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Life Flows On Like A River
Look below for Swami Introduction and Comments.
Karen says: <strong>1st half</strong>: Tenors can join the basses on melody line if they wish, instead of doubling the alto line. Free free! Otherwise you never get to sing the melody. <strong>2nd half</strong>: Women who can read well: feel free to sing either tenor line instead
Soprano 1:
Soprano 2:
Alto:
Tenor 1:
Tenor 2:
Bass 1:
Bass 2:
Introduction, Written By Composer for Use in Performances
1. “This song appears with a song-sequence I wrote for the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. The sequence describes that great saint roaming in the countryside, free from all earthly attachments.
“I confess that what originally prompted this song, however, was a request a friend made to me, “Why don’t you write a song for a bass voice?” The very sounds of the words fit the low tones of a bass voice. I can’t imagine a soprano singing this song effectively. At first, then, I wasn’t thinking of Saint Francis when I wrote this song. Nor had I any special message to convey. The message formed itself out of the sounds themselves. Their natural solemnity took me into a deep sense of the contemplation of life’s impermanence, and of the need to remain forever centered in one’s deepest self.
“I’ve never thought of Saint Francis himself as singing with a bass voice as he roamed about the country singing of God’s love. The message of the song, however, fitted so perfectly into the story of his life that I included it in that song-sequence.” — From the book “I’ve Passed My Life as a Stranger, Lord” by Swami Kriyananda
2. One day Jeannie Tschantz, the director of our Ananda choir, asked me if I wouldn’t write a song for bass voice. I did. Two years ago, at the age of 84, my voice suddenly descended a whole octave. (I thought old people’s voices were supposed to go up!) I’ve found that sometimes I can actually hit the lowest note on the piano! This song is now particularly fun to sing! — From the book “A Tale of Songs” by Swami Kriyananda
Monasteries
Men:
Swami singing with violin accompaniment:
In the Temple of Isis
Introduction, Written By Composer for Use in Performances
O Mother All-Merciful, Help us to attune ourselves to Thy vibrations, To Thy rhythms of thought and of feeling. Leaving our ways, May we live in harmony with Thy ways. or Isis is the Mother aspect of God in the ancient Egyptian religion.
This song was written after meditating at the Temple of Isis, in Aswan.