"How Can I Keep from Singing?" composed by Robert Wadsworth Lowry, in a ringing arrangement by Karen P. Thomas.

My life flows on in endless song above earth’s lamentation,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn 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 liveth.
What though the darkness round me close, songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that rock I’m clinging.
Since love is lord of heav’n and earth, how can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble as they hear the bells of freedom ringing,
when friends rejoice both far and near, how can I keep from singing?
To prison cell and dungeon vile our thoughts to them are winging,
when friends by shame are undefiled, how can I keep from singing?

"Sure On This Shining Night," text by James Agee and composed by Morten Lauridsen.

Sure on this shining night
Of star-made shadows round,
Kindness must watch for me
This side the ground.

The late year lies down the north.
All is healed, all is health.
High summer holds the earth.
Hearts all whole.

Sure on this shining night
I weep for wonder
Wand’ring far alone
Of shadows on the stars.

 

"Alleluya, a new work," a 15th century anonymous text set to music by composer Peter Wishart (b. 1953).

Alleluya, a new work is come on hand
Alleluya, a new work is come on hand
Through might and grace of Gode’s son
To save the lost of ev'ry land.
Alleluya.
For now is free that erst was bound;
We may well sing Alleluya.

Now is fulfilled the prophecy
Of David and of Jeremy
And also of Isaiah; Alleluya,
Sing we therefore both loud and high: Alleluya.

Alleluya, this sweete song,
Out of a green branch it sprung.
God send us the life that lasteth long!
Alleluya, Now joy and bliss be him among
That thus can sing Alleluya.

"A Spotless Rose," an anonymous text translated by Catherine Winkworth and set to music by Herbert Howells.

A spotless Rose is blowing
Sprung from a tender root,
Of ancient seers' foreshowing,
Of Jesse promised fruit;
Its fairest bud unfolds to light
Amid the cold, cold winter
And in the dark midnight.

The Rose which I am singing,
Whereof Isaias said,
Is from its sweet root springing
In Mary, purest Maid;
Through our God's great love and might
The blessed babe she bare us
In a cold, cold winter's night.

"Hiraita, Hiraita," a traditional Japanese song arranged by Ken Hakoda.

Hiraita hiraita
Nan no hana ga hiraita
Renge no hana ga hiraita
Hiraita to omottara
Itsu no ma ni ka tsubonda
Tsubonda tsubonda
Nan no hana ga tsubonda
Renge no hana ga tsubonda
Tsubonda to omottara
Itsu no ma ni ka hiraita

Blossomed, blossomed.
Which flower blossomed?
A lotus flower blossomed.
When I thought it had blossomed
Without notice, it was closed.
Closed, closed.
Which flower closed?
A lotus flower closed.
When I thought it had closed
Without notice, it was opened. 

Salmo 150 (“Psalm 150”) in a composition by Ernani Aguiar.

Laudate Dominum in sanctis ejus:
Laudate eum in firmamento virtutis ejus. 
Laudate eum in virtutibus ejus: 
Laudate eum secundum 
multitudinem magnitudinis ejus. 
Laudate eum in sono tubae: 
Laudate eum in psalterio et cithara.
Laudate eum in tympano et choro: 
Laudate eum in chordis et organo. 
Laudate eum in cymbalis benesonantibus:
Laudate eum in cymbalis jubilationis:
omnis spiritus laudet Dominum. 

Praise the Lord in his sacred places, praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts, praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet, praise him with the psaltery and the harp. Praise him with the timbrel and the dance, praise him with strings and pipes. Praise him with high-sounding cymbals, praise him with cymbals of joy. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

"Sure On This Shining Night," text by James Agee and composed by Morten Lauridsen.

Sure on this shining night
Of star-made shadows round,
Kindness must watch for me
This side the ground.

The late year lies down the north.
All is healed, all is health.
High summer holds the earth.
Hearts all whole.

Sure on this shining night
I weep for wonder
Wand’ring far alone
Of shadows on the stars.

"How Can I Keep from Singing?" composed by Robert Wadsworth Lowry and arranged by Karen P. Thomas.

