#1071 On The Dusty Earth Drum by Jason Shelton set to text by John Seamon Cotter, Jr., a talented playwright, journalist, and poet, was born and reared in Louisville, Kentucky. The son of journalist, playwright, poet, teacher and community developer Joseph Seamon Cotter, Sr., the younger Cotter's education began with his sister Florence Olivia teaching him to read. Cotter graduated from Louisville's Central High School in 1911, where his father was the school principal and his teacher. His mother, Maria F. Cox, was also a teacher at the school. Cotter attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee for two years before being stricken with tuberculosis, a disease that earlier claimed the life of his sister Florence in 1914.   Joseph Cotter, Jr., completed a collection of one-act plays and poetry during the last seven years of his life. He also wrote one play, On the Fields of France, a protest play in one act which was published in 1920 after his death. Cotter died of tuberculosis in Louisville in 1919 at the age of 24.

#123 Spirit of Life by Carolyn McDade is offered again as our body movement and voice meditation practice.

#1064 Blue Boat Home by Peter Mayer.  I am sharing a blog post I found by RIck Brown in 2012.  "Since joining my church family at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Lansing in 2011, there is a song by Peter Mayer entitled "Blue Boat Home" that we sing now and then, that I love every time I hear it/sing it. The melody comes from an old hymn, but the lyrics were written to emphasize the fragile and timeless beauty of our lovely planet.  While Mr. Mayer's original version is wonderful, there is something about singing "Blue Boat Home"  in unison with fellow UU members in church that is even more uplifting and inspiring. As an environmentalist, I have found there are few songs which express the loveliness of our planet more than Mr. Mayer's song."

ANNOUNCEMENT!

We will feature one more music-centric service this summer on August 13th.