Voices Raised - Tuesday, October 14th, 2025

Echoes of the Past

How Can I Keep From Singing

Quaker Hymn by Robert W. Lowry, arranged by Gwyneth Walker
Words by Robert W. Lowry, adapted by Gwyneth Walker

My life flows on in endless song above earth’s lamentation.
I hear the real though distant song that hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife I hear the music ringing.
It sounds an echo in my soul, how can I keep from singing?
What though the tempest loudly roars, I hear the truth, it’s living!
What though the darkness round me close, songs in the night it’s giving!
No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I’m clinging.
Since I believe that love abides, how can I keep from singing?
When tyrants tremble when they hear the bells of freedom ringing.
When friends rejoice both far and near, how can I keep from singing?
In prison cell, in dungeon dark, our thoughts to them are winging.
When friends hold courage in their heart, how can I keep from singing?

My Lord What a Morning

Traditional Negro Spiritual, arr. H.T. Burleigh

My Lord, what a morning
My Lord, what a morning
Oh, my Lord, what a morning
When the stars begin to fall.

Done quit all my worldly ways
Gonna join that heavenly band.

My Lord, what a morning
My Lord, what a morning
Oh, my Lord, what a morning
When the stars begin to fall.

Soon-ah-Will Be Done

Negro Spiritual, arr. William L. Dawson

Soon ah will be don’
A-wid de troubles ob de worl’,
Troubles ob de worl’,
De troubles ob de worl’.
Soon ah will be don’
A-wid de troubles ob de worl’,
Goin’ home t’live wid God.

I wan’ t’meet my mother,
I wan’ t’meet my mother,
I wan’ t’meet my mother,
I’m goin’ t’live wid God.

Soon ah will be don’....

No more weepin’ an’ a-wailin’,
No more weepin’ an’ a-wailin’,
No more weepin’ an’ a-wailin’,
I’m goin’ t’live wid God.
No more weepin’ an’ a-wailin’,
No more weepin’ an’ a-wailin’,
No more weepin’ an’ a-wailin’,
I’m goin’ t’live wid God.

Soon ah will be don’....

I wan’ t’meet my Jesus,
I wan’ t’meet my Jesus,
I wan’ t’meet my Jesus,
I’m goin’ t’live wid God.
In de mornin’ Lord!
God, I’m goin’ t’live wid God.
I’m goin’ t’live wid God.

Sing We and Chant It

English Madrigal by Thomas Morley

Sing we and chant it while love doth grant it,
fa la la….

Not long youth lasteth,and old age hasteth;
now is best leisure to take our pleasure,
fa la la….

All things invite us now to delight us,
fa la la….

Hence, care, be packing! No mirth be lacking!
Let spare no treasure to live in pleasure,
fa la la….

The Promise of Living, from The Tender Land

Music by Aaron Copland
Words by Horace Everett

The promise of living with hope and thanksgiving
Is born of our loving our friends and our labor.
The promise of growing with faith and with knowing
Is born of our sharing our love with our neighbor.

The promise of loving, the promise of growing
Is born of our singing in joy and thanksgiving.
For many a year we’ve know these fields
And know all the work that makes them yield.

We’re ready to work, we’re ready to lend a hand.
By working together we’ll bring in the blessings of harvest.
We plant each row with seeds of grain,
And Providence sends us the sun and the rain.

By lending a hand, by lending an arm
Bring out the blessings of harvest.
Give thanks there was sunshine, give thanks there was rain,
Give thanks we have hands to deliver the grain.

O let us be joyful, O let us be grateful to the Lord for his blessing.
The promise of living, the promise of growing
The promise of ending is labor and sharing and loving.

Voices of Tomorrow

United in Song

Music and Words by Mari Esabel Valverde

The blue, the red, the white, the black, the brown,
And all the colors in-between,
Women and men and everyone who breathes
Can sing along with me:
We dream of a land of a world
Brave enough, proud enough to be
United in song
To fight for justice and peace.
Your god, my god, our right to believe, or not—
We all eat from an earth that’s green.
All bodies, all minds, the young, and elderly,
We all want to be heard and seen.
We dream of a land of a world
Brave enough, proud enough to be
United in song
To fight for justice and peace.

