Where Lies The Land (Audio) (Video)UUCC Performance of Where Lies the Land

A setting of a poem by Arthur Hugh Clough (1819-61), for piano and choir, that uses the metaphor of life as an ocean voyage. The main melody, sung by the choir, has many Celtic elements, including an emphasis on the subdominant and harmonic movement from major to relative minor. The rhythm of the piano's counter-melody is loosely based on the Scottish highlands fiddle tune called "The Midlothian Pipers Band." Performed on October, 11, 2009, by the UUCC chalice choir with Tom Benjamin conducting and Michael Adcock on piano.

The Rights of Humankind (Video)

Delacroix

A setting of an original poem about the pioneers of the 18th century human rights revolution, set for SATB choir, vioin, string bass, and drums. Performed February 8, 2015 by the UUCC chalice choir with Michael Adcock conducting, Ella Joklik violin, Al McLain string bass, John Shea drums, and Mary Ratcliff on piano.

The poem and some background information about Olympe de Gouges, Cesare Beccaria, and Thomas Paine is here.

Ocean of Truth (Audio)

An a cappella SATB setting of two quotations of Isaac Newton that express his humility and child-like wonder at the beautiful simplicy underlying the processes of the universe. Sudden key shifts are meant to suggest "the shoulders of others" from which he saw farther than others, and the contrapuntal section is meant to suggest the intricacy of the Newtonian clock-world universe. This piece has not yet received a live choral performance and is rendered here for winds.
I don't know how I appear to others
But to myself, I seem only as a child
Standing on the seashore and diverting myself by finding
Now and again, now and again
A smoother stone, a prettier shell, than ordinary
While stretching before me lies an ocean of truth
A smoother stone, a prettier shell, while stretching before me
Is an ocean of undiscovered truth
If I have seen farther than others, on this shore
It's from standing on the shoulder of giants who came before


From Far, From Eve and Morning (Audio)

Poem XXIII of A Shropshire Lad by A. E. Housman (1859-1936), set for a cappella SATB choir. Performed March 8, 2009 by the UUCC chalice choir with Tom Benjamin conducting and Michael Adcock on piano.

Visible (Video)

Visible Performed April 2, 2019 by the UUCC chalice choir with Karl Branting conducting and Michael Adcock on piano.

To know who your are and be accepted as you are
To love as you are and to be loved as you are
This is to be as we were meant to be
Our tears are visible, our joy is visible
Hearts and lives are visible
As we truly are

At Home in the Universe (Audio)

A Humanist anthem about our need for meaning and connection in the universe, presented here in piano reduction.
May we know our place in the universe,
Where we fit in and where we belong.
May we feel at home in the universe,
Singing in the chorus of the endless song.

Full lyrics here.

The Compassion Song (Audio)

Inspired by Raymond Smullyan's dialogue Is God a Taoist? this is an attempt at a pantheist anthem. The text is the following poem:
The one true God is compassion
Our forbearance is God's mercy
Our empathy is God's wisdom
Our courage is God's strength
God doesn't punish or help or reward us, God
Has no opinions or will or desire
God's just the name for release from our prison by
Seeing ourselves in each others lives
The one true God is compassion.

For the most part, this piece is in 14/8 (2+2+3+3+2+2) and Lydian mode.

No Room For Hate (Audio)

A setting for 2 voices, cello, and violin of a poem by David Gould, whose daughter was killed in the 7 July 2005 London bombings. No Room for Hate was performed at a UUCC "Songs of Peace" service on 16 March 2008.