Music: Vivaldi, harmonies by Gretchen Sleicher
Lyrics: by David Densmore, used with permission for this song
SongsForTheGreatTurning.net
Gretchen Sleicher is a member of Ubuntu Choirs Network and well known for her delightfully harmonious, very singable, and very moving songs. She is a joy to work and sing with and we are lucky to know her! She has created the online collection Songs for the Great Turning, which is a real treasure trove of music and care.
Here is some info about the song, as well as a teaching recording from Kaitie. To visit and support the source, though, please go listen to Gretchen’s teaching tracks on her amazing website! SongsForTheGreatTurning.net. We have linked directly to her page for this song, but there is so much there to explore.
Here are Gretchen’s words: This song is a line of a poem that David Densmore wrote to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Winter, which Susan Osborn sings exquisitely on her CD Still Life. Walking in a forest on Cortes Island, B.C., the harmonies came through in gratitude for the some of the few old growth trees remaining on the island, and the islanders organizing to protect them from logging. Try getting a group together to sing this, arms raised, while walking through a forest. How blessed we are as humans to be able to join the trees in their simple praise of life!
Lyrics (in order of entrance)
Alto
I raise my arms in the forest,
and join the simple praise of trees.
Tenor
I raise my arms,
and join the praise of trees
Soprano
In the forest, the forest,
I raise my arms in praise of trees
Bass
I raise my arms,
and join the praise of trees
A personal story:
Kaitie says: When I learned this song, it was at Song Village, and it was taught by Kira Seto out under the trees! Gretchen herself was there as well. It was pretty magical. I was with my then-3 year old, and we were playing with little glass bottles making “Tree Potions” from the dirt throughout the song. Later, I heard my little one singing the song – so cute – but it sounded kind of funny. I asked her what the words were? She clearly sang me her lyrics: Enjoy the simple grays of bunnies.