My life flows on in endless song above earth’s lamentation,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn 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 liveth.
What though the darkness round me close, songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that rock I’m clinging.
Since love is lord of heav’n and earth, how can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble as they hear the bells of freedom ringing,
when friends rejoice both far and near, how can I keep from singing?
To prison cell and dungeon vile our thoughts to them are winging,
when friends by shame are undefiled, how can I keep from singing?

"Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?, the awesome and energizing arrangement by Moses Hogan of the traditional spiritual.

Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel,
Deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel?
Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel?
And why not a-every man?

He delivered Daniel from the lion's den
Jonah from the belly of the whale
And the Hebrew children from the fiery furnace
And why not every man?

The wind blows east and the wind blows west,
It blows like the judgment day.
And every poor soul that never did pray
Will be glad to pray that day.

I set my foot on the Gospel ship,
And the ship, it begin to sail.
It landed me over on Canaan’s shore,
And I’ll never come back anymore.

"For the Fallen, test from Laurence Binyon and music by Eleanor Daley.

There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

 

"Linden Lea," a poem by William Barnes and music from Ralph Vaughan Williams.

Within the woodlands, flow’ry gladed,
By the oak trees’ mossy moot,
The shining grass blades, timber-shaded,
Now do quiver underfoot;
And birds do whistle overhead,
And water’s bubbling in its bed;
And there, for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

When leaves, that lately were a-springing,
Now do fade within the copse,
And painted birds do hush their singing,
Up upon the timber tops;
And brown-leaved fruits a-turning red,
In cloudless sunshine overhead,
With fruit for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

Let other folk make money faster
In the air of dark-roomed towns;
I don’t dread a peevish master,
Though no man may heed my frowns.
I be free to go abroad,
Or take again my homeward road
To where, for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

 

"Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks," No. 3 from Four Anthems by Herbert Howells (1892-1983). Text is from Psalms 42, vv. 1-2.

Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God. When shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
My tears have been my meat day and night, while they daily say unto me, Where, where is now thy God?
...As a hart doth pant for streams of water, So my soul panteth toward Thee, O God.
My soul thirsted for God, for the living God, When do I enter and see the face of God?
My tear hath been to me bread day and night, In their saying unto me all the day, `Where [is] thy God?'

"God Is Gone Up," words by Edward Taylor, and music by Gerald Finzi

God is gone up with a triumphant shout:
The Lord with sounding Trumpets’ melodies:
Sing Praise, sing Praises out,
Unto our King sing praise seraphic-wise!

Lift up your Heads, ye lasting Doors, they sing,
And let the King of Glory enter in.

Methinks I see Heaven’s sparkling courtiers fly,
In flakes of Glory down him to attend,
And hear Heart-cramping notes of Melody
Surround his Chariot as it did ascend;
Mixing their Music, making ev’ry string
More to enravish as they this tune sing.

 

"McKay," a hymn tune composed by Samuel Stennett, with text from Carol Barnett.

O the transporting, rapturous scene
That rises to my sight!
Sweet fields arrayed in living green,
And rivers of delight.

There gen’rous fruits that never fail
On trees immortal grow,
There rocks and hills and brooks and vales
With milk and honey flow.

 

"O, Pray for the Peace," which is text from Psalm 122, verses 6 & 7, set to music by Herbert Howells

O pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
They shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls,
and plenteousness within thy palaces.

Ask ye the peace of Jerusalem,
At rest are those loving thee.
Peace is in thy bulwark,
rest in thy high places,

"Verleih uns Freiden,: with text from Martin Luther set to music by Felix Mendelssohn.

Verleih uns Freiden gnädiglich,
Herr Gott, zu unsern Zeiten!
Es ist doch ja kein Andrer nicht,
Der für uns könnte streiten,
Denn du unser Gott aleine.

Grant us peace mercifully, Lord God, in our times!
There is indeed no other who for us could fight than you, our God, alone.

"Let Me Fly," adapted and arranged by Robert DeCormier.

‘Way down yonder in the middle of the fiel’
Angel a-workin’ at the chariot wheel.
Not so partic’lar ‘bout workin’ at the wheel,
I jus’ wan’ to see how the chariot feel.

Oh let me fly, oh let me fly,
Oh let me fly to Mount Zion,
Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord.

