Rising – Weir, a blue true dream of sky

Judith Weir – a blue true dream of sky

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Sunrise, Thursday May 7

It’s a really incredible poem.

lifted from the no
of all nothing—

It reminds us of the essence of what we do – what we live for: 
Words. 
Telling stories. 
Our stories. Our words. Words that Describe and Define our World.
What art is.

Even the first line of this poem wakes us up, reconsidering the word “foremost” without mentioning it.

i thank You God for most this amazing

….Day!

Good morning.

Judith Weir’s a blue true dream of sky captures the joy she finds in e.e. cummings’ poem. It’s a journey of leaps and bounds. We love singing it because, well, Words! We grab hold of it, we push our sound forward, brighten up, play with the textures and the way Judith throws phrases back and forth as if we’re making it up, conversing in real time from solo (Becky), to duet (Julie and Gabrielle), to full ensemble (everyone else!). While it hints at late-16th-century polychoral music, it is firmly rooted in the groove and beat of late-20th-century (pop?) music. 

How should…
…human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

Who takes a universally-familiar adjective/noun phrase like “human being,”* adds a limiting modifier, and invites us to rethink what it means!? 

human
merely
being 

e.e.
(We thank you for most Your amazing lexicon.) 

…for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

Yes.
Be well. 
Take a moment to smile. 
Grateful for the…
leaping greenly spirits of trees

- The Whole Team @ The Crossing
* although, some would argue ‘human being’ is a compound noun, we disagree.

a blue true dream of sky 

music by Judith Weir 

words by e.e. cummings

recorded live in concert at The Crossing @ Christmas
December 16, 2018 at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill

audio by Paul Vazquez of Digital Mission Audio Services

video art by Beth Haidle

* * *

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday;this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any—lifted from the no
of all nothing—human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)