Earth Song – Lyrics: Earth Song – Frank Ticheli

Sing, Be, Live, See
This dark stormy hour,
the wind, it stirs.
The scorched Earth cries out in vain.

Oh war and power, you blind and blur. The torn heart cries out in pain.

But music and singing have been my refuge,
and music and singing shall be my light.

A light of song, shining strong.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah.

Through darkness and pain and strife,
I’ll sing, I’ll be, live, see.

Peace

Practice files:

Earth Song – Soprano 1 (top)
Earth Song – Soprano 2(bottom notes)
Earth Song – Soprano with the music
Earth Song – Alto
Earth Song –  Alto with the music
Earth Song – Tenor 1 (top notes)
Earth Song – Tenor 2 (bottom notes)
Earth Song – Tenor with the music
Earth Song – Bass 1 (top notes)
Earth Song – Bass 2 (bottom notes)
Earth Song – Bass with the music
Earth Song – Audio file

Based on fragments of Jewish text found on a cellar wall in Cologne, Germany during World War II, it is believed to have been scrawled by a child hiding from the Nazis.

Lyrics: Inscription of Hope – Z. Randall Stroope

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. And I believe in love even when there’s no one there.

And I believe in God even when He is silent. I believe through any trial there is always a way.

But sometimes in this suffering and hopeless despair My heart cries for shelter to know someone’s there. But a voice rises within me saying, ‘hold on my child I’ll give you strength, I’ll give you hope Just stay a little while.’

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. And I believe in love even when there’s no one there.

And I believe in God even when God is silent. I believe through any trial there is always a way.

May there someday be sunshine, May there someday be happiness, May there someday be love, May there someday be peace.

Youtube link

Sakura Sakura, also known as “Sakura”,(Cherry Blossoms) is a traditional Japanese　folk song depicting spring, the season of cherry blossoms. Contrary to popular belief, the song did not originate in ancient times; it was a popular, urban melody of the Edo period and was adopted as a piece for beginning koto students in the Tokyo Academy of Music Collection of Japanese Koto Music issued in 1888 (in English) by the Department of Education. The song has been popular since the Meiji period, and the lyrics in their present form were attached then. It is often sung in international settings as a song representative of Japan

Lyrics:

さくら さくら sakura sakura
やよいの空は yayoi no sora wa
見わたす限り miwatasu kagiri
かすみか雲か kasumi ka kumo ka
匂いぞ出ずる nioi zo izuru
いざや いざや izaya izaya
見にゆかん mi ni yukan

さくら さくら sakura sakura
野山も里も noyama mo sato mo
見わたす限り miwatasu kagiri
かすみか雲か kasumika kumoka
朝日ににおう asahi ni niou
さくら さくら  sakura sakura
花ざかり hana zakari

English Translation:

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms…
The March sky, as far as you can see…
Is it fog or is it clouds?
The “smell” (i hear it’s not actually smell but more like appearance) is coming out…
Let’s… let’s… go and see…

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms…
The hills and fields, and the countryside…
as far as you can see…
Is it fog or is it clouds?
The smell of cherry blossoms in the morning sunshine (not so literal, heh.)
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms…
Blooming flowers

Youtube link

 The Moldau – Smetana

Practice files:
Soprano
Alto
Tenor
Youtube link

Lyrics: Afternoon on a Hill – Cynthia Gray

I will be the gladdest thing Under the sun, I will touch a hundred flowers And not pick one.
I will look at cliffs and clouds With quiet eyes, Watch the wind bow down the grass, And the grass rise.
And when lights begin to show Up from the town, I will mark which must be mine And then start down.

Practice files:
Soprano
Alto
Afternoon on a Hill (Audio file)