Singing the Journey: A Supplement to Singing the Living Tradition
A Resource Review
By Tracey L. Hurd, Ph.D.
Children and Families Programs Director, UUA
Sharing music together can be simply magical. Music with children can facilitate transformation. A reluctant child who hovers on the “fringe” of the classroom suddenly becomes a full community member when that child joins others in song. The busy, always-tapping child, who seems frenetic during discussion, is suddenly the rhythm-keeper for lively music. Spoken or repeated words of prayer, which feel sometimes wooden or forced upon children, can emerge as joyful noise released from the soul when sung in simple, harmonious tunes. Music can be a truly unifying expression of the spirit of life we share together.
I know the value of music as part of shared time and ministry with children, but I am often reluctant to lead children in song. I am attracted to folk music from different cultures, but am nervous that I may use it inappropriately. In addition, I am, it seems, tuneless. I need tools to help me thoughtfully choose music. I need tools to help me engage children in singing and music. Luckily, those tools are here in Singing the Journey. This hymnal is more than a collection of truly captivating music. It is a multifaceted resource that consists of the printed book and an excellent website of materials. The basis of these resources is a collection of soul-stirring music that truly speaks to the heart of our faith. The Hymnal Task Force writes that they are “proud of the spiritual and theological breadth of this new collection: from earth-centered chants and rounds to new arrangements of spirituals and gospel songs; from Latin American hymns of liberation theology to Jewish and Hebrew songs; from welcoming anthems of BGLT affirmation to meditative chants from the Taizé tradition; from humanist ballads to African freedom songs—and much more! We believe this breadth reflects the healthy diversity of contemporary UU practice and belief.”
This collection is so rich that I feel called to use it with children. Many of the hymns are quite simple. Meditation on Breathing , #1009, written by Sarah Dan Jones, invites us to “breathe in peace and breathe out love.” It is utterly simple and profoundly moving. To find out more about this hymn, I navigated to the Song Information provided on the website about the music. I learned that the hymn is a chorus from an original solo piece, entitled “When I Breathe In,” which was written in 2001 following the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001. As a teacher, I may share that information with children. I might ask, “How does this song make you feel?” and invite them to reflect on the feeling of the song. And, depending on the group, I might explain the context the song was written in and for. If I'm unsure about the tune, I can simply navigate to the section of the website called Recordings of Songs for Congregational Use to hear it at the correct rhythm.
There is a rich assortment of music from diverse cultures in Singing the Journey. The essay by Rev. Jason Shelton, “A Perspective on Music and Cultural Appropriation,” provides some insights for our journey towards using music respectfully. Even more useful is the song information. By consistently providing background information about the songs we sing with children, we impart a message that every song reflects the person who wrote it, when and where it was written, and the culture within which it was written. Songs are “cultural carriers.” The elegant new hymn by Wendy Luella Perkins, We Give Thanks, #1010, reflects the writer and context in which it was written. Likewise the beautiful hymn Ancient Mother, #1069, reflects the tradition and the context in which its text, a traditional Navajo prayer, was written. Providing this information for children will deepen their understanding of music.
There is also information about how to use the hymnal as a source beyond singing, to create music with rhythm. Jeannie Gagné's resource, “Playing the Rhythms in the Hymnal Supplement,” is an excellent, technical, and overall understandable guide. It may be of particular interest to religious educators. Although Gagné's level of detail about drums and beat may at first feel like a bit too much information to the “non-musical” leader, her examples of how to “read” rhythm in the hymns would provide enough information to truly engage older children in creating that sound. This is just the kind of challenge that older elementary school age children or middle school youth might enjoy.
Singing the Journey is technically a supplement to Singing the Living Tradition. Accordingly, hymns are organized around the six sources of our Unitarian Universalist faith:
- Transcending mystery and wonder
- Words and deeds of prophetic men and women
- Wisdom from the world's religions
- Jewish and Christian teachings
- Humanist teachings
- Earth-centered traditions
There is a topical index and an index of composers, arrangers, authors, and translators. Both the book and the web-based resources offer an extraordinary gift to our lifespan faith development programs. Singing the Journey offers meaningful, beautiful, playful, and provocative songs for our religious education programs. I think you, too, will feel called to use it with children and youth.
Resources
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