“This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”Leonard Bernstein
Have you ever noticed the best holiday stories portray some sort of dream? From the ballet, “The Nutcracker” to all of the many incarnations of Dickens, “A Christmas Carol” someone is always sleeping and having a dream. There is also the ‘alternate universe’ version of that dream in holiday movies such as “It’s A Wonderful Life,” giving a slightly different spin to the idea. When the main characters wake up or get back to their own universe, all their holiday hopes and wishes seem to have come true. Problems are solved and they are happier.Even Clement Moore’s “A Visit From St. Nicholas” has a ‘long winter’s nap’ as part of the action. When we were children, we liked to think miraculous things can happen when we sleep and dream. Unfortunately as adults, we know that isn’t possible.
But I have a dream anyway. It’s not a holiday dream but one for our profession. I dream we, as choral musicians, will become agents of change for good in our communities and in our world. We will bring together people of all ages. And we will accept all folks, no matter who they are and what they believe, into our choirs. If you can sing what we need you to sing, you are in our choirs, no matter the color of your skin or whom you love or what you look like.
I dream choirs of all sorts of singers are welcomed and respected into our choral community. Instead of saying, “there’s an app for that,” we will say, “there’s a choir for that” when someone asks us if their particular need is represented in a choir, because there will be a choir. I dream we will be proud those with special needs, adults or children, are welcomed into local choirs and encourage them if we are able.
Choirs of senior citizens as well as children will sing together, bringing together experience and enthusiasm. There will be choirs in the workplace, encouraging fellowship and team building by singing together. There will be Hospice choirs and prison choirs and choirs for those affected by cancer or Alzheimer’s.Singing will unite us. Perhaps, when we sing with someone who is different from us, we will understand a little bit more about them. And we won’t be afraid of their differences because we will knowthem because we sing with them.In my dream, there will be choirs to comfort those touched by violence. And we will do our best to be an agent for peace in our own communities and beyond.
There was a song when I was growing up that was very popular. I sang it as a solo, in my youth choir at church, in my school chorus and caroling with a church youth group. We also sang it at the end of every Christmas pageant at church for several years. I heard it not too long ago shopping at the grocery store, on their piped in music. It was Vince Gill’s version and the lyrics have kept running through my head ever since.
One line in particular from the song strikes me as quite appropriate for today’s blog: “let there be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.” If we want change, it must begin with us. If we want acceptance, we must do it. If we see injustice, we must step up to make it right. Peace and kindness and compassion must begin with us. There is no need to wait until someone else does what we believe to be right. We can make the world a better place by taking that first,small step. My dream can be a reality if I begin it. And so I do.
Sing this holiday season with your choirs and your families and your friends. Let differences go and reach for the common, shared values you do have together.Make Peace with those you love as well as those you don’t love. Cherish the old songs and laugh at the silly songs. Let the music bring you together. And let it begin with you.
I wish Peace for you during the next week and into the New Year. And much love.
Stephen Winn Klyce says
Dec. 28, 2018 – from Gaithersburg MD by Stephen Winn Klyce
Addenda to Marie Grass Amenta’s “editorial” on “Let there be peace on earth.”
This comment is meant as “filling out” Ms. Amenta’s touching, sincere article on this well known and oft-performed prayer-song “Let there be peace on earth.”
I take the liberty to quote part of an article by Krista Lovell for the publication “Story Path” about this song:. Ms. Lovell is a regular contributor to Story Path, which appears In collaboration with the William Smith Morton Library at Union Presbyterian Seminary
NOV 25, 2014
“Let There Be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with me.”
Composer and Lyricist: Jill Jackson & Sy Miller
One morning, songwriter Jill Jackson awakened with the words “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me” running through her head and a song was born! Set to music by her composer husband, Sy Miller, this song was first sung one summer evening in 1955 by a group of 180 teenagers of different races and religions at a workshop high in the California mountains. As the teens locked arms and sang this song of peace, they believed its simple, basic sentiment would help create a climate for world peace and understanding.
Since that time, this song has spread around the world. It has even been used as a theme by the United Nations and by UNICEF.
Literary elements at work in the story: The sentiment of the song is one that espouses peace throughout the world, brought about through promises and vows of individuals to walk “with each other” and live a life of peace.
