“The Peace of Wild Things”

Music by Joan Szymko
Poetry of Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

“Requiem”

arr .Craig Hella Johnson
Words and music by Eliza Gilkyson

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
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

“To Sit and Dream”

Music by Rosephanye Powell
Poetry by Langston Hughes

To sit and dream, to sit and read,
To sit and learn about the world
Outside our world of here and now —
Our problem world —
To dream of vast horizons of the soul
Through dreams made whole,
Unfettered, free — help me!
All you who are dreamers too,
Help me to make our world anew.
I reach out my dreams to you.

“From a Distance”

Words and music by Julie Gold

From a distance
The world looks blue and green
And the snow capped mountains white

From a distance
The ocean meets the stream
And the eagle takes to flight
From a distance
There is harmony
And it echoes through the land
It’s the voice of hope
It’s the voice of peace
It’s the voice of every one
From a distance
We all have enough
And no one is in need
And there are no guns,
No bombs, and no disease
No hungry mouths to feed
From a distance
We are instruments
Marching in a common band
Playing songs of hope
Playing songs of peace
They are the songs of every man
God is watching us
God is watching us
God is watching us
From a distance
From a distance
You look like my friend
Even though we are at war
From a distance
I just cannot comprehend
What all this fighting’s for

“The Awakening”

Words and Music by Joseph Martin

I dreamed a dream, a silent dream of a land not far away where no bird sang, no steeples rang, and teardrops fell like rain.
I dreamed a dream; a silent dream. I dreamed a dream of a land so filled with pride that every song, both weak and strong, withered and died.
I dreamed a dream . No hallelujah; not one hosanna! No song of love, no lullaby. And no choir sang to change the world. No pipers played, no dancers twirled.
I dreamed a dream; a silent dream. Awake, awake! Soli deo gloria!
Awake, Awake! Awake my soul and sing, the time for praise has come.
The silence of the night has passed, a new day has begun! Let music never die in me; forever let my spirit sing!
Wherever emptiness is found let there be joy and glorious sound.
Let music never die in me; forever let my spirit sing! Let all our voices join as one to praise the giver of the sun! Awake, awake! Let music live!

“Your Soul is Your Song”

Words by German Aguilar
Music by Jake Runestad

Sing!
When the seams burst,
and the traps ensnare,
and your body breaks,
and the light flees—
Sing then!
For then, your soul is song.

“True Colors”

Words and music by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly

You with the sad eyes
Don’t be discouraged, oh I realize
It’s hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
The darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small
Show me a smile then
Don’t be unhappy
Can’t remember when
I last saw you laughing
This world makes you crazy
And you’ve taken all you can bear
Just call me up
‘Cause I will always be there
And I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that’s why I love you

So don’t be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
I see your true colors
Shining through (true colors)
I see your true colors
And that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful (they’re beautiful)
Like a rainbow

“No Time”

arr. Susan Brumfield
Traditional Camp Meeting song

Rise, oh fathers, rise.
Let’s go meet Him in the sky.
For we’ll hear the angels singing
In that morning.
Yes I really do believe that
Just before the end of time
We will hear the angels singing
In that morning.
Rise, oh mothers, rise, …
Rise, oh sisters, rise, …
No time to tarry here,
No time to wait for you,
No time to tarry here
For I’m on my journey home.
Brothers, oh fare you well,
Brothers, oh fare you well,
Brothers, oh fare you well,
For I’m on my journey home.
No time to tarry here,
No time to wait for you,
No time to tarry here,
For I’m on my journey home.
Neighbors …
Sinners …

“Bright Morning Stars”

arr. Shawn Kirchner
Appalachian Folk Song

Bright morning stars are rising
Bright morning stars are rising
Bright morning stars are rising
Day is a’breaking
In my soul
Oh where are our dear fathers?
Oh where are our dear fathers?
They are down in the valley a’praying
Day is a’breaking
In my soul
Oh where are our dear mothers?
Oh where are our dear mothers?
They are gone to heaven a’shouting…

“In the Sweet By and By”

arr. Bass
Music by Joseph P. Webster, Lyrics by S. Fillmore Bennett, 1868

There’s a land that is fairer than day
And by faith you can see it afar
For the father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore
We shall sing on that beautiful shore
The melodious songs of the blessed
And our spirits shall sorrow no more
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest

“Unclouded Day”

arr. Shawn Kirchner
Words and Music by Josiah Kelley Alwood, 1879

O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies,
O they tell me of a home far away;
O they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise;
O they tell me of an uncloudy day.
Refrain:
O the land of cloudless day,
O the land of an uncloudy day.
O they tell me of a home where no storm-clouds rise,
O they tell me of an uncloudy day.
O they tell me of a home where my friends have gone,
O they tell me of that land far away,
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Sheds its fragrance thro’ the uncloudy day. [Refrain]
O they tell me of a King in His beauty there,
And they tell me that mine eyes shall behold
Where He sits on the throne that is whiter than snow,
In the city that is made of gold. [Refrain]
O they tell me that He smiles on His children there,
And His smile drives their sorrows all away;
And they tell me that no tears ever come again,
In that lovely land of uncloudy day. [Refrain]

“America the Beautiful”

arr. Mack Wilburg
Text by Katherine Lee Bates, 1859-1929

Oh, beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purpose mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.

Oh, beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine.
Oh, beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.