Asia West-Pacific Section of FWCC—Quaker world-wide body

Asia West-Pacific Section of FWCC—Quaker world-wide body

Walk cheerfully – Songs reflecting on Quaker testimonies.

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1. Walk cheerfully
Walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in everyone.
Be patterns, be examples, in all nations, in all places.
Let your life speak.

2. Simplicity
Simplicity is the soul of the little child.
Simplicity is the glow of an angel’s smile.
Simplicity is the gift of the heart that is pure,
To try to live with simplicity until we reach that final shore.

3. Justice
Justice, oh justice.
Whatsoever things bring justice, and honesty, and truthfulness,
and purity, and loveliness,
Think on these things.

4. Truth
Truth is a delicate bloom – so easily dies, yet lives eternal.

5. Equality
Equality sees that of God in everyone.

6. Peace
Dona nobis pacem.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation.
Neither shall they learn war any more.
Dona nobis pacem.
Peace.

These six songs – ‘Walk cheerfully’ – written for soprano voice, oboe, and string quartet, and which reflect on the Quaker testimonies, were composed for the Australia Yearly Meeting in Adelaide, South Australia, in January, 2010. They were performed at the closing Meeting for Worship on January 9th, 2010.
A CD recording was made on February 7th, and CD copies became available to all Australian Friends soon afterwards.
A CD was sent to Richard Simpson, who is a member of the High Wycombe Meeting in the UK, and who is also the Principal Oboe of the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Together with the Co-Clerk of High Wycombe Meeting, Val Macfarlane, Richard organised a public performance of Walk cheerfully (as well as other music) at the Jordans Meeting House for March 9th, 2016.
This concert duly took place, to a near-capacity audience, and was very well received. The artists were all professional musicians – Richard himself, of course, with soprano Lottie Greenhow (formerly a child of the Jordans Meeting), and the Aylwin String Quartet, all of whom are colleagues from the BBC Symphony Orchestra. The composer, Peter Webb, and his spouse, Julie, travelled to the UK for the occasion, and Peter did a spoken introduction to Walk cheerfully before it was performed.
Val and Richard have now arranged a further performance, this time at the Hertford Meeting House, on October 8th, 2017. Hertford was built in 1670, and is the oldest meeting house built by Friends to remain in unbroken use.
The concert will also include music by Purcell, Vivaldi, Webern, Bax, and Vaughan Williams.
Peter Webb
Adelaide
Australia Yearly Meeting.
July 2017