Following meeting there was a period of sharing in which Gary sang a bit of the song Julian of Norwich. The hymn to which we had been introduced last fall in the singing before meeting, expresses the affirmation that "All Shall Be Well Again." This is the sentiment to which we hold fast, as do many people of faith, in this time of testing.
From Worship in Song : A Friends Hymnal historical notes - "'Julian, a hermit and a mystic (and a she not a he) lived about the time of Chaucer in cell off the Church of St. Julian of Norwich.' She lived from1342 to sometime after 1416, and is widely considered to have been one of the greatest mystics of mideival times."
Learn more about Julian here and click on the yellow highlighted word hymn to hear it sung on youtube.
Ellie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this account of this past first day at the circle in the woods, and the links to the article about Julian of Norwich as well as the YouTube link to the song "Julian of Norwich" as this song is sung by Ed Trickett, Ann Mayo Muir and Gordon Bok.
I wonder if Gary knows that as the title of the article about Julian of Norwich indicates Julian of Norwich's "body prayer, her answer to the terror of her times, suggested yoga centuries before yoga was ever known in the western world." I didn't know anything about this myself.
Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the article offered as an further enticement to learn something more about this very unusual and fascinating woman.
"THE ANCIENT ENGLISH PRAYER METHOD THAT WAS STRANGELY SIMILAR TO YOGA
The fourteenth century ends darkly. Bubonic plague strikes like the Apocalypse, while the Hundred Years War grinds on. The peasants revolt in a bid to wrest power from the nobility, while the church schisms as two pontificates vie for supremacy in a world gone mad. The storms of history rage, but deep in the storm’s eye, one woman stands tall. Despite all odds, she has found connection to a loving God through a series of yoga-like poses she calls body prayer.
Julian of Norwich (1342-1416), whose real name has been lost to history, was an anchorite at the Church of St. Julian in Norwich, England, and body prayer, her answer to the terror of her times, suggested yoga centuries before yoga was ever known in the western world. It is as if the obscure English mystic invented yoga spontaneously as she coped with the uncertainty and fear stalking her world, and through her poses, discovered a unique route through the body to a God imbued with the divine feminine."
I was also pleased to encounter Gordon Bok once again, this time among the three singers singing the song "Julian of Norwich." Years ago I had a LP album by Gordon Bok. I liked all the songs on the album. But my favorite was a rather long story song, a love song, called "Peter Kagan and the Wind" gently sung by Gordon Bok. This song with it reference to the ”ledges” could not have been written by anyone who was not familiar with the local folklore and the Atlantic Ocean along the Maine coast.
Gordon Bok (born October 31, 1939) is a folklorist and singer-songwriter who grew up in Camden, Maine.
I have provided a YouTube link below that can be copied into a Internet browser.
"Peter Kagan and the Wind" by Gordon Bok [15:09 minutes]
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC4Za-Z0-LQ
What a beautiful post! Thank you so much, dear Ellie - I was so grateful that Don & I got to sing and worship with Gainesville Friends this past December-January, and learn this song ---
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments.
ReplyDeleteMusic is an avenue through which the soul is accessed.
"So let the sun shine in
Face it with a grin
Smilers never lose
And frowners never win
So let the sun shine in
Face it with a grin
Open up your heart and let the sun shine in"