LYRICS
Simple Gifts (1848, Elder Joseph Brackett)
It's a gift to be simple it's a gift to be free
A gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
It will be in the valley of love and delight
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we will not be ashamed
To turn turn will be our delight
Till by turning turning we come round right
This music feels so light and airborne to me—an invitation to gratitude and wonder. I love knowing that, ultimately, I get to choose how I feel. Even in hard times, for me the choice of gratitude eventually shifts my perspective. Billy’s guitar and vocals here offer that fresh start to me every time. ~Dirje
Simple Gifts is a Shaker hymn written for dancing AND for church. Makes sense — the bowing, bending, and turn turning till we come round right. For me, it activates a fountain of longing for what simplicity might mean in our modern world. ~Billy
Let Us Break Bread Together
(African American spiritual)
Let us break bread together on our knees
Let us break bread together on our knees
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun
O Lord have mercy on me
Let us all pray together on our knees
Let us all pray together on our knees
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun
O Lord have mercy on me
We will all sing together on that day
We will all sing together on that day
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun
O Lord have mercy on me
Throughout our friendship, Billy and I have enjoyed the adventure of improvisation. If he sets a funky groove, I’m always along for the ride. This arrangement was exceptionally fun—I had a chance to be more percussive. The variety gave this a whole different flavor. Hope you hear our smiles. ~Dirje
Eat, pray, sing, knees, face, sun—together. This song knows what we've missed, being isolated. When I hear it, my heart smiles. Love how Dirje walks the wire and dances on it. It's the sound of joy and belonging. ~Billy
O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
(1882, George Matheson & Albert L. Peace)
O love that will not let me go
I rest my weary soul in Thee
I give Thee back the life I owe
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer fuller be
O Light that followest all my way
I yield my flickering torch to Thee
My heart restores its borrowed ray
That in Thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter fairer be
O Joy that seekest me through pain
I cannot close my heart to Thee
I trace the rainbow through the rain
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be
This was a new one to me, and the lyrics really landed. So many of my own difficult lessons have been the most priceless. How temporal we are, really. “O joy, that seekest me through pain….” Yes. This song feels extremely poignant and timely. ~Dirje
As a kid, when I heard this in church, I paid attention. Something extraordinary was being said. I wanted so much to grow up and get out of there. But this—not being let go—is a deeper desire. ~Billy
Spirit of the Living God (1926, Daniel Iverson)
Spirit of the living God fall fresh on me
Spirit of the living God fall fresh on me
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me
Spirit of the living God fall fresh on me
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me
Spirit of the living God fall fresh on me
What a glorious and playful invitation this offers. Loved the opportunity to respond to the vocals/guitar with a nontraditional approach—a spirit dance. -Dirje
Not all musicians feel they receive and channel something from beyond. I do. This song is a prayer of creative hearts to make us alive again today. And to help us get out of our own way. ~Billy
There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy
(1854, Frederick William Faber; 1877, Lizzie S. Tourjee)
There is a wideness in God’s mercy
Like the wideness of the sea
There is kindness in God’s justice
Which is more than liberty
For the love of God is broader
Than the measure of our mind
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind
If our love were but more simple
We would rest upon God’s word
And our lives would be illumined
In the presence of our Lord