To Be, or Not to Be | Choral Concert

Amaryllis flowers symbolize pride, strength, determination, and radiant beauty, often representing resilience because they bloom in winter. Linked to the Greek myth of a nymph who pierced her heart to win her love, the red bloom signifies passionate love, while white suggests purity and pink signifies friendship. Here, the Lady Amaryllis seems to desire friendship while her suitor desires more, singing,

Adieu, for since to part your will is. O heavy tiding, here is for me no biding. Yet once again, ere that          I part with you.

Lips pursed singing adieu, with the song ending in major, the suitor may have wooed her “once again.”

The Willow Song was a folk song from 1583 that Shakespeare modified to project a female perspective foreshadowing Desdemona’s death at the hands of her jealous, misled husband.

The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree, Sing all a green willow; Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee, Sing willow. The fresh streams ran by her and murmur’d her moans; Sing willow. Her salt tears fell from her, and soften’d the stones; Sing willow. Sing all a green willow must be my garland. 

For Thy Sweet Love (Sonnet 29) by William Shakespeare

When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope, Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope, With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
(Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth) sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings.  
 

Sequel from The Song of Solomon 8:6

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, As a seal upon thine arm. For love is strong as death.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made that have been made. Nothing was made He has not made.

Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God. My soul is a-thirst for God, yea, even for the living God. When shall I come to appear before the presence of God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they daily say unto me, “Where is now thy God?”

Home is home no longer. (When) I’m grown and gone, Where will I belong? Could I belong with you? Could I shelter and share bread with you? Could we belong?

The house is sold. The family scatters. Sisters, brothers far away. Could you belong with me? Would you shelter and share bread with me? Could we belong?

Our country boils with anger. Bullets fly; friendships shatter. Life is short. But life, it matters.

Come, you belong with me. We’ll shelter and share bread together. We belong.

So, let’s begin again; try another way. Let’s begin again; there’s a better way. Rule a line and start once more, Learning from what’s gone before. Let’s begin again. Let’s find a way to start again.

So, can we get it right this time? Possibly. Another chance in sight? Take things easily. Is there time to care again, Time to hope and share again? Is it all too late? Too late to try it out again?

The starlight in the skies and the moonlight; The firelight in your eyes and the candlelight. Ev’ry creature softly bless, Touching each with tenderness, Helping us to see, To see a better way ahead.

The mantle of the night wraps things silently; Nothing mortal shows; Let’s step carefully; Make new tracks together, Walk hand in hand, And never run and hide; The paths that we must tread lie side by side.

Strings in the earth and air Make music sweet; Strings by the river where The willows meet.

There's music along the river For Love wanders there, Pale flowers on his mantle, Dark leaves on his hair. All softly playing, With head to the music bent, And fingers straying Upon an instrument.

The white moon Gleams in the woods; From every branch There comes a voice Beneath the boughs...
O my beloved.

The pool reflects, Deep mirror, The silhouette Of the black willow Where the wind is weeping...
Let us dream, it is the hour.

A vast and tender Consolation Seems to fall From the sky The moon illumines...

Exquisite hour.

The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree, Sing all a green willow; Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee, Sing willow. The fresh streams ran by her and murmur’d her moans; Sing willow. Her salt tears fell from her, and soften’d the stones; Sing willow. Sing all a green willow must be my garland.

Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve, I called my love false love; but what said he then?

Sing willow, willow, willow.

1. Music by William Billings
   David the king was grieved and moved. He went to his chamber and wept. And as he went, he wept and said, “O my son! Would to God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son!”
   
   
2. Music by Joshua Shank, based on a tune by William Billings
   When David heard that Absalom was slain, he went to his chamber and wept. And as he went, he wept and said, “O my son! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son!”

This text was found written on a wall at a concentration camp at the end of World War II.

I believe in the sun even when it’s not shining.
I believe in love even when I feel it not.
I believe in God even when He is silent.

Grant unto us thy gracious peace, Lord God, in our time. For there is surely no other who could fight for us, but you, our God alone.

Does the world say that you don’t look the right way? Does the world say that you’re just not enough?
Does the world say that this isn’t the right spot? When it wants you there but not here and tells you all the things you are not.
I’ve been there, too. It’s hard to shut my ears to the noise.

I don’t stand a chance if it’s me in this world all alone. The chatter is deafening, too overwhelming, it’s hard to find my way home.
So take my hand…don’t let go.

Does the world say that you don’t think the right things? Does the world say that you’re not worth the time? Does the world laugh when you fall, when you cry? Does it turn the other way every time you walk by?

I’m growing, learning, loving, becoming. So take my hand…don’t let go.

Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown
And accept it that soon You'll be drenched to the bone If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin' Or you'll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin'

Come mothers and fathers Throughout the land And don't criticize What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one If you can't lend your hand For the times, they are a-changin'

The line it is drawn The curse it is cast The slow one now Will later be fast
As the present now Will later be past The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now Will later be last For the times they are a-changin'

When I am gone, don't you cry for me, don't you pity my sorry soul.
What pain there might have been will now be past and my spirit will be whole.

I'll be on my way, I'll have left my feet of clay upon the ground,
I will glory bound I'll be on my way.

When I am gone, please forgive the wrong that I might have done to you;
There'll be no room for regrets up there high above, way beyond the blue.

I'll be on my way, I'll have laid my frown and all my burdens down,
I'll be putting on my crown, I'll be in my way.

When I am gone, don't you look for me in the places I have been;
I'll be alive but somewhere else, I'll be on my way again!

I'll be on my way! I will lift my wings and soar into the air, there'll be glory everywhere,
I'll be on my way! I'll have laid my frown and all my burdens down I'll be putting on my crown,
I'll be on my way. I'll have left my feet of clay upon the ground, I will be glory bound, I'll be on my way!