I am of this Earth, I am of this sky
And the seasons turn, and so do I
I am made to change, I am made to bend
I am made to break and to grow again

Of This Earth

Belz Nigun (Shark in the Mikveh)
Batya Levine, Aly Halpert, Sol Weiss & G Lindberg

Belz Nigun (Shark in the Mikveh)

Roadblock  by Debbie Nargi-Brown

Part 1 
This is a roadblock, not the end of the road
When I get knocked down, I get back up again

Part 2
I don’t care what you’ve been told
Now is the time to take back control
This is not the end of your dreams
Life is not, what it seems

Part 3
Faith, Hope to Believe
Faith, Hope to Receive

This is a live recording at Song Village 2022.

Roadblock

This I know: 
That my body is a vessel for the song
Let the drum beat through me
Let the great bells ring through me
Sing through me

Vessel for the Song

Love is Here - Nick Prater

Round House Song Sessions
July 23rd, 2016
Millerton, NY

recorded by: Aly Halpert, Shelby Handler, Beck Gross, Batya Levine & Margot Seigle

lyrics:
I am grateful for the unknown blessings already on their way 
I am grateful for the unknown blessings already on their way 

I will not 
Look back in anger
Or forward in fear
But around in awareness

The Haudenosaunee believe that words of gratitude come before all else that should be said in a conversation, and the initial words of this song are credited to them.  Sarah Thompson learned this song, which expands on that concept, while doing ecological social justice work with Joanna Macy. Batya heard it from Sarah while they sat in the red tent during Passover in the Desert with Wilderness Torah.  The version recorded here is Batya's crafting.

original words:
We give thanks 
for the unknown blessings
already on their way (2x)

We will not
look back in anger
or forward in fear
but around in awareness...

We give thanks

AV - I Am Grateful

This song is such an uplifting delight! It's an easy one to get going with any group and can be simplified by teaching just 2 or 3 of the parts. NOTE: This recording has been updated as of mid-June 2018 with personally corrected parts by Sarah and a new arrangement for Wholehearted Chorus. 

Original song and copyright by Sarah Nutting of MaMuse.  Work to Be Done is included in this song library with permission for the purposes of oral tradition singing and teaching. If singing this song for performance or recording for profit, you must get permission from and pay royalties to the composer.

For more information, including individual part tracks, lyrics and more, visit: http://thebirdsings.com/work-to-be-done

Work to Be Done by Sarah Nutting of MaMuse

let the rain soak soak soak your clothes
let the rain seep seep into your bones
let the rain drench drench drench your soul
let it in

*with the help of a bat and an egret and the pond in a powerful summer storm*

storm song

This recording was made in community with the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir NYC

Healing Is Possible by Orion Johnstone

the words come from Arundhati Roy's book, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness:

"oh G-d wherever you are
oh G-d whoever you are
please slow us down
please slow us down"

i caught this song in the deep dark winter of February in Boston, grieving the way that power and abuse and capitalism demand cognitive dissonance, and the way that this cognitive dissonance plays out in my communities and my relationships. 

as i wondered what the antidote to such dissonance might be, this song came through. it is a spell for slowing down. for untangling ourselves. for opening our hearts to the aching pulse at the center of the earth.

Slow Us Down

for the trans bodies, covid bodies, black & brown bodies, disabled and chronically ill bodies, gloriously fat bodies & all the bodies that have to forge their own beautiful path to wholeness.

this body is the earth that holds my bones
this body is the air that i breathe
this body is the water flowing at the shore
this body is the path that guides me home

this body, this body, this body sets me free

This Body

JEWISH COMMUNAL SINGING FOR HEALING AND LIBERATION
Let My People Sing! is a cultural project expanding the ancient and transformative practice of Jewish communal singing. We gather in multi-racial, multicultural and genderful Jewish community, uplifting songs and leaders historically and ongoingly pushed to the margins. Together, we transmit and reclaim diasporic Jewish singing traditions, celebrate original music emerging from our communities, and create heart-centered gatherings where we can all be leaders and learners of song.