Meet that hypocrite on the street.
First thing he do is show his teeth.
Next thing he do is tell a lie.
Well, the best thing to do is pass him by.

I got a mother in the Promised Land.
Well, I ain’t gonna stop ‘til I shake her hand.
Not so partic’lar ‘bout shakin’ her hand,
But I just wan’ to get to the Promised Land.

I heard such a-rumbalin’ in the sky,
I thought my Lord was passin’ by.
‘Twas the good ol’ chariot drawin’ nigh.
Well, it shook the earth, swept the sky.

I want wings, I want to fly,
Oh Lord, I wan’ to fly,
Oh won’t you let me fly To Mount Zion, Lord, Lord?

 

Shaker song "Love is Little."

Love is little, love is low,
love will make our spirit grow.
Grow in peace, grow in light,
love will do the thing that’s right.

 

"Infant Joy," a text by William Blake and set to music by Rikuya Terashima.

I have no name I am but two days old.
— What shall I call thee?
I happy am Joy is my name,
— Sweet joy befall thee!
Pretty joy! Sweet joy but two days old,
Sweet joy I call thee;
Thou dost smile.
I sing the while Sweet joy befall thee. 

 

"A spotless rose."

A spotless rose is blowing,
Sprung from a tender root,
Of ancient seers' foreshowing,
Of Jesse promised fruit;
Its fairest bud unfolds to light
Amid the cold, cold winter,
And in the dark midnight.
Alleluia.

The rose which I am singing,
Whereof Isaias said,
Is from its sweet root springing,
In Mary, purest Maid;
Through God's great love and might,
The Blessed Babe she bare us,
In a cold, cold winter's night.
Alleluia.

 

"My eyes for beauty pine," text by Robert Bridges and music by Herbert Howells. 

My eyes for beauty pine,
My soul for Goddes grace:
No other care nor hope is mine,
To heaven I turn my face.
One splendour thence is shed
From all the stars above:
‘Tis namèd when God’s name is said,
‘Tis Love, ‘tis heavenly Love.
And every gentle heart
That burns with true desire,
Is lit from eyes that mirror part
Of that celestial fire.

"Gloria" by Antonio Vivaldi, composed circa 1715. Gloria in excelsis Deo Glory in the highest to God

"Ave Maria" composed by Josquin DesPrez (c.1440-1521). Words of unknown origin: 

Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum, Virgo serena,
Ave cujus conceptio,
Solemni plena gaudio,
Caelestia, terrestria,
Nova replet laetitia.
Ave cujus nativitas
Nostra fuit solemnitas,
Ut lucifer lux oriens
Verum solem praeveniens.
Ave pia humilitas,
Sine viro fecunditas,
Cujus annuntiatio,
Nostra fuit salvatio.
Ave vera virginitas,
Immaculata castitas,
Cujus purificatio
Nostra fuit purgatio.
Ave praeclara omnibus
Angelicis virtutibus,
Cujus fuit assumptio
Nostra glorificatio.
O Mater Dei Memento mei.

Amen Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with thee, serene virgin. Hail, thou whose conception, Full of festive joy, Heaven and earth Fills with new gladness. Hail, thou whose nativity Was our celebration, As the morning star rising Coming before the true sun. Hail, holy humility, Fertility without man, Whose annunciation Was our salvation. Hail, true virginity, Immaculate chastity, Whose purification Was our cleansing. Hail, thou excellent in all Angelic virtues, Whose assumption was Our glorification. O Mother of God, Remember me. Amen.

 

  "Linden Lea," a tune by Ralph Vaughan Williams and poetry by William Barnes.

Within the woodlands, flow’ry gladed,
By the oak trees’ mossy moot,
The shining grass blades, timber-shaded,
Now do quiver underfoot;
And birds do whistle overhead,
And water’s bubbling in its bed;
And there, for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

When leaves, that lately were a-springing,
Now do fade within the copse,
And painted birds do hush their singing,
Up upon the timber tops;
And brown-leaved fruits a-turning red,
In cloudless sunshine overhead,
With fruit for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.

Let other folk make money faster
In the air of dark-roomed towns;
I don’t dread a peevish master,
Though no man may heed my frowns.
I be free to go abroad,
Or take again my homeward road
To where, for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.