One More Step
A richly imagined arrangement of a visionary protest anthem
Music: Joyce Poley, arr. Elizabeth Alexander
Words: Joyce Poley
In 1986 Canadian songwriter Joyce Poley wrote a simple, lyrical refrain for a peace rally in Vancouver. Since then One More Step has been sung at countless protests, worship services, and gatherings of conscience.
In this new, richly-imagined choral arrangement by Elizabeth Alexander each verse is given its own character, unfolding into steadfast determination, prayerful yearning, rousing affirmation, and spoken words of hope. With four new verses written by Joyce Poley especially for this arrangement, One More Step offers performers and audience member a shared sense of community and commitment.
Details and Ordering Information
Composer Notes
My choral arrangement of Joyce Poley’s song “One More Step” was commissioned to celebrate the merger of River House and Lifebridge, two service organizations that addressed homelessness in northeastern Massachusetts. Joyce generously wrote four new verses for the arrangement, giving me a few more delicious images to play with: seeds, homes, bridges, and (inevitably!) stumbles. Each verse tells a different story, creating a multilayered, shared sense of community and commitment.
One More Step
One more step,
We will take one more step,
Till there is peace for us and everyone,
We’ll take one more step.
One more word,
We will say one more word,
Till every word is heard by everyone,
We’ll say one more word.
One more prayer,
We will say one more prayer,
Till every prayer is shared by everyone,
We’ll say one more prayer.
One more song,
We will sing one more song,
Till every song is sung by everyone,
We’ll sing one more song.
One more seed,
We will sow one more seed,
Till there’s a seed of hope in everyone,
We’ll sow one more seed.
One more home,
We will build one more home,
Till there’s a place for every one of us,
We’ll build one more home.
One more bridge,
We will cross one more bridge,
Till we have found the peace we’re longing for,
We’ll cross one more bridge.
Day by day,
We will live day by day,
And when we stumble we’ll begin again,
And take one more step.
Joyce Poley
Original lyrics ©1986 by Joyce Poley
Additional lyrics © 2016 by Joyce Poley
Performers
Premiere: Choirs of First Baptist Church of Bevely, Endicott Singers, and Freedom Singers / Rebecca Kenneally (Beverly, MA)
Reading Session. Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network National Conference (Arlington, VA)
Choir of Unitarian Church of Los Alamos / Nylea Butler-Moore (Los Alamos, NM)
Choir of Community Church of Chapel Hill / Glen Mehrbach (Chapel Hill, NC)
Walden Hill Vocal Ensemble / Joe Mish (Rochester, MN)
