Big House
Big House
Kyle Pederson (2022)
Voicing: SATB
Accompaniment: piano, with optional drums, bass, and sax
Text: Kyle Pederson
LYRICS
I want a big house
with a big front door--
wide enough to always fit one more;
where everybody's welcome,
it's late when they leave,
and if they walk in broke
they will walk out healed.
Verse 1:
Tell me 'bout the kitchen in that house....
There's a big 'ol table from wall to wall
a seat for everybody, there's room for all;
the poor and the shunned and the rich ones with means,
believers and skeptics and those in between.
There's laughter, and crying, and sharing of life....
serving hope to the hopeless and offering light
with a helping of love and a taste of truth
when they come to the table with me and you.
Verse 2:
Tell me 'bout the outside of that house...
There's a big 'ol yard, with no fence, no wall
where all the kids are welcome, come one, come all;
no matter their color or class or creed
they run, they play, they're heard, they're seen.
There is peace, there is joy, there is love in that house.
Let's build a big house.
Program note:
This piece was written for my alma mater, Augustana University (Sioux Falls, SD), in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Augustana Choir. The text explores the metaphor of a big house--where all are welcomed, valued, and cared for. Augustana University (and the choir, in particular) strives to be that kind of place. Choirs (and the arts more broadly) are so often models of inclusive, hope-filled community for the larger world; I dedicate this piece to all choir directors and singers who seek to create that sort of life-giving community. With all the division, anger, mistrust and hurt in the world....let's go out and build that big house.
