Colors Of the wind

"Colors of the Wind" is a beloved secular piece that many choirs enjoy preparing for special concerts, social events, and youth performances. Originally written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, its message of respecting creation and recognizing the dignity in all living things resonates deeply with singers and audiences alike. When we step away from the strict liturgical repertoire for a moment, this is exactly the kind of uplifting, reflective music that brings a choir together.

Musically, the piece flows with a gentle, sweeping melody that builds into a powerful, emotional chorus. The lyrics challenge us to look beyond our own narrow perspectives—"if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew you never knew." For a choir, the challenge lies in capturing that sense of wonder and maintaining a smooth, expressive phrasing throughout the verses, before opening up the sound for the soaring questions about the "blue corn moon" and the "voices of the mountain."

While you won't sing this during Mass, it makes a wonderful addition to a choir's concert repertoire or a parish cultural day. It reminds us that the earth is not just a "dead thing you can claim," but a shared home where we are all connected. Teaching this to a youth choir or a dedicated choral group offers a great opportunity to work on breath control, storytelling, and singing with genuine, heartfelt emotion.