Anti-War Protest in Disguise...

Current Music: Finlandia, by Jean Sibelius (1899)

... as a Unitarian church service! I attended my first Unitarian Universalist service today and enjoyed it, although I was bit taken aback by the blatant political message even though I had been warned. I agreed with the message but it felt funny, sandwiched in amongst the hymns and beautiful piano offeratory music.

Still, I was pleasantly surprised by the choice of the hymn "This is my Song" (sung to the Finlandia melody). I always liked it but the words never sunk in until it was put in proper context by today's Memorial Day sermon. That most beautiful harmony in the piece is used for the words "But other hearts in other lands are beating...", and I was really moved, especially as it was combined with the bass octaves the pianist added in on the downbeat rest before the start of the phrase. Very, very effective all around; I nearly got chills at that point!

Lloyd Stone, 1934

This is my song, Oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my sacred shrine.
But other hearts in other lands are beating,
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
Oh hear my song, oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for their land and for mine.

May truth and freedom come to every nation
May peace abound where strife has raged so long;
That each may seek to love and build together,
A world united, righting every wrong.
A world united in its love for freedom,
Proclaiming peace together in one song.