"For the Beauty of the Earth"

Lyricist Folliott Pierpoint was 29 at the time he wrote this hymn; he was mesmerized by the beauty of the countryside that surrounded him. It first appeared in 1864 in a book of Eucharistic Hymns and Poems entitled "Lyra Eucharistica, Hymns and Verses on The Holy Communion, Ancient and Modern, with other Poems."It was written as a Eucharistic hymn - hence the title of "The Sacrifice of Praise", the refrain "Christ, our God, to Thee we raise, This, our sacrifice of praise", and as is seen throughout the original text of 1864, especially the last two lines which had replaced the Refrain in verse 8. This is how it appears in the 'English Hymnal' of 1933, with the two exceptions, that Pierpoint's last two lines which had replaced the Refrain after verse 8, were omitted and the Refrain sung instead, and the first two words of the last line in verse (three) "sinking sense", in common with all other hymnbooks was modified to "linking sense". The text was more radically modified by the publishers of "Hymns Ancient and Modern" for the 1916 Hymnbook, so it could serve as a general hymn.

"Jenny Rebecca"

Take a listen to Barbara Streisand sing this! JENNY REBECCA

"I Am His Child"

Moses Hogan is one of my favorite arrangers of African American spirituals. Take a minute and read more about him. MOSES HOGAN

"Forever Young"

Written as a lullaby for his eldest son Jesse, born in 1966, Dylan's song relates a father's hopes that his child will remain strong and happy. It opens with the lines, 'May God bless and keep you always / May your wishes all come true', echoing the priestly blessing from the Book of Numbers, which has lines that begin: 'May the Lord bless you and guard you / May the Lord make His face shed light upon you.' Not wishing to sound 'too sentimental', Dylan included two versions of the song on the album Planet Waves, one a lullaby and the other more rock-oriented.

In notes on "Forever Young" written for the 2007 album Dylan, Bill Flanagan writes that Dylan and the Band 'got together and quickly knocked off an album, Planet Waves, that featured two versions of a blessing from a parent to a child. In the years he was away from stage, Dylan had become a father. He had that in common with a good chunk of the audience. The song was memorably recited on American television by Howard Cosell when Muhammad Ali won the heavyweight crown for the third time'.

Rhythm of Life"

This a song from the 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity, written by composer Cy Coleman and lyricist Dorothy Fields.

In the musical, the song is performed by the character Big Daddy, the leader of an alternative "hippie" religious group/cult called the "Rhythm of Life Church." In the 1969 movie musical adaptation of Sweet Charity, directed by Bob Fosse (who also directed the original Broadway production), the song is performed by Sammy Davis, Jr., who co-stars as Big Daddy in the film.^[3]

The same year as the release of the Sweet Charity film, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations covered the song for their G.I.T. on Broadway television special, originally broadcast November 12, 1969 on NBC with a soundtrack album released a few days earlier on November 7. Their version was released as a single in 1970 in Australia and New Zealand, where it was a top 5 and top 20 hit, respectively.

"And So It Goes"

This is a song written by Billy Joel in 1983, though it was not released until six years later. It appeared as the tenth and final track of his 1989 studio album Storm Front. The original 1983 demo was released on the 2005 box set My Lives. Joel wrote the song about a doomed relationship with model Elle Macpherson. Due to their 15-year age difference, their relationship was dramatic. In 1983, Macpherson was about 19 years old while Joel was around 34. Joel dated Macpherson for only a brief time, and shortly after became involved with model Christie Brinkley. She ultimately became his second wife in 1985.

The song was inspired by the Scottish ballad "Barbara Allen", and is unique for Joel as it is written in iambic tetrameter. In the original demo version of "And So It Goes," Joel sings the melody simply, accompanied by a simple piano backdrop, in a style very reminiscent of a hymn. On the 1989 album version, Joel sings and plays all the instrumentation (piano and synthesizers). The official video is from a live performance in front of a concert audience.

At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024, when asked to name the definitive Billy Joel song, Joel said "And So It Goes."

"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms"

Leaning is a hymn published in 1887 with music by Anthony J. Showalter and lyrics by Showalter and Elisha Hoffman.

Showalter said that he received letters from two of his former pupils saying that their wives had died. When writing letters of consolation, Showalter was inspired by the phrase in the Book of Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms".

"Requiem"

Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem is a tender, intimate work. He did not choose to set the Dies irae movement that gives Mozart’s and Verdi’s Requiems so much of their drama and intensity. Instead, Fauré chose a gentler path. He described the work as a lullaby of death, reflecting his personal view of death as “an aspiration toward happiness above, rather than as a painful experience.” The music is lovely and soothing, its movements balanced. The central Pie Jesu for soprano solo serves as a fulcrum to the preceding and following movements. It is easy to understand why this work is so beloved to choruses and audiences alike.



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