Unity Church of Dallas - Journeys Concert

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Journeys

Program Notes

Welcome by Rev. Ellen Debenport

Section 1: Purgation
Sometimes My Mind Gets Weary
River and Sky
Over the Rainbow
Come Travel with Me
Homeward Bound
You Raise Me Up

Section 2: Illumination
God Be in My Head
O Lux Beatissima
Waitin' for the Light to Shine
Dona Nobis Pacem (Mozart)
Lux Aeterna from Missa
Dona Nobis Pacem (Haydn)

Section 3: Union
Walk a Mile
Distant Land
The Awakening

JOURNEYS
PROGRAM NOTES

Life takes us on many journeys. Some up hill, some down. Some inward, some outward. Tonight Life takes us on many journeys. Some uphill, some down. Some inward, some outward. Tonight we strive to take you on a journey through music. Using the structure of the sacred labyrinth, a tool used for thousands of years to center oneself spiritually, we will visit those places where we find ourselves at various points in our lives.

Dana Reynolds describes herself as a “Spiritual Midwife” who helps others birth their creativity into the world. In her writings on the labyrinth, she states, “The spiritual journey is a spiral journey. The labyrinth offers us a sacred geometric form, a divine imprint, as a meditative tool. Walking the labyrinth helps quiet the mind...quieting ever-constant thoughts. The labyrinth is ancient…as ancient as human imagination itself.” Tonight’s concert is structured according to the three stages encountered while walking a labyrinth: Purgation, Illumination and Union. Although you will be making this journey while in your seats, we invite you to join us in this sojourn of body, mind and spirit.

Section 1: Purgation
Purgation is the time of letting go and emptying of the self as we walk from the entrance of the labyrinth to the center.

In today’s hectic world, we often find ourselves feeling separated from Spirit. Our first two choral selections center around the idea of letting go of those outside influences that keep us from finding that spiritual center.

We begin our journey with the spiritual, Sometimes My Mind Gets Weary, which contains the text “I know where my feet belong…Lord, keep my feet a-walkin’ to you.” This piece is followed by a setting of a 10th century prayer, River and Sky, which was written by Gilbert of Hayland, Abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Swineshead in Lincolnshire, England. This prayer includes the text:

“Smooth out any wrinkles of hatred or resentment,
Enlarge my soul that it may know more fully Your truth.”

One of the most beloved American popular songs, Over the Rainbow, was almost cut from the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz. Luckily, fate stepped in to assure that this treasure remained and became a source of inspiration to generations of those who believe that “the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true.”

Our next three selections feature the men of Singing Unity Choir. The first selection in this set, Come Travel with Me, has lyrics based on Walt Whitman’s Song of the Open Road, which speaks of the adventurous human spirit and the natural desire to explore the world in order to experience all it has to offer. Soon, however, our wanderlust gives way to the longings to be back with those we love, and so we are “Homeward Bound”. We return, grateful for the opportunity for the growth we have experienced in our travels, expressed in You Raise Me Up.

Section 2: Illumination
Illumination, the second stage of the labyrinth, may be found in the center. When we have quieted the mind during the walk we find the center to be a place for meditation and prayer. This is where we have the opportunity to discover clarity. Coming to this place with an open heart and mind enables us to be receptive to whatever there is for us.

We begin this section with the musical prayer, God Be in My Head. Written in 1514 as part of the Sarum Primer, this prayer remains one of the most beautiful expressions of our desire for oneness with God.

One of the first things that come to mind when we think of illumination is “light”. The next two pieces offer starkly different interpretations of the concept of Spirit as Light. The Latin text of O Lux Beatissima was written by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the late 12th century. The literal translation “Without your grace, there is nothing in us, nothing that is not harmful,” may seem a bit jarring to our enlightened minds. I offer the following translation of the translation, if you will: God=good. All that is good in us is God. With God’s grace, everything is in us, and everything is good. Next, we come to a text that is much easier for us to grasp: It’s Waitin’ for the Light to Shine, which comes from Big River, the musical adaptation of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

We feature the women of Singing Unity Choir on our next three selections, which center on the words “peace” and “light”. We begin and end this set of songs with settings of Dona Nobis Pacem. You will note that they appear to be written by two of the “great” composers. Actually, they are written by talented family members: Leopold Mozart, father of Wolfgang Amadeus, and Michael Haydn, older brother of Franz Joseph. In between these two pieces, we have a contemporary setting of the Lux Aeterna section of the Catholic mass. Z. Randall Stroope is one of the most respected and successful choral composers working today.

Section 3: Union
Union, the third stage in our journey in the labyrinth, is defined as communing or communion with the Holy. This stage enlivens us to return to the world, renewed and guided. The melding of contemplation and action leads to transformation. This is what makes the labyrinth such a powerful spiritual tool and meditative practice.

Our final three selections demonstrate the power we have to change the world through our vision and actions. The spirited Walk a Mile reminds us that when we are renewed and guided by Spirit, we can more easily open our eyes and minds to the world around us and can “see the world from a different point of view”.

Sir John Rutter wrote Distant Land in 1990 soon after the demolition of the Berlin Wall and the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. It is subtitled a “prayer for freedom”, Tonight we dedicate this piece to all of those who are experiencing oppression in any form, be it spiritual, physical or political.

Finally, we offer The Awakening. Joseph Martin’s tribute to music is also a powerful call for our souls to be awakened. Dana Reynolds sums it up concisely: “We are pilgrims in the new millennium. We are seeking ways to connect more deeply to our spiritual centers while living in the midst of hurried everyday life. Perhaps walking the labyrinth offers us a portal to sacred dimensions. Perhaps the ancient path of the labyrinth will carry us to a place of remembering why we are here.”

We are grateful you have come to be a part of this concert tonight. At its conclusion, we hope you find yourself renewed and inspired as you continue on your personal journey.
Neil Mowles

visitors since 5/5/2005