Songs for the Journey was originally commissioned by the Concord Chorale as a companion piece to the Fauré Requiem. It was first premiered by the Concord Chorale in 2010. The original orchestration was modeled after the Fauré Requiem: 2 Horns in F, Harp, Organ, and Low Strings. I have long admired Fauré’s Requiem for its personal tone, and for the way in which Fauré brings out the beauty and intimacy of the traditional Latin texts. In assembling the movements of Songs for the Journey, I chose texts with uniquely personal stories and connections. More Love, a song I had written for my wife when we were expecting our first child, became the central movement. The opening movement, Into Your Hands, is based on Psalm 31:5, and an excerpt from Confessions by St. Augustine. It features a melodic reference to a responsorial chant from the Compline service and a brief harmonic allusion to the Agnus Dei movement of the Fauré score. Together, the five movements explore similar themes as the traditional requiem—love, faith, and mortality—but in a non-liturgical framework, with poems and texts drawn from a variety of sources.

Songs for the Journey can be performed with multiple instrumentations:

• SATB chorus and keyboard (organ or piano)

• SATB chorus, string orchestra, and harp (or piano)

• SATB chorus and chamber orchestra (2 Horns in F, harp, organ, and low strings)

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Very special thanks the organizations, donors, and collaborators who made this music and recording possible:

Robert August, Michaela Barczak, Charles Bickford, Concord Chorale (Concord, NH), Matthew Culloton, Diane Cushing, Dianne and Jimmy Dean, Lindsey Ein, First Presbyterian Church (Fort Worth, TX), Aaron and Christine Hallberg, Donald Hallberg, George and Lillian Hallberg, House of Hope Presbyterian Church (St. Paul, MN), Keene State College Concert Choir, Mark Lawson, Merrit Malloy, Gary Meller, Clinton F. Miller, Ken Nafziger, Markdavin Obenza, Cathy Rand, St. John’s Episcopal Church (Portsmouth, NH), Donna Saunders, Brett Siegfried, John and Susan Siegfried, The Singers - Minnesota Choral Artists, David Trembley, Ryan Turner, and Kevin Uppercue.

I.
Into your hands, O Lord
I commend my spirit.

You have made us for yourself
and our hearts are restless
until they find peace in you.

II.
When I die,
if you need to weep,
cry for someone
walking in the streets beside you.
And when you need me,
put your arms around others
and give them
what you need to give me.

You can love me most by letting
hands touch hands
and souls touch souls.

You can love me most by
sharing your joys
and multiplying your generosity to others.

You can love me most
by letting me live in your eyes
and not just in your mind.

Love doesn’t die,
people do.
So when all that’s left of me is love,
give me away.

III.
O we have found a lovely vine
in this valley blooming,
whose blossoms shoot and promise fruit
that’s beautiful and cheering.

Refrain
More love, the heavens are blessing.
More love, the angels are calling.
More love, more love.

Its verdant branches spread so wide,
it shades the meek and lowly.
Its dazzling light does shine so bright
it truly fills the valley.

(Refrain)

We’ll plant it and sow it and everyday grow it.

(Refrain)

The angels are calling more love.

IV.
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.

V.
May the road rise up to meet you,
may the wind be ever at your back,
may the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rain fall soft upon your fields;
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

**

TEXT SOURCES:

Into Your Hands - Psalm 31:5; excerpt from Confessions by St. Augustine

When All That’s Left of Me Is Love - Anonymous, adapted from the poem Epitaph by Merrit Malloy. “Epitaph” copyright © 1975 Merrit Malloy. All rights reserved. Permission to use words in adaptation granted by Merrit Malloy.

More Love - Shaker texts adapted by Kevin Siegfried

Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep - Mary Elizabeth Frye

Celtic Blessing - Traditional

Sopranos
Hannah Armstrong
Paige Armstrong
Anna Brudzinski (soloist)
Diane Koschak
Val Peterson
Mackenzie Stern
Caroline Swanson

Altos
Jessica Bandelin
Eva Birkholz
Allison Eckberg
Lynette Johnson
Jessica Lowry
Vicki Peters
Katie Roehm

Tenors
Parker Degerness
Brent Haagenson
David Lower
Aaron McDermid
John Rynders
Philip Solyntjes

Basses
Jeff Bipes
Bryan Blessing (Choir Manager)
Timothy Bruett
Gabriel Hanson
Andrew Klein
Dylan Pringle
Brent Rogers
Nathan Thelen

Violin
Emily Saathoff
Julian Maddox
Elizabteh Bell
Zachary Saathoff
Erika Hoogeveen

Viola
Justin Knoepfel
Valerie Little

Violoncello
Laura Sewell
Rebeccah Parker Downs

Bass
Cassidy Morgan

Harp
Rachel Brandwein

Orchestra Contractor
Conor O'Brien