The Ballad of
HOPE SINGERS 2016
(to the tune: “Battle Hymn of the Republic”)
On July the twenty sixth, in two thousand and sixteen.
We embarked upon a singing tour to Poland as a team
We were nine and twenty singers, with our great director Lloyd
And Mary, our sweet mom.
Chorus:
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Singing really seems to woo ya’
We spent three days rehearsing, with two weekends in the states.
To get our notes on tune!
Jenna, Sarah, Abby, Sharon, Carolyn, Lani were the girls,
Krista, Katherine, Hadassah, (some had straight hair, some had curly)
Vic, LaShonda, and Dawnita, Jewel, ‘lissa, and Janelle
Who wore the black and blue.
Chorus:
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Learning Polish really moves ya’
Tried to grasp articulation such as wy-śpie-wu-ją
And sły-szysz w chwi-li trwóg!
Titus, Benji, Darren, Jaden, Andrew, Jolynn were the boys,
Joel, Eddie, Karl, Jonnie, (Ivan, Kenny were Godoys)
Schedules were “meticulated” by Dervin and Marlin
Who made things run so smooth!
Chorus:
Glory, glory hallelujah!
We will give the Kudos to ‘ya
Our trip was masterminded by Laverns and Jonathans
Jagoda did our wash…and wash…and wash…
As we traveled we enjoyed the scen’ry, slept, and played some Rook,
And were edified by quiet time while Lloyd read from his book;
Practiced on sub-vocal sounds, ran the scales in oohs and aahs,
And gen’rly were a-mused!
Chorus:
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Foreign food is such a joy-a!
Ate tomatoes, soup, cucumbers, lunch meat, cereal, cheese and bread,
With coffee, tea, and cake…and cake…and cake…
Slept at farms, hotels, hostels, seminary, B and B’s
Traveled nine and twenty hundred K’s in buses, tan and blue
Twenty songs in twelve programs, concert hall to high school gym,
And even were in-tent(s)…
Chorus:
We have sung Allelujah!
Thirty thousand times to clue ‘ya
God has kept us safe in travel with good health along the way
Praise God whence blessings flow!
Toured in Warsaw, Mińsk, and Kraków, Torun, Turek, and Gdańsk,
Malbork and Chęciny Castle, Auschwitz, Schindler (we gave thanks)
Sang in several cathedrals, rode on ferries, followed guides
Saw Mennonite grave-yard.
Chorus:
Glory, glory hallelujah!
Now we all sing “Cuda, Cuda!”
Let us ever faithful be, and remember fond-i-ly
HOPE TWO- OH –SIX- TEEN
-By Dave Gingerich