How Can I Keep from Singing?
Antanina requested years ago that the song How Can I Keep from Singing? (My life flows on...)—one of her favorite hymns at the Church of St. Francis Xavier in Manhattan— be sung for her when she passed on. We didn't think it would happen so soon.
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For almost twenty years Antanina sang alto in the Grace Chorale of Brooklyn, and they honored her musical request in our memorial in Brooklyn's St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in October 2019. Six months later, in early months of Covid-19 in Spring 2020, almost 150 people from Grace and three other choirs, plus Broadway and community musicians, recorded ourselves individually while social distancing. We used a new arrangement by our music directors, the Podd brothers, and our home recordings were combined to make this video:
(alternative link is https://youtu.be/VLPP3XmYxXg )
If you spot Mike in the video, in a grey-green cap, you might see the photo of Antanina on the shelf behind him. (Third column from right near top at 2:55-3:15 and 3:38-4:11.)
Note: the lyrics are based upon the poem Always Rejoicing by “Pauline T.,” which appeared in The New York Observer in 1868. (Music added later by Robert Lowry.)
Our Metines commemorations in 2020 and 2021 included watching and singing along with the virtual chorus performance of this song. There are lyrics and sheet music below. How can you keep from singing!?
Lyrics:
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My life flows on in endless song above earth's lamentation.
I hear the real, though far-off, hymn that hails a new creation.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that rock I’m clinging
Since love prevails in heaven and earth, How can I keep from singing?
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While though the tempest round me roars, I know the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness round me close, songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that rock, I’m clinging
Since love prevails in heaven and earth, How can I keep from singing?
I lift my eyes. The cloud grows thin; I see the blue above it.
And day by day, this pathway smooths, since first I learned to love it.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, I hear the music ringing.
It sounds an echo in my soul. How can I keep from singing?
How can I keep from singing?
Keep singing!
In October 2019 the Grace Chorale of Brooklyn sang this song for Antanina's NYC memorial, at the Church of St. Ann & the Holy Trinity, 157 Montague Street, Brooklyn.
You can hear the simpler arrangement we used at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Su6rz39d4
or by pressing the triangle in the player below.
Below here are the slightly different lyrics from the Richard Walters arrangement that we sang for Antanina in 2019, and a two-page choral arrangement, and another link to a recording.
Note: The song starts with "medium" range voices, then adds higher voices. The last verse has an an optional echoing part for higher voices, or anyone can stay on the regular part with the medium voices. We had to beware of the group pause after the last "I'm clinging......"--could have been a gotcha for those who Keep on Singing --they would have sung alone before everybody else resumed!
ps: There are lovely Pete Seeger and Enya versions of this song online which include 20th century additions to the lyrics (including a "tyrants... prison..." verse and other slight lyric changes, e.g. "grows" instead of "close", etc.).
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How Can I Keep From Singing?
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My life flows on in endless song above Earth's lamentation.
I hear the real though far off hymn that hails a new creation.
No storm can shake my in-most calm,
While to that rock I'm clinging.
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How Can I Keep from Singing?
What though the tempest round me roars, I know the truth, it liveth.
What though the darkness round me close, songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my in-most calm
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of Heaven and earth
How Can I Keep from Singing?
When tyrants tremble, sick with fear, and hear their death knells ringing;
When friends rejoice both far and near, How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile, Our thoughts to them are winging.
When friends by shame are undefiled, How can I keep from singing?
No storm can shake my in-most calm
While to that rock I'm clinging.//
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How Can I Keep from Singing?