One Voice, as sung by The Wailin’ Jennys

Music and Words by Ruth Moody

This is the sound of one voice
One spirit, one voice
The sound of one who makes a choice
This is the sound of one voice

This is the sound of voices two
The sound of me singing with you
Helping each other to make it through
This is the sound of voices two

This is the sound of voices three
Singing together in harmony
Surrendering to the mystery
This is the sound of voices three

This is the sound of all of us
Singing with love and the will to trust
Leave the rest behind it will turn to dust
This is the sound of all of us

This is the sound of one voice
One people, one voice
A song for every one of us
This is the sound of one voice

Sing, My Child

Music and Words by Sarah Quartel

Sing for the promise in each new morning
Sing for the hope in a new day dawning
All around is beauty bright!
Wake in the morning and sing, my child.

Dance in the joy of the day unfolding.
Dance as you work and dance as you’re learning.
All around is beauty bright!
Take in the day and dance, my child.

But when troubles come and worry is all that can be found,
Gather your strength and hear your voice.
Sing my child.

Laugh in the cool and the fresh of the ev’ning.
Laugh in your triumph , laugh in succeeding.
All around is beauty bright!
Rest in the ev’ning and laugh, my child.

Peace in the stillness and dark of the night.
Peace in the dreams of your silent delights.
All around is beauty bright!
Sleep in the night and peace, my child.

But when troubles come and worry is all that can be found,
Gather your strength and hear your voice.
Sing my child.
Dance, my child.
Laugh, my child.
Peace, my child.

Hope Lingers On

Music and Words by Lissa Schneckenburger, arr. Andrea Ramsey

My mother, when love is gone, in our darkest hour hope lingers on.
My father, when peace is gone, in our darkest hour hope lingers on.

I will not hate, and I will not fear; In our darkest hour, hope lingers here.

My sister, when equality’s gone, in our darkest hours hope lingers on
My brother, with tolerance gone, in our darkest hour hope lingers on.

My love, when honor is gone, in our darkest hour hope lingers on.
My country, when justice is gone, in our darkest hour hope lingers on.

Embrace for Impact

Music and Words by Ann Driscoll, arr. Jesse Hicks

Hold whoever’s left and say that you love them.
And meet each other’s gaze and smile so gently.
Pray for the children who came before and who will follow.
The sky is turning black. We stay, embrace for impact.

Glory

Music and Words by John Legend, Lonnie Lynn, & Che Smith, arr. Eugene Rogers
Additional Text by Caleb Russell

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
One day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory!

Now the war is not over, victory isn’t won
But we’ll fight on to the finish, and when it’s all done
We’ll cry glory!
This is not an issue for one group or one party
Not red or blue, it’s purple when you see a body
MLK dreamt up a dream a little larger
Not where free speech would turn you to a martyr
Every single person deserves justice
But what we see online, it’s spreading distrust
We need to go outside sit down and discuss
We’d see the glory in each and every one of us.
The glory of us united as one.
No party, no post, no man, no bullet, no gun
Can end this war against division and discrimination
It takes setting our pride aside to heal a broken nation
Can’t you see the glory in all of us?
But only we give love honor and trust
So let’s stop, this abomination and start
Living as one, caring as one
Sharing as one, feeling as one
Healing as one, sowing as one
Growing as one
There’s no game to be won, we gotta drop the mindset that there can only be one
Because….

One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
One day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory!

Sing Out My Soul

Music by Marques L. A.Garrett
Words by WIlliam Henry Davies

Sing out!
Sing out, my soul, your songs of joy;
Sing as a happy bird will sing
Beneath a rainbow’s lovely arch
In early spring.
Sing out my soul!

Think not of death, strive not for gold, It matters not.
Train up your mind to feel content,
What matters then how low your store?
What we enjoy, and not possess,
Makes rich or poor.