Good morning friends. We are Rand and Nancy Brookhart (he/him and She/her). We recently celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary. We have two kids, five grands and as of last Monday a great-grand. We both grew up in Iowa, though at opposite ends of the state. We were asked to speak about music we consider sacred. We divide that into 5 categories. Those are Music that makes us feel safe, happy, loved, strong and inspired.

Safe 

I grew up in a small farming community in northwest Iowa in the 1950’s and 60’s. Rural electric cooperatives were relatively new and brought electric services to homes both in town and on farms. I remember that the lights often went out, maybe because the service wasn’t reliable.  (My sister and I realize that we have very different memories about our childhood, so I can’t verify this statement.) My point here isn’t about REC, but rather what happened when the lights went out. I remember that Mom lit a candle and sat down to play the piano. She’d play and we’d sing all our favorite songs. In the darkness, I was safe when we sang together. Our favorites were popular tunes of the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s.  That includes 

“Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue” 

“Toot Toot Tootsie” and 

“Ragtime Cowboy Joe.”

Happy

 “Red Rubber Ball” by The Cyrkle, a pop song of the mid 1960’s — talks about the end of a teenage romance, not a particularly happy subject, but how can you not be happy about a bouncy red rubber ball?

“Supercalifragilisticexpealidocios” from Mary Poppins by JulieAndrews and Dick VanDyke, 

“O Lutefisk” recorded by Maple Street, 

“Don’t Push Send” by Carrie Newcomer. The hazards of sending email to the wrong person or after drinking too much wine or when angry. We’ve all been there.

 These are songs that make me smile because of silly lyrics or outrageous situations.

“Dancing Queen” by ABBA

“Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars

These are songs with energy.

Loved

 “You Are My Sunshine” first song I learned to play on the ukulele 

“Jesus Loves Me” probably the first song I learned in Sunday School and maybe you share that experience.  

“What A Friend We Have In Jesus” (sung at my grandmother’s funeral In Norwegian, which I don’t speak or understand, but I knew the hymn in English and could sing along.)

“Leaves Don’t Drop (They Just Let Go)” by Carrie Newcomer (My interpretation of the lyrics— it talks about how parents and children must separate in order to grow, but that they do it gently.)

 

Strong 

“I Am Woman “ by Helen Reddy

“One Woman and a Shovel” by Carrie Newcomer

 “Highwomen” by The Highwomen

Inspired 

“Crowded Table” by Highwomen, specifically Brandi Carlisle

“Praise You With My Life” recorded by Poet Voices and later by Glory Road Gospel Quartet, solo by Rand. He’s my inspiration! He also makes me feel safe, happy, loved and strong.

-Nancy Brookhart

When you are as old as I am, you have heard a lot  of songs. And I have heard hundreds, if not thousands. I was exposed to music early in life. My Aunt Kathy is only 6 years older than me, so I heard a lot of 50’s and early 60’s rock and roll. Like Roy Orbeson’s Pretty woman; Buddy Holly Peggy Sue. And anything by the Everly Brothers was great. In the mid 60’s here came The Beatles, The Stones, and one of my favorite English groups, The Hollies who sang the song “Carrie Ann”, which inspired us to name our daughter Carrie Ann.  Then on to the singer song writers like John Denver with “Country Roads” and “Rocky Mountain High”, James Taylor and “Fire and Rain” and “Sweet Baby James”, Jim Croce, Jackson Brown and Cat Stevens. And I loved just about anything by Joni Mitchell. My taste in music is very eclectic so I could go on and on, but I am moving to my personal experience. 

Some of you know but most probably don’t but for almost 20 years I sang with a regional Southern Gospel Quartet, Glory Road. One of the songs from our second album, Praise You With My Life, really touched me. If I had a theme song, this would be it. The song is really a prayer. Here are the words: Lord I want to praise you, praise you with my life. Lord I want to raise you, with a heart that’s true and a walk that’s right. Living holy, meek and lowly. Living only in your sight. Lord I want to praise you, praise you with my life. And the verse says: May my life be a melody of holy rhythm and rhyme. That will proclaim and lift your name with each and every line. In All I do may the world see you and less of me each day. And in my walk, may each step talk of mercy, love and grace. 

May it be so. Amen. 

-Rand Brookhart