The lyrics written by Jill Jackson in 1955 are specific to her generation, they have been “rewritten” to be more all-inclusive. Alternate wording for “God”, His gender, and to remove the masculine gender to mean “us all”, for the line: “With God as our Father, brothers all are we” is done by substituting: “With Earth as our Mother, family all are we.” which the arranger hopes thereby to make the lyrics open and inclusive to people of all faiths and traditions. *(below)
Included in the back of the book is a history of the song and its writers along with a page explaining the various peace symbols from around the world that are used in the illustrations. Included is a CD of 12 peace songs written by Jill, Sy, and their daughter, Jan Tache, and recorded by various artists along with the words and music of the original song.
Discussion Starter:
The intentions God has for each of us is to live in peace – with God, with ourselves, and with each other. As the Prince of Peace, Jesus came into the world to bring about God’s peace to all of humankind; it is this peace that serves as the inspiration for the opening line of the song written by Jill Jackson.
Faith Talk Questions:
This song suggests that peace on earth needs to begin with a single individual.
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Submitted December 28, 2018 – Additional comments appear below.
Contributed by Stephen W. Klyce in response to an Article on ChoralNet entitled “Choral Potpourri: Let there be Peace on Earth” by Marie Grass Amenta
This review is written by regular contributor Krista Lovell, of “Story Path” for Children of all ages, In collaboration with the William Smith Morton Library at Union Presbyterian Seminary.
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Commentary: I like most of you Choral singers and conductors have a long-running acquaintance with this “Peace Song” and I know the multi-faceted use of the song from camps, schools, churches, music groups, individual performers, vocal & instrumental. With such a humble beginning with youngsters at a mountain top retreat-workshop, this special song caught fire and has lasted for over 60 years. I’d say it’s not far behind “Amazing Grace” and “How Great Thou Art” in churches, community choruses, and other similar performers.
That said I explored the internet a bit so I’d learn more about the song, and to augment what Ms. Grass pointed out in her review a couple of days ago. I was surprised when the first result from searching by the song title, produced many printed and recorded versions available from Amazon, but unfortunately less than half of the items listed the real composer and author, Sy & Jill. Just like the attributions of about 80-95% of popular tunes are known by PERFORMERS and only rarely is credit given to composers & lyricists. Somehow doesn’t seem right. So I hope I’ve thrown some light in the instance of this song.
In the 60’s , 70’s, and 80’s, after encountering this song over and over, and especially when the question of gender neutralizing began its meteoric rise and affecting this song as described in the quoted article, I decided to contact the composer or author of the song and ask their opinion. I think Jan-Lee music publisher (of CA?) has rights to the song, I called them and luckily got a phone number for Jill Jackson (uses her own name though married to the composer). I asked that question about changing the lyrics to be more gender-neutral. I believe the version in a Protestant hymnal or other sheet music went: “With God as Creator, fam’ly all are we;” then you run into the next phrase and another gender challenge: “Let me walk with my brother, in perfect harmony.” So that’s solved by “Let us walk with each other….” etc. So that got to bother me not only in this case, but in all the newer hymnals and other music publications that went overboard erasing every masculine reference and neutralizing God’s gender. (e.g. “God of our Father’s” is widely altered to “God of the Nations” and you choral people can think of dozens of other like examples.
I did speak a couple of times to Jill Jackson, and had to offer condolences when she said her husband Sy Miller, the song’s composer had died, and then posed the lyric revision problems. She had a great answer: “Sing it with any lyrics you want! Just sing it.!” That from the lyricist no less.
My memory from those conversations that the two came up with the song, not in CA, but in China with a group of youngsters, I suppose from U.S. or maybe a multi-national group. However, that isn’t crucial; as Jill popped out when asked about the word changes: “Don’t worry about the lyrics; just SING IT!
Oh yes: afterthought, about changing original texts: one of my groups would end their gathering with The Lord’s Prayer”. One forthright lady would shout after the first two words: “Mother!” Thus: (all) “Our Father-‘MOTHER!’ who art.”
Yes; Peace to All; and don’t forget: it all begins with “me;” and “US!” SWK.
Marie Grass Amenta says
Thank you Stephen. This is very interesting.
Peggy Dettwiler says
Thank you, Marie, for your inspiring statement! Beautifully written and inclusive! Peace in the world begins in the heart, home, work place, before it can move into the country and then the world. Peggy Dettwiler
Marie Grass Amenta says
Thank you, Peggy. Much happiness to you and yours and we begin a New Year!