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 familiar 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 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.

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.

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 science is God's knowledge
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.