Occasionally a new, distinctive sound appears in sacred music. It has happened again with Margaret Rizza's wonderful music.
This rich, deeply contempla
Margaret Rizza (ARCM; FGSM) studied at the royal College of music, London, and the National School of Opera, London, and completed her operatic training in Siena and Rome. She sang professionally for 25 years and then went on to teach singing at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, from 1977 to 1994. Since 1983 she has dedicated herself to the work of spirituality and to the wider aspect of music in the community. In 2001 Margaret was made an associate of the Royal School of Church Music (ARSCM) and is closely involved with the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM). She now works full-time composing and giving retreats, prayer and music days and choral workshops.
Story behind the song
As i started work on the composition 'Hear the cry' I struggled with the whole question of poverty and how I need to enter into my own poverty in order to hear the cry of those who long for love and who yearn for peace. I had much to reflect on when reading the very disturbing words of Jesus in Matthew 25:31-46. He makes it so plain that every day there will be opportunities in some way or another to give myself to others, not only in big ways but also in very small ways - ways perhaps that I think are not worth bothering about but which will in fact be a crucible of love, of transformation for others.
In this collection I have drawn on some of the very beautiful prayers of David Adam - prayers which speak to me of new dawns which will awaken us to new realities. We meet God in the very depth of our being. We meet him in the beauty of his creation and in our relationships with on another. We meet him in the very ordinariness of our everyday lives.
The music i write is inspired by the Spirit - this creative Spirit of love who inspires, lives and breathes each one of us, always calling us, always drawing us up into a new eternal life. It is my prayer that the words and music will be part of our journey as we enter new dawns of simplicity and transformation
Album available to purchase from www.kevinmayhew.com
Lyrics
Hear the cry of the hungry,
hear the cry of the poor:
'We are hungry, we are thirsty,
hear our cry, hear our cry.'
Hear the cry of the stranger,
hear the cry of the lonely:
'Hearts are closed, ears are deaf,
hear our cry, hear our cry.'
Hear the cry of the wounded,
hear the cry of the aged:
'Feel our pain, see our wounds,
hear our cry, hear our cry.'
Hear the cry of the people,
hear the cry of the world:
'We long for love, we yearn for peace,
hear our cry, hear our cry.'
Come, my people, feed the hungry,
give them to eat;
they are thirsty, give them to drink,
come, give them to drink.
Though they are strangers,
bid them welcome;
O come, my people,
embrace them.
See the naked, come and clothe them,
come, my people, clothe them;
O come, be with the poor,
bring peace and uphold them.
Tend the sick, open your hearts,
with love and strength sustain them;
visit the prisoners, talk with them now,
O come, bring hope and forgiveness.
O feed my people, feed them now,
I tell you truly, for as you feed
one of the least of these my people,
you are feeding me.
