A Musical Celebration of Liberal Religion and Freedom of ...€¦ · Eternal One,” “The Gospel Isn’t Written in the Bible Alone,” the title song “Go Out!,” were absolutely

GO OUT!

A Musical Celebration of Liberal Religion and Freedom of Thought

featuring

The Music of Elizabeth Alexander

and

The Words of Centuries of Strong Minded People

A concert-length work of music and narration,

featuring 9 songs for a flexible array of vocal forces, plus 2 additional optional songs.

NARRATION AND GUIDE TO PRODUCTION

Seafarer PressSeafarer PressSeafarer PressSeafarer Presshttp://www.seafarerpress.com

Revised May 3, 2011

Copyright 2011 by Elizabeth Alexander

GO OUT!

Table of Contents

Background and Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

List of Musical Selections (includes catalog numbers and ordering information) . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Sample Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Program Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Composer Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Appendix A: Narrator’s Readings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16

Appendix B: Alternate version of the song, “Go Out!” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-23

The original version of Go Out! was first performed at Unity Church-Unitarian

in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 27, 2010.

A revised version of the work, including several new songs, was performed at the National

Conference of the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network

in Madison, Wisconsin on July 15, 2010.

For recordings, updates, and the most recent version of this document, visit:

http://www.seafarerpress.com/works/go_out_concert_length_work.html

Go Out! - Page 2 of 23

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW

The concert length work, Go Out!, was inspired by a host of historic free thinkers, from the

pensive and poetic, to the fierce and feisty. Originally conceived as a choral concert, its March

2010 premiere in St. Paul, Minnesota featured three different choirs. When Go Out! received its

second performance a few months later at the Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network (UUMN)

National Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, it became necessary to scale down the performance

forces. In the version that was performed at the conference, some of the original songs were

omitted, several new songs were added, and some choral pieces were presented as duets or small

ensemble pieces.

Immediately after the UUMN Conference, conductors wanted to know how they could perform Go

Out! in their own churches and communities. Suddenly I had to decide which songs would be part

of the “definitive” version of the work! Some of the songs, like “Die Gedanken Sind Frei,” “The

Eternal One,” “The Gospel Isn’t Written in the Bible Alone,” the title song “Go Out!,” were

absolutely intrinsic to the work. Other selections did not add as much to the work as a whole, and

were easy to lay aside. Two songs, one from each of the original productions, found their way into

an “optional selection” category, and may be included or omitted depending on the needs of

particular performers and venues.

Some concert presenters will have plenty of soloists and small ensembles on hand, while others

will be looking for a chance to showcase their choral forces. With that in mind, there’s a great deal

of flexibility built into this work. In most cases, the songs are available in low, medium and high

voicings. Several songs may be performed by either a choir or small ensemble. While considering

how best to perform this complete work using the forces at hand, freedom of thought is

encouraged!

As a concert length production, Go Out! is still a fairly new work, and may evolve further as more

performers, audiences and congregations experience it. I would love to hear from performers

about what aspects of the work are particularly effective or challenging. Suggestions about how

the narrative might be enriched, improved or corrected are welcome. And of course, I would love

to hear about your performances of my music, large and small!

If at all possible, do find a way to include the headings and descriptions which appear before each

song in the program. (See Sample Program, pages 5-7). These headings help audience members

understand the structure of the work as a whole, as well as the purpose of each song. If space does

not allow for the headings and descriptions to be printed in the program, consider having them

announced by someone other than the narrator, or displayed or projected in some way.

For recordings, updates, and the most recent version of this document, visit:

http://www.seafarerpress.com/works/go_out_concert_length_work.html


Musical Selections in GO OUT!

with options for various vocal forces

1) Die Gedanken Sind FreiSATB and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-087-00 - $2.50

vocal duet (low voice and medium voice) and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-087-01 - $5.00

2) Jó!SSA choir or vocal trio, a cappella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-092-00 - $2.25

3) Go Out!SATB and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-081-00 - $2.95

tenor solo, SATB or small ensemble, and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-081-00 & Addendum B - $2.95

4) The Eternal Onelow voice and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-093-00 - $5.00

medium voice and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-093-01 - $5.00

high voice and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-093-02 - $5.00

