Bond of Trust

17 Sep Bond of Trust

This layer song from Katie Sontag is such a gem! A four-part ride, and each one is a total joy to sing. In this arrangement, I take my time introducing each of the first 3 parts alone before stacking them and adding the (fantastic) 4th part with the sopranos.

Composer & Copyright

Original song by Katie Sontag. Slight arrangement variations made with permission.

Recording

Recording by Lisa G. Littlebird.

Lyrics

Part I:
This bond of trust
It will hold us
We are safe here
Safe here*

Part II:
The truth
Show me the way
Give me the courage to say

Part III:
May the truth
Be the guide

May it shine bright
May the truth guide the light

Part IV:
If I feel it, I will say it
If I feel it I’ll say it, say it
Say it, say it

*I am using a couple slight word variations from Katie Sontag’s original version, with permission. Part I is originally “The bond of trust, it will hold us, we are safe there, safe there.”

Teaching Notes

When teaching this song, pay special attention to rhythmic timing on each part. The first two in particular are easy to lose track of. I find the melody often needs revisiting in part III for accuracy as well, and using my hand to indicate pitches really helps. I usually teach everyone the first 3 parts and add the 4th on my own or with some soprano ringers. Give each group plenty of time to solidify their part before adding the others. As with all layer songs, it can be effectively simplified by teaching fewer layers.

This recording is in the key of