A Creative Life
Béla Bartók was a Hungarian pianist and composer who added a great deal to our world through his creativity. He started playing piano as a tiny child, and knew 40 songs by the time he was four—and gave his first public recital , including an original composition he’d written two year earlier, when he was eleven.
A young Béla Bartók
Bartók went on to become a famous composer who not only wrote his own music, but also went out around the countryside gathering folk music, which he often worked into his compositions. While he was collecting music from the Székely people in Transylvania he learned about Unitarianism.
He liked the idea of a creative religion that was less about following rules and more about connecting with all aspects of life. He eventually joined a Unitarian church in Hungary, and attended with his son.
With the rise of a fascist government in Hungary and the approach of the Second World War, Bartók fled to the United States. He was safe there, but felt lonely and disconnected from his homeland, and it was hard for him to continue to write music. But when he was diagnosed with leukemia and knew that he did not have very long to live, his creative energy returned in a burst and his last compositions are often considered his greatest.
To learn more about Bartók and listen to some of his music, visit the NPR story, “Béla Bartók: Finding a Voice Through Folk Music”
Music: Béla – Evening in the village
Here is one of Bartók’s compositions, titled “Evening in the Village.” The tune comes from a folksong, which is called the “ancient Székely anthem.” The pictures in the video were almost all taken in Transylvania, where Bartók discovered Unitarianism. (The one with the gate was taken in Máriabesnyő, a famous shrine in the outskirts of Budapest.)
Never Turning Back
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What do you do when you need a little extra courage? You might take some deep breaths or talk with a friend, but sometimes a song is just the thing to get you in the right frame of mind to take on something that’s scary or overwhelming. “Never Turning Back” by Pat Humphries is one of those songs you might want to sing to yourself for courage. It’s the kind of song that’s easy to put in your own words for, so you could even change the words to fit your situation and sing something like “Gonna walk right past that bully, walk right past that bully, walk right past that bully. Never turning back, never turning back.”
Snail Girl
Even though she is small, Snail Girl has the courage to seek water for her people.
A Woman of Courage: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
In the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the year 1858, a young woman entered a streetcar and sat down. The conductor came to her and insisted she leave, but she stayed quietly in her seat. A passenger intervened, asking if the woman in question might be permitted to sit in a corner. She did not move. When she reached her destination, the woman got up and tried to pay the fare, but the conductor refused to take her money. She threw it down on the floor and left.
What was that all about? Read more →
Everything is Waiting for You
Burnt Kabob
Thank You!
The CLF applauds the vision of the members of the congregations listed below. We are deeply thankful that they have chosen to hold special collections during their services to benefit the CLF’s Prison Ministry. If your bricks and mortar congregation holds special collections, we hope you will consider joining them in supporting this life-changing ministry.
East Shore UU Church
Eliot Unitarian Chapel
First Unitarian Church of Oakland
First Unitarian Church, Omaha
First Unitarian Church, Portland
First Unitarian Church, Rochester
First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis
First Universalist Church of Denver
First Universalist Church, Minneapolis
Fox Valley UU Fellowship, Inc.
Main Line Unitarian Church
Maumee Valley UU Congregation
Rogue Valley UU Fellowship
Unity Church Unitarian of St. Paul
UU Church of Reading
UU Congregation of Atlanta
UU Congregation of Marin
UU Fellowship of Ames
UU Fellowship of Central Oregon
UUs of Clearwater FL, Inc.
West Shore UU Church
Annual Meeting
The CLF Annual Meeting will be held on June 27, 2013 at 6:00PM Eastern Time