5) Be Grateful, My SoulSSSAA or vocal quintet, a cappella. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-096-00 - $2.50

6) The Gospel Isn’t Written in the Bible Alonelow voice and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-082-00 - $5.00


7) No One Gets a Programvocal duet (alto and baritone) and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-095-07 - $5.00

8) A Love Like Thatlow voice and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-094-00 - $5.00



9) One More Redeemer* (Optional selection)SATB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-072-00 - $1.75

10) I’ll Tell You a Story, then...* (Optional selection)low voice and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-069-00 - $7.00



11) Cherish Your DoubtSATB and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-063-01 - $2.50

SSAA and piano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEA-063-02 - $2.50

Available directly from Seafarer Press or through any music dealerwww.seafarerpress.com

All music used in performances of Go Out! must be legally purchased as individual titles.The composer really-o truly-o makes her living through composing and selling her music,

so maintaining a sense of integrity regarding illegal photocopying is very important.


SAMPLE PROGRAM

GO OUT!

A Musical Celebration of Liberal Religionand Freedom of Thought

featuring

The Music of Elizabeth Alexander

and

The Words of Centuries of Strong Minded People

Location: Date and Time:

“...Preachers may proclaim the Gospels according to their own interpretation in all places. If thecommunity wants to accept it, then it is a good thing. If not, no one may be coerced, for their soulmight not be at peace unless they retain those preachers whose teachings appeal to them.

And because of this, no one...may cause harm to the preachers, no one may revile or disparage themon account of their religion... For faith is a gift from God, that comes from listening — listening tothe word of God.”

From The Edict of Torda, King John Sigismund II of Transylvania, 1568 Translation by Eva Kish


GO OUT!


Music by Elizabeth Alexander and Words by Centuries of Strong Minded People

Narration by

I. GAME-CHANGING IDEAS, BELIEFS & EVENTS

FREEDOM OF THOUGHT - THE GERMAN PEASANT WARS (1524-1525)

German Peasant Wars: Nearly forgotten uprisings which set the stage for the Reformation and French Revolution

Die Gedanken Sind Frei. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 c. German Protest Songth

Translation and additional lyrics by Elizabeth Alexander

Performer Names:

RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IN THE BALKANS - THE EDICT OF TORDA (1568)

The Edict of Torda: An ambitious outbreak of tolerance during a time of widespread religious persecution

Jó!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King John Sigismund II, from The Edict of Torda (excerpt)

Performer Names:

CHRISTIAN UNIVERSALISM COMES TO AMERICA (mid-1700s)

Universalism: The radical notion that forgiveness is available to everyone

Go Out!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. John Murray (excerpt)

Performer Names:

TRANSCENDENTALISM AND AMERICAN UNITARIANISM - THE OVER-SOUL (1841)

The Over-soul: The universal mind or spirit that animates, motivates, and unifies all living things

The Eternal One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ralph Waldo Emerson (excerpt, adapted)

Performer Names:

MORE RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE IN EUROPE - THE PERSECUTION AND FAITH OF NORBERT ÈAPEK (1942)

“Every person is an embodiment of God, and in every one of us God struggles for higher expression.” - Norbert Èapek

Be Grateful, My Soul. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Norbert Èapek (excerpt, adapted)

Performer Names:


II. STILL-EVOLVING IDEAS, BELIEFS & PRACTICES

NEO-PAGANISM - 21 CENTURY RECONSTRUCTIONS OF ANCIENT EARTH-CENTERED RELIGIONSST

Diverse, decentralized religions which share the audacious belief that the sacred dwells within all of nature

The Gospel Isn’t Written in the Bible Alone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Alexander

Performer Names:

BUDDHISM COMES TO THE WEST - FROM THE GOLD RUSH TO THICH NHAT HANH

An ancient Eastern practice which embraces the acceptance of suffering and an ongoing search for enlightenment.

No One Gets a Program.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dutch proverb, additional lyrics by Elizabeth Alexander

Performer Names:

MYSTERY AND RELIGIOUS ECSTASY - 21 CENTURY TRANSLATIONS OF 14 CENTURY SUFI POETSST TH

A direct, mystical, ecstatic relationship with the divine, celebrated by Sufi poets, and reinterpreted in our own time.

