Call

Poet/Lyricist: 

Alla René Bozarth (b.1947)

— from the DARE TO BE POWERFUL choral series —

Alla René Bozarth was the first woman ordained as a deacon in the Episcopal diocese of Oregon in 1971. Her ordination to the priesthood with eleven other women in 1974 created a huge stir within the denomination and attracted international attention. She wrote the poem, "Call" on the eve of her historic ordination. Her poem, inspired by the poem “Mountain Moving Day,” (1911), by Japanese Feminist Poet Yosano Akiko, is as relevant today as when it was first penned. The roar of voices continues. Women and men are waking and rising to the call for conscious engagement around widespread gender imbalance in matters of education, economics and politics and spiritual leadership, 

Level: 

Moderate
Item Voicing/Instrumentation Duration Price Audio View Score Quantity
JS-040D
Licensed PDF 		SSAA, taiko drums (2) 4:45 $2.00
JS-040 digital purchase only N/A https://joanszymko.com/sites/joanszymko.com/files/audio_samples/05%20Call.mp3
JS-040.1D
PDF download
taiko drum parts 		taiko drums (2) N/A

Audio Credits: 

Aurora Chorus, Joan Szymko, conductor

Publisher: 

Joan Szymko
Text

Call

Alla René Bozarth (b.1947)

There is a new sound

of roaring voices

in the deep

and light-shattered

rushes in the heavens.


The mountains are coming alive,

the fire-kindled mountains,

moving again to reshape the earth.


It is we sleeping women,

waking up in a darkened world,

cutting the chains from off our bodies

with our teeth, stretching our lives

over the slow earth—


Seeing, moving, breathing in

the vigor that commands us

to make all things new.


It has been said that while the women sleep,

the earth shall sleep—

But listen! We are waking up and rising,

and soon our sisters will know their strength.


The earth-moving day is here.

We women wake to move in fire.

The earth shall be remade.

From Womanpriest: A Personal Odyssey, first edition Paulist Press 1978; revised edition Luramedia 1988, distributed by Alla Bozarth at Wisdom House; and Stars in Your Bones: Emerging Signposts on Our Spiritual Journeys by Alla Bozarth, Julia Barkley and Terri Hawthorne, North Star Press of St. Cloud 1990; and the audiocassette, Water Women, Wisdom House 1990.  To order the tape or Womanpriest, write to and add  "Order Womanpriest" or "Order Water Women."  The poet will respond with details. Order Stars in Your Bones at your favorite Internet bookstore.

itemtext: 

Licensed PDF
Video

Advanced Treble Chorale - Call by Joan Szymko

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