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Rev. Meg Barnhouse
January 29, 2012
The choir performs three of Kiya Heartwood’s choral works and Meg Barnhouse collaborates with readings. Science is showing us that we are all related to an African woman we call Mitochondrial Eve, and we can trace each person’s ancestry through their mother’s mitochondrial DNA, from mother to mother, all the way back to one of 26 “daughters of Eve.”
SERMON:
Music for the “Afri-Kin” service is called “A Balance of Earth and Sky,” composed by Kiya Heartwood (see program notes below)
I. Gloria (A Hymn to the Queen of Heaven)
This piece is honor of Mitochondrial or “African Eve”, our Homo sapiens common ancestor. Eve lived at least 200,000 years ago in East Africa and all humans are her descendants through their mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA). All humans share one common African ancestor and all women carry a strand of her DNA. This theory is supported in many books including Seven Daughters of Eve by Brian Sykes
II. Rivers of Grass
Homo sapiens descendants of Eve began migrating out of Africa to populate the rest of the world sometime between 95,000- 45,000 years ago. These daughters of Eve carry the gradual mutations necessary for survival in different climates and topography. These people moved on to new lands because of climate changes, floods, wars, droughts, and plain curiosity. We are all descended from these daughters of Mitochondrial Eve. We honor their perseverance and strength and we carry these traits into the next generations.
III. The Beauty Way.
This piece is based on a Navajo ceremonial chant that brings back balance and harmony into the celebrants’ lives. By honoring the connections to our common ancestors we remind ourselves that we are the sons and daughters of Eve and we are all related.
PROGRAM NOTES
“A Balance of Earth and Sky”
is three song cycle of praise and connection written by composer/singer songwriter Kiya Heartwood for mixed chorus and piano. This work was commissioned by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton’s Music Ministry for the UUCP choir in 2011.
“A Balance of Earth and Sky” is a musical ceremony for centering and balance.
The pieces include: “Gloria”, “Rivers of Grass” and “The Beauty Way”.
I. Gloria (A Hymn to the Queen of Heaven) …. Gloria
II. Rivers of Grass
I am grass like an ocean, rivers of mountains, choirs of stone. ( Begin again.)
I am wise as the raven, strong as the horses running for home. ( Begin again.) We dance down through the ages mother to mother, never alone. ( Begin again.)
Begin. begin again. Begin. Begin again. Begin again.
I am grass like an ocean, rivers of mountains, choirs of stone.
Rivers of mountains, choirs of stone.
Choirs of stone.
III. The Beauty Way (Based on the Navajo Beauty Way Ceremony)
Oh Beauty! Oh Beauty!
In beauty may I walk.
Through the returning season may I walk.
Grasshoppers at my feet. A sky of joyful birds.
On the trail of sacred pollen may I walk.
Beauty before me. Beauty behind me. Beauty above me.
Beauty all around.
In my youth may I walk.
In my age may I walk.
In beauty, it is finished.
In beauty, it is finished.
In beauty, we begin, again.
