A fun, rhythmic, layered song inviting us to listen deeply to the rhythm of the Earth and the sound of the river. 

Lyrics:

Part 1: Put your roots down, put your feet on the ground, can you hear what she says when you listen?

Part 2: Cause the sound of the river as it moves across the stone is the same sound as the blood in your body as it moves across your bones.

by Molly Hartwell

To learn the individual parts to this song, please visit my Public Song Library:
https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/sisters-in-harmony-song-library/

Root Down - Molly Hartwell

No Sweat
an original by Britta GreenViolet.

Recorded Feb 2022 for use in Britta's podcast, "The Sage & The Song"

Learn more about Britta's work + her "HeartSong" 6-week singing course on her website:
brittagreenviolet.com

No Sweat

I am Remembering
individual author unknown

a simple, potent song which comes from Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village community. 

Arranged, performed + recorded by Britta GreenViolet, 2022.

I Am Remembering (Plum Village)

This chant is potent in its simplicity, stacking harmony layers to add interest. In the Wholehearted Chorus we start by singing it twice with the original lyrics and our female singers on the melody, then twice more with harmony, then add the male voices and change "women" to "warriors".

Original chant by Libana.

Vocals by Lisa G. Littlebird & Friends.

This is a recording used as a practice track for the Wholehearted Chorus of Monterey and Big Sur, CA, under the direction of Lisa G. Littlebird. Lyrics and individual part tracks can be found at:
http://thebirdsings.com/river-of-birds

River of Birds

A wonderful, complex and uplifting anthem of resilience with a gospel/folky/country feel from Britta Gudmunson and Ben Gould. This arrangement is in 4 part harmony - three parts for the women and one for the men.

Copyright Ben Gould & Britta Gudmunson, arranged for chorus and recorded with permission by Lisa G. Littlebird. Contact Lisa at lisa@thebirdsings.com for the arrangement or to be put in touch with Ben & Britta for permission to record or perform for profit.

For lyrics, all individual part tracks and more, visit: http://thebirdsings.com/the-other-side

The Other Side by Britta Gudmunson and Ben Gould

This amazing layer song from Mackenzie Meyers Madrone is pure, empowering music medicine and a joy to sing. The song is built with several parts, with infinite ways of piecing them together for groups of different sizes and experience levels. In this arrangement for Wholehearted Chorus it has been arranged for six vocal parts, with parts 2 and 4 having fewer words and holding more of the drone parts in the song.

Song composed by and copyright Mackenzie Madrone. Arranged for Wholehearted Chorus with permission by Lisa G. Littlebird. Recording by Lisa G. Littlebird.

For lyrics, individual part tracks and more, visit: http://thebirdsings.com/storm-of-change/

Storm Of Change by Mackenzie Madrone

I learned this song from Maggie Wheeler of Golden Bridge Chorus. It's a call-and-response women's working song from Ghana that has traveled through singing and drumming circles worldwide. An easy teach and a joy to sing.

This song is in the public domain.

For more information, visit: http://thebirdsings.com/oleo

Oleo

This one's a tear-jerker - a favorite among many - country/folk-styled verse/ chorus song from Glen Phillips with gorgeous, heart-opening lyrics. I created a simple arrangement for 2 voices with the low part mostly doubling Glen and the high adding harmony on the bridge & choruses.

Original song © Glen Phillips. Recording by Glen Phillps & Lisa G. Littlebird. Please support the artist by purchasing his music here: http://www.glenphillips.com/.

For lyrics and more, please visit: http://thebirdsings.com/griefandpraise

Grief And Praise by Glen Phillips

This is a giant blessing of a song from Glen Phillips. An effervescent ode of gratitude for this wild and precious life. There are just two voice parts, high and low, but plenty of little nuance to keep you on your toes. Enjoy...

Original song © Glen Phillips. Recorded by Glen Phillips & Lisa G. Littlebird.

For lyrics, individual part tracks and more, visit: http://thebirdsings.com/thankyou

Thank You by Glen Phillips

This song is called “Blessed Motion.” I learned the songs at Singing Alive and the songstress is Annie Zylstra. I am amazed by the song and the story of the song, which is as follows:

Blessed Motion is a 4-part acknowledgement of the nature of Life as an unpredictable, ever-changing movement toward itself. The melody came squatting on a rock next to a fast moving fork in the Trinity River, where salmon were in their first week of journeying to their spawning sites in northern California. Martin Prechtel said after surviving the Guatemala earthquake of 1976, during which he witnessed the ground beneath him rising up and swallowing people and villages whole, that solid ground is a myth believed by people who live on the earth rather than in it. This idea has stayed with me through the years and provided partial inspiration for this song. This is a big song! It travels through two dimensions, the first, a three or four part set of repeating lines, the second, a layered riff topped with a solo section. 

Thank you Annie. 

I hope you can hear the waves and motion in the voices of the track. It is genius. 

LYRICS

I believed in solid ground until I saw the earth in motion,

in the winds of steady change and in the ever-rolling ocean.

All moves on in perfect, perfect motion.

All is change and ever-rolling ocean.

All is moving, all is change, though I once believed that there

might somehow be something firm beneath my feet, but

All is motion, and all is well for solid ground is just a myth 

for those who never swim in it.

All is moving in blessed change, o the world we know

will come and go and everything will rearrange, so

be the ground beneath that sky,

tumbling round the by and by.

All is change, so am I.

lye lye lye, lye lye lye.

Blessed Motion Cover (Original by Annie Zylstra)

The ethereal voices of Yala Lati meet the colorful voice of Heather Houston for a rainbow of sonic delight! Calling you home to the sacred circle of sisterhood, this album is a symphony for the innermost tendrils of the heart. 

We are sisters of the moon 
And daughters of the sun
We are mothers of the world
Our voices they are one
We are lovers of the earth 
and guardians of the land
We are weavers of the dream 
Together we are standing

For parts to these songs, please visit Heather's public song library at:
https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/sisters-in-harmony-song-library/

12 - Re - Wild My Soul

Lisa G is a songcatcher. She holds a vision for a world where singing is once again an integral part of daily community life. May we use our natural human expression to open our hearts, share our challenges and celebrations and uplift our lives.

Lisa G. Littlebird is the director of the 80-member Wholehearted Chorus in Monterey and Big Sur, CA. She has been on the faculty as a community singing facilitator at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA since 2006. She is a singer, composer and teacher with more than 30 years of musical experience, facilitating community singing opportunities throughout California and beyond.  Learn more at http://thebirdsings.com.

River of Birds

TheBirdSings

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