Grace for the Pollinators
Hymn composed by
Nancy SchimmelContextual information
“Grace for Pollinators” is one of many environmental songs Nancy Schimmel has written. Joyce Gibrick arranged it for the Organic Women’s Chorus, which sings it on YouTube.
“Grace for Pollinators” is one of many environmental songs Nancy Schimmel has written. Joyce Gibrick arranged it for the Organic Women’s Chorus, which sings it on YouTube.
Tune Name
[Grace for Pollinators]
Tune Name
Text Meter
Irregular
10.9.10.9
Song Composer
Nancy SchimmelHymn Arranger
Composer Background information
Lyricist Background information
Nancy Schimmel (she/her) received the Children’s Music Network’s Magic Penny Award in 2019 for her contributions to children’s music. The award was named after a song by Nancy’s mother, singer/songwriter Malvina Reynolds. Nancy is also one of the founders of Occupella, a group formed during Occupy that leads songs at marches, demonstrations and picket lines. She has written a book about that experience: Occupella: Singing in the Lifeboats, Sisters’ Choice Press, 2018.
Arranger Background information
Joyce Gibrick (she/her) is a choral addict. She has sung with the San Francisco Bach Choir, the Oakland Symphony Chorus, Kitka, the Pacific Mozart Ensemble, and Chora Nova, and she currently sings with the University of California Alumnae Choir. She sang for a short while with the Organic Women’s Chorus, which is where she met Nancy and first heard “Grace for Pollinators.” She sometimes sings with Occupella.
Lyrics
For this our food we thank the bees
that pollinate the flowers.
We thank the moths that do the same
in the evening hours.
We thank the birds and butterflies
in ev’ry habitat.
And when we eat bananas
we sing to thank the bat.
We all are links upon a chain,
the eater and the fruit,
The light upon the busy leaf,
the water at the root.
We join our hands together
when another day is done.
We praise the wingèd workers
and feed upon the sun.
Resources
Music XML and MEI and MIDI and Musescore files
Google Slides (View Only)