The Music & the Spoken Word broadcast airs live via TV, radio, and internet stream on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. mountain time. For information on other airtimes, visit “Airing Schedules” at musicandthespokenword.org. 

This encore performance of Music & the Spoken Word has been specially selected for airing while the Choir and Orchestra are practicing social distancing. It contains a new Spoken Word written and delivered by Lloyd Newell.

Music

Conductors: Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy
Organist: Brian Mathias
Announcer: Lloyd Newell

“My God Is So High”
Music and Lyrics: African-American spiritual
Arrangement: Ryan Murphy

“Look at the World”
Music and Lyrics: John Rutter

“Largo in G” (organ solo)
Music: George Frideric Handel
Arrangement: Brian Mathias

“Gloria,” from Mass in D, op. 86
Music: Antonin Dvořák
Lyrics: Traditional 

“My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music
Music: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II
Arrangement: Arthur Harris

“There Is a Balm in Gilead”
Music and Lyrics: African-American spiritual
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

“Hymn of Praise”¹
Music: Mack Wilberg
Lyrics: David Warner

1. On the CD Glory! Music of Rejoicing.

The Spoken Word

A Quiet Groundswell of Love and Friendship

A man sat in an airport, waiting for his flight and reading the news on his phone. He shook his head, frowning, as he scrolled through story after story about all the trouble in the world. If he had glanced up, he would have seen an exhausted mother of two on the bench across from him, trying to quiet her crying baby. The baby’s three-year-old brother, who had been playing with a toy car, gently rested his car on the baby’s lap. “Here,” he said. “Play with this. It’s fun!” That kind of generosity and love won’t show up on a newsfeed, but it happens, and it can brighten anyone’s outlook.

Last Halloween a young child was trick-or-treating. When one giver showed him an empty bowl and said, “Sorry, I’m all out of candy,” the little boy reached into his own bag and pulled out a candy for the adult. That kind of bigheartedness should help all of us feel confident that the future is in good hands.

If we look, we can see kindness all around us. A California family in need was surprised with new kitchen and laundry appliances from the local Boys and Girls Clubs. A high school in Colorado made a yearbook in braille for a visually impaired classmate.

Shortly after a young married couple moved into their new home in Massachusetts, they had a baby who was born deaf. When their new neighbors found out, they were sorry that they wouldn’t be able to communicate with the little girl as she grew up. So they hired someone to teach them American Sign Language, and before long, 40 neighbors were attending the class. The girl is now three years old. Not surprisingly, the first word she signed to them was friend.

All over the world people are combining compassion with creativity to build bonds. If we’re ever tempted to think society is pulling apart, that more and more people are sowing discord, perhaps we can look away from the noise for a moment. What we’re likely to see is a quiet groundswell of love and friendship happening all around us. We may even feel inspired to join such efforts, adding our own offering of peace and compassion wherever we are, however we can.

1.  See “BGCGSD Surprised Deserving Club Family with Kitchen and Laundry Appliances from Maytag for the Holidays,” Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego, sdyouth.org/latest-news-holiday-maytag-surprise.
   
2. See Deborah Swearingen, “Conifer High School Surprises Student with First-Ever Braille Yearbook,” Canyon Courier, May 7, 2019, https://mymountaintown.com/forum/evergreen-newspapers/333348-conifer-high-school-surprises-student-with-first-ever-braille-yearbook.
3. See Laurel Wamsley, “To Make Girl Who Is Deaf Feel at Home, Dozens of Neighbors Learn Sign Language,” National Public Radio, Dec. 27, 2019, npr.org/2019/12/25/791324876/to-make-girl-who-is-deaf-feel-at-home-dozens-of-neighbors-are-learning-sign-lang.