A Love Like That. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hafiz, rendering by Daniel Ladinsky

Performer Names:

TWO OPTIONAL SONGS - INCLUDE OR OMIT AS TIME AND PERFORMING FORCES ALLOW

CHRISTIANITY - STILL CHALLENGING AND INSPIRING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

An ever-evolving religion whose ancient stories, traditions and values continue to enrich our faith and our lives.

One More Redeemer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Revs. Rob Eller-Isaacs and Bill Neely (adapted)

Performer Names:

THE RELIGIOUS MONGREL

“Unitarian-Universalism [is]...a faith where being a mutt or a mongrel is not an awful place of last resort but anintentional first choice.” - Reverend Abhi Janamanchi

I’ll Tell You a Story, then..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy White

Performer Names:

WHAT NEXT?

“Cherish your doubts, for doubt is the handmaiden of truth.Doubt is the key to the door of knowledge; it is the servant of discovery.”- Reverend Robert T. Weston

Cherish Your Doubt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Alexander (inspired by Robert T. Weston)

Performer Names:


PROGRAM NOTES

I have been writing music for worship almost as long as I have been writing music. As the product of a

strong-minded, free-thinking Presbyterian minister and a spunky, creative and equally free-thinking musician,

I was writing songs about my own beliefs, values and dreams before I was in high school.

In college and graduate school, I was encouraged to focus on and compose secular concert music, but after I

became a professional composer it wasn’t long before I began writing music for worship again, now inspired

by the need I saw for music reflecting liberal religious values.

The idea for Go Out! began gradually, piece by piece. For a long time I had struggled with how to create art

about faith without sounding preachy — a perennial challenge in any art form that expresses explicit values.

How to be articulate without being dry, how to be earnest without being saccharine, how to be vital without

being cutesy? For over a decade I wrote fairly successful choral pieces which reflected liberal religious values

in some way or another, becoming more confident along the way. Then, after five years of drafts, I finally

figured out how to craft “Cherish Your Doubt” — and the horses were out of the barn.

After that 2004 watershed composition, I suddenly found I could engage with the wide variety of materials

used in Go Out!: a sermon, a manifesto, an edict, a letter, or a proverb! Who would have thought you could

sing such vital yet seemingly prosaic words from centuries past? What a terrific discovery — that we can find

ways to sing those words of faith, and they still rock, decades and centuries after they were first written.

I am deeply indebted to all the music directors who have offered me valuable encouragement and support, and

to free and feisty thinkers everywhere who have given me a wealth of wisdom and thought to enrich my life

and my art — sages and seekers all!

- Elizabeth Alexander, March 2011

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Elizabeth Alexander spent her childhood in the Carolinas and Appalachian Ohio, the daughter of a minister

and a piano teacher. Her passion for language and music is reflected in her catalogue of over 100 songs and

choral works, which have received over twenty national and international awards. Reviews of her music have

referred to “the close personal resonance between the composer and the words,” as well as her music’s

“delicacy and sincerity,” “elegance,” and “freshness within a well-known language.”

Her composition teachers included Jack Gallagher at The College of Wooster, and Steven Stucky, Yehudi

Wyner and Karel Husa at Cornell University, from which she received her doctorate in music composition.

She has been the recipient of grants, awards and fellowships from the Jerome Foundation, New York Council

on the Arts, Wisconsin Arts Board, National Orchestral Association, International League of Women

Composers, and American Composers Forum. Her frequent commissions include orchestral, chamber, choral

and solo works for church, community, university and professional musicians.

Alexander has been a Unitarian Universalist for 25 years, ever since the fateful moment when, during a

rehearsal of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, she casually mentioned to a fellow chorister that she suspected God’s

favorite chorus was “Baal, Answer Us!” She will always be grateful for the ensuing invitation to visit that

chorister’s church.


Appendix A: Narration

GO OUT!


