May This Be a Working Alleluia

A "roll up your sleeves" embrace of gratitude, work, healing and joy

Poet/Lyricist:

Elizabeth Alexander

Commissioned by American Composers Forum's Faith Partners Program

This festive work's thought-provoking lyric celebrates the progression from Gratitude to Work — then to Healing — and finally to our shared Joy. Opening with a simple unison line sung by the children and building to an irrepressible outpouring of alleluias, this song may be performed with piano accompaniment alone, or with the addition of flute and two trumpets.

Kids sing free! The children's choir part to this song may be downloaded and reproduced for use in performances of the complete work. See item SEA-098-02D below.

Item	Instrumentation/Voicing	Duration	Level	Audio	Delivery Method (Print vs. Digital)	Price	Quantity
SEA-098-00	Children's choir (unison), SATB, piano (Optional: flute, 2 trumpets) - Choral Score	5'	M	https://www.seafarerpress.com/sites/seafarerpress.advantagelabs.com/files/works_variant_audio_files/may_this_be_a_working_alleluia.mp3	Sheet Music	$3.00	Quantity
SEA-098-00DEL	Children's choir (unison), SATB, piano (Optional: flute, 2 trumpets) - Choral Score	5'	M	https://www.seafarerpress.com/sites/seafarerpress.advantagelabs.com/files/works_variant_audio_files/may_this_be_a_working_alleluia.mp3	Licensed PDF	$3.00	Quantity
SEA-098-01F	For SEA-098-00: - Flute & Trumpet Parts (Click on PDF icon to download parts)	5'	M	https://www.seafarerpress.com/sites/seafarerpress.advantagelabs.com/files/works_variant_audio_files/may_this_be_a_working_alleluia.mp3	Free PDF	$0.00	Quantity
SEA-098-02F	For SEA-098-00: - Children's Choir Part Kids sing free! (Click on PDF icon to download parts)	5'	ME	https://www.seafarerpress.com/sites/seafarerpress.advantagelabs.com/files/works_variant_audio_files/may_this_be_a_working_alleluia.mp3	Free PDF	$0.00	Quantity

May This Be a Working Alleluia

Lyrics by Elizabeth Alexander

As we celebrate the bounty we’ve been given this hour,
May this be a grateful alleluia.
For this day and this bread, for each seed and each flow’r,
May this be a grateful alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Let this be our prayer as we greet each moment with a song:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
May this be a grateful alleluia.

As the change we wish to see becomes the change that we make,
May this be a working alleluia.
Though we may not succeed, that’s a chance we will take.
May this be a working alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Let this be our prayer as we greet each moment with a song:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
May this be a working alleluia.

As we work to make this world a more compassionate place,
May this be a healing alleluia.
Bridging painful divides, bearing comfort and grace,
May this be a healing alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Let this be our prayer as we greet each moment with a song:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
May this be a healing alleluia.

As the love of God is offered to the world through our hands,
May this be a joyful alleluia.
As the broken is mended and justice expands,
May this be a joyful alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Let this be our prayer as we greet each moment with a song:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

May this be a joyful alleluia,
May this be a grateful alleluia,
May this be a healing alleluia,
May this be a working alleluia.

Composer's Note:

The original performance of this piece also included a set drummer — a fine choice if you have one handy!

Performers:

Premiere: Choirs of Trinity Lutheran, Watertown Evangelical Free Church and Immaculate Conception / Elizabeth Alexander (Watertown, MN)
Choir of Alamo Heights United Methodist Church / Ruth Ann Lind (San Antonio, TX)
Choir of Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship / Deborah Mensh (Lafayette, CO)
Choir of Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship / Kevin Badanes (Durham, NC)
Choir of Minnesota Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship / Nicole Collins (Bloomington, MN)
Choir of Unitarian Universalist Society of Greater Springfield / Elisabeth Weber (Springfield, MA)
Choirs of Mayflower United Church of Christ / Nancy Grundahl (Minneapolis, MN)
Choirs of Unity Church-Unitarian / Ruth Palmer (St. Paul, MN)
Southeast District Unitarian Universalist Choral Festival / Glenn Mehrbach (Chapel Hill, NC)

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Basic Genres:

Choral