like Freedom is Coming or Siyahamba. Have someone sing it as a duet, but I don’t think it will work for a group sing.

1044: Eli, Eli (Walking to Cesaeria)

Absolute DRECK. Not a hymn. This is what my Israeli friend calls “folk-inspired sap.” The Hebrew isn’t that hard, but does require some modicum of familiarity. The translation has no verbs! Dull, ugly melody, and syrupy. Don’t bother.

1045: There is a Balm in Gilead

This is one of my favorite songs of all time, and this is a lovely arrangement. I wish, however, that the words had been updated to better reflect UU theology. I’ve heard a number of variations, including changing the last phrase to, “If you cannot sing like angels, if you cannot preach like Paul, then know the love of Jesus, and say he LIVED for all.” A simple, yet foundational change, would make a lot more people more comfortable singing this song, without subtracting from the meaning of it. And perhaps some other verses could have been written with more UU flavor.

That’s it for now. Enjoy!

It isn’t any cooler.

But here are reviews for the next batch of hymns from Singing the Journey. I have officially reached the halfway point!

1032: Daoona Nayeesh

Okay, there’s a lot wrong here. This feels like so much cultural appropriation to me. What could be a nice, simple chant in Arabic is Westernized and affected. Throw in a glissando, a dramatic pause, some random sixteenth notes, and it “feels” Middle Eastern, right? No. And it’s not formatted for group singing - this is a solo stuck in the middle of a hymnal. There had to have been better submissions, and I wonder what was left out in favor of this little piece of dreck.

1033: Bwana Awahariki

See above. If we’re going to sing a Swahili folk song, why pick a boring one? The tune and harmony don’t sound like much of anything, and the song doesn’t have much message. Perhaps this could find some use in R.E. Otherwise, I find it dull and unnecessary.

1034: De Noche

Unlike my husband, I like Taizé songs. I find most of them very meditative and lovely. This one, however, does nothing for me. The words are nice, but the melody isn’t very connected to them.

I also find it strange that the Spanish is the most prominently printed language, because the syllables don’t match up easily with the melody. The English works out well, I just don’t care for it. And, as usual for this book, the other languages are printed below the music rather than IN IT - so there’s no way of telling where the syllables might fit for any of them if you’re not familiar enough with the language. If the purpose of some of these choices is to encourage congregations to try new things, then the format should make it as easy as possible to do so. Failing miserably, so far.

1035: Freedom is Coming

I LOVE this song. We did it as an anthem once in the choir in Milwaukee, and I’ve found myself humming it every so often ever since.

I don’t love the arrangement, at least not for a congregational hymn. It’s traditional, with all of the cool harmony parts, but it’s broken into endlessly repeating sections instead of a more verse-like structure. If it had been somewhat simplified, with clearer directions written into the music, it would be easier to sing as a congregation. As it’s written, it requires a choir, or at least a quartet, to lead it and sing the harmony parts which drive the melody. I’ve been working on it with the kids, but they find it hard to hold the melody against the lower part.

Anyway, like Siyahamba, use the choir if you have one, or a small group with enthusiasm.

1036: Calypso Alleluia

Something like this should be simple. But it’s not. The rhythm is very tricky, and I think it will frustrate a congregation, even with song leader. Save it for the choir, and perhaps invite the congregation to sing along.

I am SO SICK of giving that advice. It’s a recurring theme in this book, as exemplified by the notes below this piece.

“It may be performed by layering or as a round.”

Performed??? This is meant to be a hymnal, right? A book of songs for small to large groups of people to sing together in worship? Hymns are not performed.

1037: We Begin Again in Love

Thanks to the gods for this piece. It is GLORIOUS. This makes up for the rest of the hymns (and non-hymns) covered in this post.

I love sung responses, and this one is particularly good. The words, from Rob Eller-Isaacs, have become a much loved reading in our tradition, and this musical response is destined to become a regular part of liturgy.

For simplicity’s sake, I suggest copying just the first rendition of the response in the order of service, as the congregation has little use for the accompanist’s music.

The progression through the repetitions, with the variations in the accompaniment, is quite moving. When the final chord comes out major from the minor melody, as one feels it should, it’s like a light shining, giving more resolve and hope to the litany. We can say over and over that we forgive, but the music helps the meaning of the words really sink into the soul.

I could sing this every week. Excellent.

And so closes this edition of “Jess sounds off on the new hymnal and why it’s not really a hymnal!”