1. Die Gedanken Sind Frei

When people talk about their religious heritage, they usually focus on their ownreligion’s founders, stories and heros. But if we’re willing to look deep enough,and broadly enough, we’ll quickly find that the number of people and events whichhave shaped our current beliefs and practices is unfathomable. Revolutions,translations, publications, persecutions, immigrations, ancient rituals and newdiscoveries. Ecstatic poems and profound essays. Acts of courage. Everydaycompassion.

Some of these people and events are well known to us, but others may besomewhat obscure. For instance:

Most people are familiar with the game-changing French Revolution of 1789, butfar fewer have heard of the German Peasant Wars of 1524-25. This is probablybecause they weren’t successful! However, these early political and economicbattles set the stage for what happened in France two centuries later. Theserebellions also created a fertile environment for the ideas of Protestant ReformerMartin Luther, who claimed that any person might interpret scripture for himself,rather than accepting the interpretations of the priests. (What a radical idea!)

Die Gedanken Sind Frei (or “My Thoughts are Free”) predated the GermanPeasant Wars by hundreds of years, but it quickly became their primary rallying cryand protest song. Centuries later, this song was resurrected by Pete Seeger, withEnglish lyrics by Arthur Kevass. Because of copyright issues, the composercouldn’t use Kevass’ lyrics in her version of the song, but no matter, she createdher own singing translation — after all, “Die Gedanken sind frei!”

Music: Die Gedanken Sind FreiSeafarer Press: SEA-087-00 (SATB choir & piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-087-01 (baritone voice, alto voice & piano)

Go Out! - Appendix A - Page 9 of 23

2. Jó!

In 1568, King John Sigismund II of Transylvania issued The Act of ReligiousTolerance and Freedom of Conscience, commonly referred to as “The Edict ofTorda.” This edict — along with a similar decree that his mother Queen Isabellahad issued a decade earlier — extended unprecedented freedom and protection toCatholics, Lutherans, Calvinists and Unitarians, and lesser but significant tolerancefor Jews, Muslims and Eastern Orthodox Catholics.

Why were these edicts so important? Well, by this time, 40 years after the GermanPeasant Wars, the Protestant Reformation had swept across Europe, leaving aviolent backlash in its wake. That violence was beginning to ebb in somecountries, as Germany ended its Thirty Years War, and the tolerant QueenElizabeth ascended to the English throne. But meanwhile, Huguenots were beingmassacred in France, the Spanish Inquisition was still in full force, and UnitarianMichael Servetus had recently been burned at the stake in Switzerland.

So imagine, if you will, that you are a 16 century Transylvanian. You areth

awakened one morning by a group of women bursting with news about the Edict ofTorda, and the safety that it promises your family and country. “Jó! Jó!” thewomen cry: “All is well! All is well!”

Music: Jó!Seafarer Press: SEA-092-00 (SSA or vocal trio)


3. Go Out!

Down through the centuries, arguments within Protestant denominations continued,usually focused on points of doctrine and religious law. In 18 century England,th

James Relly came to believe that salvation did not hinge on whether an individualadhered to religious law, but that it was instead granted to everyone through thegrace of God. This notion of radical religious tolerance, known as “universalism,”made Relly and his followers unpopular with many English church leaders. One ofthese “Relly-ites,” minister John Murray, immigrated to America in 1770, where hefounded one of the first Universalist churches in the New World.

Murray was an articulate and fiery speaker. He was also very smart. He knew thatin order to persuade his listeners, he needed to defend his ideas using the Bible. Thus, in one famous sermon, Murray made a reference to Jesus’ parable of theGreat Banquet. In that parable, a master invites everyone to his banquet withoutdiscrimination, instructing his servant to “Go out into the highways and hedges,and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

Music: Go Out!Seafarer Press: SEA-081-00 (SATB & piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-081-00 used in conjunction with Appendix B (tenor solo, SATB / vocal ensemble & piano) Note: The alternate version contains spoken excerpt from Parable of the Great Banquet. (Luke 14:16-24)

4. The Eternal One

Unitarian minister Ralph Waldo Emerson was a well known figure in 19 centuryth

America. An articulate, powerful and opinionated speaker, he lectured on religionand social reform all across New England.

