PRAISE BIRTH AND DEATH AMID THE STARS by Connie Barlow
NOTE: This song is a rewritten and shortened version of "All Creatures of the Earth and Sky", Hymn #203 in the Unitarian hymnal (melody: Laast uns Erfreun). It was first used in the program at the Palm Sunday 2004 service at Neshoba Unitarian Universalist Church, east of Memphis. Connie's sermon topic that day was "Death in the Heavens for Life on Earth."
It was used again on Palm Sunday 2007 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh (NC). Music minister Dan Smith created a beautiful arrangement for it, sung by the choir during the offertory, with pauses and different voices singing and echoing the various parts. Click here to access the Full songsheet in PDF for piano accompaniment or just the songsheet lyrics and melody only. On April 22, 2007, the UU Church of the South Hills (Pittsburgh) used this song as the closing for the memorial remembrance of the dead Virginia Tech students; the congregations easily and beautifully sang the song from the printed lyrics and melody songsheet, while the pianist played the full songsheet. Note: For church services, you will want to print the full songsheet for the pianist and embed the lyrics and melody songsheet within the order of service printout.
Praise birth and death a-mid the stars,
Whence came all a-toms that we are.
Al-le-lu-ia ... Al-le-lu-ia
Praise cos-mic tem-por-a-li-ty,
Each mo-ment pre-cious as can be.
Al-le-lu-ia ... Al-le-lu-ia ...
Al-le-lu-ia ... Al-le-lu-ia ...
Al-le-luuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-ia ...Praise birth and death up-on this Earth,
Re-ju-ven-a-tion and re-birth.
Al-le-lu-ia ... Al-le-lu-ia
Praise beau-ty rise and then de-part,
Full-ness of spir-it, break-ing heart.
Al-le-lu-ia ... Al-le-lu-ia ...
Al-le-lu-ia ... Al-le-lu-ia ...
Al-le-luuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-ia ...
AUDIO Full songsheet in PDF songsheet lyrics and melody only
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