Learning the 144 Secular Hymns

♪♪♪ SING ALONG ♪♪♪ as a piano plays the chords and melody (from the SOLO Edition of the Secular Hymnal). Singing along to a simple, chorded melody like this is an ideal way to develop your harmonizing skills!

Lyrics:

Rise and Shine, a new day's dawning
Chance to make a better day
Rise and Shine, get up, stop yawning
Chance to go a diff'rent way

One more chance to join the tussle
One more chance before the night
Chance to lend my mind and muscle
Chance to fin'ly get things right

Rise and Shine, the page is turning
Turning into destiny
Rise and Shine, the book is closing
Closing into history

No more time for nursing sorrow
No more time to wish and whine
Time is now and not tomorrow
Time is now to Rise and Shine

 

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Here's the same hymn in 4-part harmony (from the SATB Edition of the Secular Hymnal). If you and your choir prefer to print out your own score of this hymn, click here to access a beautiful PDF file.

To research the history of this hymn tune: http://www.hymnary.org/hymnal/SH2014

 

Out of respect for our diverse society, please work to keep our public school and community choirs "secular" (comfortable and welcoming to both religious and nonreligious singers). For more information, please visit the secular choirs webpage.

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(Page last updated: January 16, 2016 )