Blue Boat Home: Uu Hymnal's Addition Timeline

Blue Boat Home is a popular hymn sung in Unitarian Universalist congregations worldwide. It was written by singer/songwriter Peter Mayer and is Hymn #207 in the UU hymnal. The song is a new setting to the Welsh hymn Hyfrydol, with Mayer also recasting the tune a bit. The lyrics to the song were written by Mayer, while the melody is by Prichard.

Peter Mayer wrote the lyrics to Blue Boat Home

Peter Mayer wrote the lyrics to "Blue Boat Home", which is Hymn #207 in the UU hymnal supplement. The melody is by Prichard. The song is a new setting of the Welsh hymn "Hyfrydol" ("cheerful" in Welsh), which was originally published in 1844 by Rowland Huw Prichard in his handbook to the children's songbook "Cyfaill y Cantorion" ("The Singers' Friend").

Mayer is a singer-songwriter from Minnesota who has been writing and performing full-time for over 20 years. He writes songs about interconnectedness, the human journey, and life on Earth. His work has been included in songbooks, church hymnals, and folk radio playlists across the United States.

"Blue Boat Home" reflects Mayer's interest in exploring the mysteries and wonders of our existence. The song poetically celebrates the Earth-centred virtues of continuing creation. It speaks to the spiritual teachings from Earth-centred traditions, which is one of the six Unitarian Universalist Sources.

The lyrics of "Blue Boat Home" evoke a sense of sailing through life, with the wide universe as the ocean and the Earth as our blue boat home. The sun and moon guide our journey, and we drift alongside our fellow kindred pilgrim souls. The song expresses gratitude to the waves and winds that carry us on our voyage, and it invites us to sing our sailor's song.

The melody of Blue Boat Home was composed by Prichard

The melody of "Blue Boat Home" was composed by Rowland Huw Prichard, a Welsh tune that appears in several Christian hymnals. The original Welsh name of the melody is "Hyfrydol," which translates to "cheerful" in English. The tune was composed in 1830 when Prichard was not yet twenty years old and was first published in 1844 in the composer's handbook to the children's songbook "Cyfaill y Cantorion" ("The Singers' Friend").

The lyrics to "Blue Boat Home" were written by singer/songwriter Peter Mayer. The song is included as Hymn #207 in the UU hymnal supplement, "Singing the Journey: Supplement to Singing the Living Tradition." It is a new setting of the traditional Welsh hymn.

The song reflects the spirit of the natural world and the journey of life. The lyrics speak of sailing through life, with the wide universe as the ocean, and the earth as our "blue boat home." The sun and the moon guide the way, and the singer gives thanks to the waves and winds that carry them on their journey.

"Blue Boat Home" is one of 13 songs by Peter Mayer compiled into a single CD, co-developed by Mayer and The Great Story. The song has also inspired a circle dance performed by Ellen Kennedy and the Sacred Circle Dance Troupe of Mount Holyoke in 2010.

Blue Boat Home is Hymn #207 in the UU hymnal

"Blue Boat Home" is Hymn #207 in the UU hymnal. It is a popular hymn sung in Unitarian Universalist congregations worldwide. The words were written by singer/songwriter Peter Mayer, and the melody is by Prichard. The song is a new setting of the Welsh hymn "Hyfrydol" ("cheerful" in Welsh) composed by Rowland Huw Prichard in 1830 and published in 1844.

The lyrics of "Blue Boat Home" poetically celebrate the Earth and the human journey:

> "Though below me, I feel no motion

> Standing on these mountains and plains

> Far away from the rolling ocean

> Still, my dry land heart can say

> I've been sailing all my life now

> Never harbor or port have I known

> The wide universe is the ocean I travel

> And the earth is my blue boat home."

The song reflects the spirit of Unitarian Universalism and its principles, including spiritual teachings from Earth-centered traditions. It has become a beloved part of the UU hymnal, capturing the awe and wonder of the faith's first source and the planetary grounding of its seventh principle.

In addition to its inclusion as Hymn #207 in the UU hymnal, "Blue Boat Home" is also listed as Hymn #1064 in "Singing the Journey: Supplement to Singing the Living Tradition." This supplement is part of the Unitarian Universalist Association's "Tapestry of Faith" curriculum for children and youth, exploring their own UU faith journeys.

Blue Boat Home is Hymn #1064 in Singing the Journey

"Blue Boat Home" is Hymn #1064 in Singing the Journey: A Supplement to Singing the Living Tradition. The song was written by Peter Mayer, who also performs it on his CD, The Great Story. The melody was composed by Prichard. The song is included in the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Association's Faith Curriculum Library, Tapestry of Faith, in the Wonderful Welcome program for children in grades K-1. The lyrics reflect the spirit of the session, with themes of sailing and travelling the world:

> "Far away from the rolling ocean, still, my dry land heart can say, I've been sailing all my life now, never harbour or port have I known. The wide universe is the ocean I travel, and the earth is my blue boat home."

The song is also mentioned in the UU Association's Faith Curriculum Library, Tapestry of Faith, in the A Place of Wholeness program for youth exploring their own Unitarian Universalist faith journeys. In this context, the song is used as a tool for participants to explore their spiritual journeys and reflect on the multiple meanings that songs can have.

Blue Boat Home is a popular hymn sung in Unitarian Universalist congregations worldwide

"Blue Boat Home" is a popular hymn sung in Unitarian Universalist congregations worldwide. The song was written by singer/songwriter Peter Mayer, with the melody adapted from the Welsh hymn "Hyfrydol", composed by Rowland Huw Prichard in 1830. Mayer's version is Hymn #207 in the UU hymnal supplement.

The lyrics of "Blue Boat Home" reflect on the spiritual journey of life, with the earth as our "blue boat home". The song invites listeners to contemplate their existence, their connection to the natural world, and their place in the universe. The imagery of sailing on a boat through the vast ocean captures the awe and wonder of our planet and the mysteries of our existence.

> "Though below me, I feel no motion

> Standing on these mountains and plains

> Far away from the rolling ocean

> Still my dry land heart can say

> I've been sailing all my life now, never harbor or port have I known

> The wide universe is the ocean I travel

> And the earth is my blue boat home."

The song has become a beloved anthem for Unitarian Universalist congregations, with its message resonating deeply with those who hear it. It was even described as "a beautifully transcendent song" by a member of the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.

"Blue Boat Home" is a powerful example of how music can unite and inspire people, creating a sense of community and shared purpose. It serves as a reminder that, even in our differences, we are all kindred pilgrim souls, drifting together in our beautiful blue boat home.

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