My patriotic musical musings are usually limited to Sundays around national holidays like Memorial Day and Independence Day. However, the Presidential Inauguration and events surrounding it this past week have stirred deep emotional responses in me – perhaps in you as well. Producing these two music videos has helped me to process these feelings. I hope you will find listening to them helpful to you as well.
God Bless America
In the summer of 2002, as the Bush administration was trying to convince the world of the necessity of a military invasion of Iraq, it seemed to me that Irving Berlin’s song, God Bless America, was being sung everywhere in support of this position. Being personally opposed to such military action, I wondered what an appropriate song of blessing might be for an America that might take a different approach. This song is the result. I wrote the following note at the end of my handwritten score:
If, instead of merely asking God to bless and sanction the America that is, we prayed more for God’s empowerment; to create the America stirring in the imagination of God, what might God try to bless us with?
https://youtu.be/zC1kniGrc-Y
America the Beautiful
In my mind and heart, this is the theme song for this America stirring in the imagination of God. Perhaps, if we sang it, instead of The Star Spangled Banner, before major sporting events and national festivities, this prayerful song might empower us to bring that God imagined America closer to reality.
https://youtu.be/s7cGiHY9V38
Grateful Acknowledgement
My deep gratitude to all those who have posted photographic images in the Creative Commons and other open source resources. Their generosity with their work is what makes it possible for me to create the visual portion of these presentations.
Blessings on your days!
Dave