Welcome all! With a worship theme of miracles and a couple of amazing composer/songwriters planned for this year’s Music Sundays (Palestrina and May Erlewine), we have choral offerings today by Paul Simon, May Erlewine, and G.P. da Palestrina.
“Boy in the Bubble” is a brilliant cross-cultural gem written by Paul Simon and Forere Motloheloa for the album Graceland. Cash Box Magazine described the songs elements “African rhythms, zydeco spice and Simon’s intelligent, penetrating lyrics are near perfection.”
Simon observes that life is filled with so much potential (days of “miracle and wonder”) but also so many challenges. Speaking with Rolling Stone, he explained, “That’s the way I see the world, a balance between the two [hope and dread], but coming down on the side of hope.” These lyrics weave together ideas of technological progress, medicine, surveillance, inequality, terrorism, and pop music through Simon’s artistically pointillist language use.
The adult choir will offer up Palestrina’s sublime composition Sicut Cervus. You’ll be hearing and learning more about Palestrina between now and January 12 (our first Music Sunday). As a point of reference, when one studies composition in college and graduate school, two composers are consistently held up and studied as models for counterpoint: J.S. Bach as the synthesizer and apex of 18th-century baroque counterpoint (and whose music was selected by Shaylor this morning for the Prelude) and D.P. da Palestrina as the apex of 16th-century Renaissance counterpoint. Over the next several months, the adult choir will be taking a deep dive into Palestrina’s music ahead of the 500th anniversary year of his birth in 2025.
We’ll start off singing today with May Erlewine’s welcome song, “Come On In.” The lyrics will be on the screen. Please jump in!
Speaking of May Erlewine—this amazing, celebrated soulful singer, singer, and musical artist will be coming to Follen! On March 9 we will hold an intergenerational celebration of May Erlewine’s music along with May herself.
– Chris E.