Emerson was one of the few people in America familiar with Buddhist and Sufitexts, which deeply influenced his thinking. He developed a concept of God thatwas neither patriarchal nor judgmental, but was instead endowed with benevolence,beauty, omnipresence, and constant flux. He called this divine entity, whichflowed through the mind and spirit of every living being, the “Oversoul.”

Some of Emerson’s poetic depictions of the Oversoul are woven together in thisnext song, creating an intimate portrait of the supreme being he envisioned.

Music: The Eternal OneSeafarer Press: SEA-093-00 (low voice & piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-093-01 (medium voice & piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-093-02 (high voice & piano)


5. Be Grateful, My Soul

Religious intolerance can rear its head in any place and time, with brave andforthright individuals as its frequent casualties. On March 28, 1941, Norbert Èapek[pronounced: chay3-peck], minister of the Unitarian Church in Prague, wasarrested by the Gestapo, along with his daughter Zora. They were accused oflistening to foreign broadcasts and BBC transmissions; in addition, Èapek wasaccused of “high treason,” with several of his sermons cited as evidence.

Zora was sent to a forced labor camp, from which she was subsequently released. Although Èapek was found innocent of the treason charge, the Gestapo ignored thecourt’s recommendation, sending him first to Dachau and later to Austria’sHartheim Castle, where he was executed in a gas chamber.

During Zora’s last visit to her father in prison, he gave her a letter containing apoem he had written. Even though Èapek suspected that his life would soon beover, this poem expressed boundless gratitude for all the joy and struggles he hadever known.

Music: Be Grateful, My SoulSeafarer Press: SEA-096-00 (SSSAA or vocal quartet)

6. The Gospel Isn’t Written in the Bible Alone

The past 50 years have seen a resurgence of a variety of earth-based religions witha wide range of belief systems. Our present-day Pagans are drawn to traditionalpractices, folk-lore and rituals from many different cultures. In general, Paganseschew hierarchies and governing bodies, observe cycles such as the solstice andequinox, and share a belief in the divinity of all nature.

The quote which inspired this next song is widely attributed to Martin Luther: “God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees, and flowers, and clouds,and stars.” Well, as it turns out, Luther didn’t really say that — it was more likelyan anonymous 20 century pagan — but it’s possible to imagine that, just maybe,th

the idea of God finding expression in all things and people might have appealed toLuther as well.

Music: The Gospel Isn’t Written in the Bible AloneSeafarer Press: SEA-082-00 (low voice & piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-082-02 (high voice & piano)


7. No One Gets a Program

It’s true that Emerson was among the first Americans to study and write aboutBuddhism. However, there’s no evidence that he ever actually met a real liveBuddhist. It wasn’t his fault; there just weren’t any in New England to meet.

The immigration of the first warm-blooded Buddhists was occurring on the otherside of the continent, as Chinese immigrants arrived in California for the GoldRush and the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. For the next century,Northern California would be the nation’s magnet for Asian immigration. AsChinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese immigrants arrived, their Confucian,Taoist, Buddhist and rural Asian practices co-mingled, influencing not only theirown practices, but also — through a ripple effect — the unique culture that we nowthink of as distinctly “Californian.”

Buddhism continues to influence the West, in small ripples and big waves. Duringthe Vietnam era, Thich Nhat Hanh’s nonviolent approach to conflict helped toguide this country’s peace movement. Meditation centers have come to exist onMain Street, right alongside hardware stores and Pizza Huts. And the accessibilityof Eckhart Tolle’s Eastern-inspired books have made them international bestsellers.

If there’s any unifying principle for this patchwork pattern of Buddhist influences,it might be this: Acceptance of what is, right here and right now, withoutargument, judgement, or resistance. This most profound Buddhist principle hasmade its way into the popular lexicon, without us even noticing: “Easy come, easygo,” “What comes around, goes around,” and “Just go with the flow.”

Music: No One Gets a ProgramSeafarer Press: SEA-095-07 (vocal duet & piano)


8. A Love Like That

The ancient Sufi Muslim tradition was a joyful, visceral and ecstatic one. Seekingno priest or religious leader as an intermediary, Sufis sought a direct experiencewith the divine, openly expressing praise through music, poetry and dance.

