We Rise "Love Bigger" Virtual Choir
As the first wave of the coronavirus passes over us, people are yearning to “get back to normal.” But, as experts from all fields of endeavor tell us—“normal” is still a long way off, and for many of us, there is no “going back.”
Two weeks ago I heard some words from Unitarian minister Bill Sinkford that spoke to this reality with deep eloquence:
"There is no uncertainty about the suffering around us, nor uncertainty that the worst is still days ahead for us. The possible futures we face never included an absence of suffering.
But the possibilities for how we move through this time are many, and the outcomes…the community that will emerge out of these trials…those possibilities are many as well…and it is in the choices that we make that glimpses of hope can be found…
One possibility is that we will accept these evils as the best we can do. Those of us who are privileged enough and lucky enough to make it through will sink back into that normalcy in which evil is allowed to triumph.
We will be unwilling or unable to sustain our awareness of the suffering around us. We’ll go along to get along.
Closing our eyes to the suffering around us, we’ll gather at our tables again, share the bread and the wine and the fellowship and enjoy our privileged places. Without changing the rules. Without challenging whether the way things are, the way things have been, is the way that things have to be.
But that is not the only possibility”
Sinkford’s words inspired me to ask if the artists I knew would be willing—even in this time of forced isolation—to come together in an expression of possibility for this season of rebirth. The answer was a resounding yes!
Some years ago I wrote a suite called “Step By Step,” inspired by the story of civil rights icon Ruby Bridges. The finale of the piece is a song called “We Rise”—a reference to Maya Angelou’s powerful poem “Still I Rise”—that speaks to a similar message.
With the help of Portland-based audio engineer Sacha Muller and video editor Cosmo Spada, recordings of 24 singers and musicians (most using their smartphones) came together in a matter of days.
This is an offering made from our impulse to share what we have, of our thirst for human connection fueled by compassion, and our willingness to rebuild trust, expand community, and stand for justice. I’m humbled by and grateful for the offerings of the artists and humans who made this work possible and who make such offerings in their own communities.
Through this project, we encourage others to be a part of this wave: raising awareness and offering support for efforts that spread this sense of new possibility. I hope it will inspire the spirit of Ubuntu in others. If you enjoy this video, please share it. Love bigger, imagine harder, and dream wilder, and share the wave of possibility that is sweeping our world for a brighter, more loving, and more just and sustainable future. #RiseUpBrandNewDay