The Way is Open

(Water) Candlemas / Groundhog Day – This is challenging, but pretty classical harmonically. The choir represents water tumbling from the melting mountain snows.

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May We Hear Each Other’s Voices

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First Night (Auld Lang Syne)

New words and a jazzed up harmonization of Auld Lang Syne.

Written for “First Night” family oriented celebrations of New Years Eve, the words offer a welcoming in of all who see a rest and shelter, resolutions for a better world, and that the “last night of the year be the first night of the next.

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Let This Be A House Of Peace SATB

This is a gospel-flavored melody with my words adapted from a poem by Kenneth Patton that makes a good opening song for a service or a blessing for a house. Four verses go into a repeated 4 bar vamp with a counterpoint “Let this be a house of peace” chant.

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Gather the Spirit SATB

This ¾ tune in a swinging gospel style has gotten wide acclaim and use as a congregational hymn in the Unitarian Universalist Church as well as some other denominations. This choral arrangement adds some counterpoint and different voice parts taking the lead.  In a coda section there’s a 4/4 gospel, layered repeated riff that could draw in the congregation.  It’s syncopated and may take a little time to figure out, but once you get the feel, it’s worth it – really rousing.

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In Longer Day

The words sing of the greater sun and lengthening days that nurture the burst of growth in spring.  In an ABABA rondo form, a slowly shifting modal accompaniment alternates with a rising chordal burst of harmony.  “In longer day, the spirit cannot hide.  Oh searching sun, heal earth’s darker side.”

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We Are the Earth SATB

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The Friendly Beasts

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Building A New Way

Bluesy and energetic, this is an easy song for a leader to teach even by ear. A zipper song, in a way, the verses have repetition of the form that people will pick up quickly.

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For the Beauty of the Earth

This hymn is used a thematic motif in the Missa Gaia /Earth Mass by Jim Scott and members of the Paul Winter Consort. This update of the original harmonization can easily be sung in four parts.

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Season of the Grateful Heart

This is a simple, gentle hymn tune with three verses. The recording only has two, but the arrangement adds a modulation for the third verse.

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Tradition Held Fast

This was written as a closing song and it’s in the UU Hymnbook.  It’s a hymn with a gospel beat, a 16 bar melody with an 8 bar intro/interlude.  The central message is taken from a Native American saying: once we have shared in this circle together, the circle doesn’t break, it just opens.  As the third verse gets to the word “opens” the music takes us to a coda.  “…opens – to every fate of life, and every open heart.”

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Harmony

The melody is good for group singing. May take a little teaching to get the modulations. Other more orchestrated arrangements of this song in SATB and SAA are available from Jim Scott.

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A Song for the Earth

The lyrics describe the water cycle and how we have threatened its life-giving ability. Could be sung by a group, though might be best for a soloist. A larger arrangement is available from Jim Scott in SATB.

SATB, with optional flute/ oboe.  One of my first environmental anthems, this describes the water cycle and what human pollution has done.  I sang it regularly with the Paul Winter Consort for years and it is recorded on the Consort’s “Concert for the Earth” (Live at the UN) – the recording here is from my “Earth, Sky, Love and Dreams” CD.

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Let All Our Hearts Open Wide SATB

A song about human connections, this has a gospel style chorus that can be repeated and built up to a big climax. The refrain: “Let all our hearts open wide, Feeling the spirit deep inside, And from within, shine your light, Bright as the day through the darkest night. Chord changes for optional rhythm section.

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Once More the Liberal Year Laughs Out

Words by John Greenleaf Whittier, music by Jim Scott is a harvest hymn that gets a treatment with a Celtic triplet rhythm and obligato instrumental line that flies over the chorale in the mode of Bach chorale preludes.

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If There Is No Holy Spirit SATB

A gospel-flavored choral accompaniment to a solo melody, that could be assigned to choral sections. The subject of the lyrics:  All we’ve learned of life through science reveals to us a mystery of a spirit that we can celebrate as sacred – holy.

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The Beatitudes

Words from the Book of Matthew music by Jim Scott Solo with SATB.

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Canticle of Brother Sun

This Great song by my friend Martha Sandefer

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The Rainforest Song

Written with kids, this song gets everyone singing counterpoint. The chorus breaks into two parts, you can bring in the upper part (“Rain come down”) later after a verse or two. Then there’s four parts for the four levels of the Rainforest. Bring in one part, then introduce the next higher and keep adding. 

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For This We Stand

Good for group singing, though a range of an octave and a fourth. The piano part can be taken as a four part SATB harmonization. A more developed SATB arrangement is available from Jim Scott.

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Solstice Carol

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Come Into This Place SATB

In a somewhat traditional carol style this is a song for the Christmas season and carries a message of rebirth and hope. The birth of a child in the dark of winter is something we all can get excited about, makes us all feel like a family and gives us faith in the future.

Four Arrangement Options:

• Key Eb – a capella
• Key C – a capella
• 3 Verses with bells comp
• SATB piano comp

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Over My Head

A three part arrangement, the melody and two harmony parts can be sung by any combination of voices for a call and response style group participation. This makes a good choral piece, though a more fully written out SATB arrangement is available from Jim Scott.

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