Ralph Waldo Emerson became acquainted with Sufi poets Hafiz and Rumi throughsome German translations made by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall. Emersoncrafted these German writings into English poems, second generation renderingswhich sought to capture that sense of divine ecstasy.

Despite translations by Emerson and others, Sufi writings remained mostlyunknown to Westerners until recent years. One reason for this is that the mostaccurate translations often yield awkward or confusing prose.

In recent decades, the popularity of lyrical translations by people like ColemanBarks and Daniel Ladinsky has soared. In fact, one of Germany’s top selling booksin 2010 was a volume of Persian poetry translated into German from English! Though many Sufi scholars argue that these “translations” are inaccurate andoverly modernized, they have captured the imagination of the Western world in abig way.

A messy and piecemeal business, evolution — but that’s how a living, breathingreligious tradition works.

Music: A Love Like ThatSeafarer Press: SEA-094-00 (low voice & piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-094-01 (medium voice & piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-094-02 (high voice & piano)


9. One More Redeemer* (Optional selection)

As religious practices are passed down over the years, beliefs tend to become rigidand codified. Questioning these beliefs — one of the basic principles of liberalreligion — is a way of keeping them relevant and fresh. In keeping with thisphilosophy, minister Rob Eller-Isaacs examined one aspect of a belief that hadcome to limit us rather than free us. He asks:

“Does it make sense to pay so much attention to a redeemer who lived 2000 yearsago, while ignoring the 7 billion potential redeemers who are all around us — withmore born every day?” Eller-Isaacs’ answer, together with the words of fellowminister Bill Neely, is as poetic as it is compelling.

Music: One More RedeemerSeafarer Press: SEA-072-00 (SATB)

10. I’ll Tell You a Story, then...* (Optional selection)

One of the occupational hazards of being a member of a diverse religious traditionis facing THE QUESTION. You’ve heard it many times. Maybe you’ve tried toanswer it. Maybe you’ve come to dread it: “So, what exactly do you peoplebelieve?”

Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, the son of a Hindu and a Muslim, and now a Unitarian-Universalist minister, sums up these apparent contradictions in this wonderful way:

“Unitarian Universalism [is]...a faith where theological crossbreeds, cultural mutts,and religious hybrids like you and me can struggle and connect in the hyphenatedspace between perspectives; a faith where being a mutt or a mongrel is not an awfulplace of last resort but an intentional first choice.”

Wow. A religious mongrel. What an amazing thing to be. A person with areligious pedigree too complex to be completely mapped on any family tree, andtoo rich to be simplified into a single “-ism.” As religious liberals, our job — orperhaps I should say, our delight — is to accept this ever-shifting landscape, andembrace it with all the curiosity, courage and compassion we’ve got in us.

Music: I’ll Tell You a Story, then..Seafarer Press: SEA-069-00 (low voice & piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-069-01 (medium voice & piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-069-02 (high voice & piano)


11. Cherish Your Doubt

(Sigh here?) Questioning, doubting, challenging, defying, changing, reforming,integrating...it sounds kind of exhausting, doesn’t it? But fortunately, freedom ofthought isn’t just about dismantling everything people have come to believe in anddepend on. It can be about charting a beautiful new path. As Robert T. Weston soeloquently wrote:

“Cherish your doubts, for doubt is the handmaiden of truth.Doubt is the key to the door of knowledge; it is the servant of discovery. ”1

What a relief, to know that questioning the prevailing wisdom is not necessarily anact of destruction, naysaying and negation! It is also a powerful act of creation, helping the beliefs of people of all faiths stay vital, healthy and strong.

Music: Cherish Your DoubtSeafarer Press: SEA-063-01 (SATB and piano)Seafarer Press: SEA-063-02 (SSAA and piano)

Note to narrator: The widely-used worship resource, Singing the Living Tradition, altered Weston’s writing1

without his permission, substituting the word “attendant” for his word “handmaiden.” In keeping with thewishes of the author, which were expressed when permission to use these words was requested, Weston’soriginal wording is used here as well as in the printed program.

Narration copyright 2010 by Elizabeth Alexander.Narration may be freely used as part of performances of Go Out!

