In the 1960s an ancient poem set to music became a number-one
pop hit. Can you guess the song?
Some hints:
·
The poem, perhaps three
thousand years old, is one of the best-known passages in the Bible.
·
The song proved that
Ecclesiastes is a timeless book.
More hints:
·
Songwriter Pete Seeger
incorporated the poem verbatim in the song.
·
Released as a single
October 1, 1965, The Byrds cover, a folk-rock version, climbed to number one on
the US Billboard Hot 100 charts within three months of its release.
Did you guess the song? It’s Turn! Turn! Turn! (to
Everything There Is a Season).
There is more to Ecclesiastes than being a number-one pop
hit. Ecclesiastes is Wisdom’s search for meaning in the ordinary things of life.
The conclusion?
Chapter 1: Secularism doesn’t
deliver.
Chapter 2: Neither do
possessions or pleasure.
Chapter 3: But, if you live your
life in accord with the times and seasons God has set up, will your life have
meaning?
So, Chapter 3 begins with the well-known poem, “There is
a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” But
there is more to Chapter 3 than the poem. Time and Circumstance is a rap,
examining the entire chapter, looking for an answer.
From the album
“Ecclesiastes” this video is scrolling playback of a percussion ensemble performance.
Kathy
Click here to
read Ecclesiastes Chapter 3.
You can get
print (PDF) and/or digital (MusicXML™) sheet music for Time and Circumstance.
Click here for print sheet music. |
Click here for digital sheet music. (MusicXML™ is the standard open format for sharing digital sheet music. Check the help files in your music notation app for directions on importing MusicXML™ files.) |