We Can Mend the Sky — February 5, 2021 * True Concord Voices & Orchestra

We Can Mend the Sky — February 5, 2021

Derived from a range of outstanding choral music, my themed Playlists are designed to be like concerts, of about an hour in length.

This week’s Playlist highlights the power of love for one another to change the world. The central work is Benjamin Britten’s musical setting of the Good Samaritan story composed for the centenary of the Red Cross in 1963. Other works include Duruflé’s mellifluous Ubi caritas, Paulus’s Grant That We May Love from his Grammy-winning Prayers and Remembrances, the stirring finale to Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, and more.

Listen on YouTube:

Listen on Spotify:

PROGRAM

Click the links for information on the pieces and texts/translations.

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Cantata Misericordium

Translation

Performed by Britten Singers & City of London Sinfonia, conducted Richard Hickox

Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)

Ubi caritas

Translation

Performed by Choir of St. John’s Elora conducted by Noel Edison

Stephen Paulus (1949-2014)

Grant That We May Love (from Prayers and Remembrances)

V’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha.
(Love others as you love yourself.)
Leviticus 19:18

O Lord, grant us to love Thee;
grant that we may love those that love Thee;
grant that we may do the deeds that win Thy love.
Make the love of Thee be dearer to us than ourselves,
make the love of Thee be dearer to us than our families,
than wealth, and even than cool water.
Mohammed (c.570-632)

They are all gone, into the world of light!
Henry Vaughan (1621-1695)

Performed by True Concord, conducted by Eric Holtan

Paul Mealor (b.1975)

The Beatitudes

Text

Performed by Voce, conducted by Mark Singleton

Jake Runestad (b.1986)

We Can Mend the Sky

Background and Text

Performed by Kantorei, conducted by Joel Rinsema

Will Todd (b.1970)

Man Unkind