All music used in performances of Go Out! must be legally purchased.Individual titles are published by Seafarer Press, and are

available directly from the composer or through any music dealer.

Seafarer Press www.seafarerpress.com

For more information, or to offer suggestions or comments,don’t hesitate to contact Elizabeth Alexander at:

www.elizabethalexander.com


Appendix B: Alternate Version of the song, “Go Out!”

Performers may use the published version of the song, “Go Out!” exactly as written, with a full

choir. However, the alternate version provides some additional dramatic possibilities, which you

might want to consider. The alternate version consists of Appendix B (pages 18-23 of this

document) followed by measures 88-142 in the published score of “Go Out!” (pages 11-17 of

the published score).

Tenor Soloist:In the first place, a tenor soloist (personifying early American minister John Murray) presents all

of the material before letter D (measures 1-87). At letter D a choir or a 5-member vocal

ensemble enters, performing the remainder of the piece as it appears in the published version of

the song. (If a choral ensemble is used, 5 singers can cover all the parts, including the divisi.)

Spoken Interlude:In addition, there is a short spoken interlude in measures 77-86, which comes from the parable of

the Great Banquet. This text may be delivered by the tenor soloist (still personifying John

Murray), another member of the choir, or by a minister or guest speaker.

Lastly, the “flash mob” possibility: Yes, if you choose to use the tenor soloist and the spoken

interlude, you may wish to go all the way! Your “flash mob” of early Universalists may include

the entire choir, or a smaller ensemble. You know what to do.

Permission to photocopy Alternate Version of the song, “Go Out!”(Appendix B) is freely granted to all performers of “Go Out!”

as described above.

Go Out! - Appendix B - Page 17 of 23

(q = 128-132) Joyfully John Murray, abridged Elizabeth Alexander

© 2009 by Elizabeth Alexander

Go Out!

tenor soloist, SATB choir or 5-person vocal ensemble, and piano

Alternate version, with tenor solo and spoken interlude in measures 1-87.

For remaining measures, refer to published score.

5

TenorSolo

9

TenorSolo

13

TenorSolo

mp

Go

mp

out,

go out, go out in - to the high-ways and by ways,- Go out,

go out, and

mf

give the peo ple- some-thing of your

Seafarer PressSEA-081-00

mf


16

TenorSolo

20

TenorSolo

24

TenorSolo

A28

TenorSolo

new vi sion.-

Oh, go out,

Oh,

mp

go out, Go

out,

mf

and give the

mp

mf

peo ple- some thing- of your new vi sion.- - You may poss -

ess- a small light on ly,- but

mp

un cover- it and let it shine,

mp

2


31

TenorSolo

35

TenorSolo

39

TenorSolo

43

TenorSolo

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine,

mf

mf

Use

p

it to bring more un der- -

bell-like

p

l.h.

stand ing- to the hearts and minds of men, Go

p

out in to- the high ways- and by -

- ways, Oh,

mp

go out, Go out

mp

3


46

TenorSolo

B50

TenorSolo

53

TenorSolo

57

TenorSolo

in to- the high-ways and by ways,- Go out,

f

go out. Give them not

f

Hell, but give them hope and give them cour - - - - -

age,- give them hope and cour age,- not Hell.

Do

mp

not push them deep er- in to- their de spair,- Do not

mp

4


62

Alt.

TenorSolo

66

Alt.

TenorSolo

71C

TenorSolo

Give

f

them not

push

molto cresc.

them deep er- in to- their de spair,- Give

f

them not

f

Hell, not Hell, but

warmly, legato

give them cour age- and hope,

Hell, but

warmly, legato

give them cour age- and hope,

dolce

and

mp

preach the kind ness,- -

mp

5


74

TenorSolo

77

TenorSolo

81

TenorSolo

85

88

D

TenorSolo

and the ev er- last- ing- love of God.

Spoken (from Luke 14:21 & 23, King James Version):

...Then the master of the house said..., “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city,

2

1 2

43

p

and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. Go out into the highways and hedges,

and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled!

6


Documents

A Musical Celebration of Liberal Religion and Freedom of ...€¦ · Eternal One,” “The Gospel Isn’t Written in the Bible Alone,” the title song “Go Out!,” were absolutely