In the Silence
Hymn composed by
Rick HermannContextual information
“In the Silence” was written by Rick Hermann in 2003. Hermann and his wife, Lee Willis, brought it to the Bellingham, WA Unitarian Fellowship in the 2010s and it was so well received that the congregation printed it and pasted it in the back of its hymnals. The Fellowship sings it at Sunday services and monthly Taize services. It felt relevant in the early 2000s and has never stopped being relevant as well as hopeful, promising and comforting.
[This was written by Rick’s widow, Lee Willis.]
“In the Silence” was written by Rick Hermann in 2003. Hermann and his wife, Lee Willis, brought it to the Bellingham, WA Unitarian Fellowship in the 2010s and it was so well received that the congregation printed it and pasted it in the back of its hymnals. The Fellowship sings it at Sunday services and monthly Taize services. It felt relevant in the early 2000s and has never stopped being relevant as well as hopeful, promising and comforting.
[This was written by Rick’s widow, Lee Willis.]
Tune Name
[In the Silence]
Tune Name
Text Meter
Irregular
10.9.10.9
Song Composer
Rick HermannHymn Arranger
Composer Background information
Rick Hermann (he/him) was an author, musician (primarily guitar) and poet as well as a chef, editor, and film and restaurant reviewer (and so much more!). He discovered southern hospitality and Unitarian Universalism at the First Existentialist Church of Atlanta, where he lived for two years. Back home on the West Coast he found his spiritual community at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. He lived for 31 years with Young-Onset Parkinson’s disease, which took away his ability to continue his professional life, but gave him more time and space to be in nature and to create short stories, poems, and songs.
[Written by his widow Lee Willis. — Everett]
Lyricist Background information
Rick Hermann (he/him) was an author, musician (primarily guitar) and poet as well as a chef, editor, and film and restaurant reviewer (and so much more!). He discovered southern hospitality and Unitarian Universalism at the First Existentialist Church of Atlanta, where he lived for two years. Back home on the West Coast he found his spiritual community at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. He lived for 31 years with Young-Onset Parkinson’s disease, which took away his ability to continue his professional life, but gave him more time and space to be in nature and to create short stories, poems, and songs.
Arranger Background information
Lyrics
In the silence that has fallen,
fellow travelers come to see
that our spirits are unbroken,
sheltered in love's mystery.
(Chorus)
Come what may in these dark days,
all our hearts are standing still.
Love will shine again upon us
and our dream of peace fulfilled.
All the troubles that delude us,
things that I can barely say.
Truth does not survive unspoken;
without breath it fades away.
(Chorus)
If our hearts could burn like fire,––
if our voices could be the wind,
we would give what all desire: ––
freedom, joy and peace within.
We won't fear the tyrant's anger;
fear will never win our hearts.
We will not be silenced ever,
e'er the king his throne departs.
(Chorus)
Resources
Music XML and MEI and MIDI and Musescore files