Song: The River

Music by: Coco Love Alcorn

Notes: Coco is entering a long and challenging journey with an aggressive cancer diagnosis. She’s hopeful and grounded, but as an independent musician, she doesn’t have access to benefits like employment insurance or sick leave. With her treatment schedule, she’s had to cancel every concert, every tour, and even postpone the recording of her new album. She also had to pause her local choir until further notice. This means she’s facing at least a year ahead with almost no income — while focusing all her strength on healing. Supporting her directly through buying her music, or donating to the GoFundMe will make this time easier. In the meantime, you can sing this song of Coco's, bringing river healing energy into the world!

Songwriter Info:

“Coco is the ultimate musical spark plug... an electrical connector through which the creative energy flows. In my 30 years of touring around the world, I have never seen another performer able to bring people together like Coco does.” ~ James Keelaghan - Artist Director, Summerfolk and renowned Canadian singer/ songwriter

The first thing you notice about Coco Love Alcorn, is the voice. It's a rich, dynamic, supremely soulful instrument – hailed by the press as extraordinary, beautiful, and stunning – that has a way of touching your heart and making you care.

As a performer, Alcorn is always in the moment, joyful, and genuine. She combines diverse musical influences including jazz, R&B, pop, folk, and Gospel. Her playful and witty character, love of improvising, and willingness to engage fearlessly with the audience has made Alcorn an established presence on the Canadian music scene.

Born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and now based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Alcorn’s career has spanned more than 20 years, 12 (9 solo) albums, cross-Canada tours, collaborations, festival appearances, award nominations, and notable success in TV and film licensing. And it took someone with a spirit like Alcorn's to navigate this path.

"Throughout my career I have explored across many genres, collaborations and projects, taking a winding path to get to here,” she says. “But I’ve loved every step of my journey and trusted my inner curiosity to take me where it wanted to go.”

Sharing Info: Please support Coco directly if you are sharing this song, either by buying the music on her website here: https://cocolovealcorn.com/store or supporting her GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/SupportCocoThroughCancer

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:02:49

Verses taught slowly: 00:11:55

First run through: 00:15:50

Start time of reprise: 00:20:53

Links:

Coco teaching the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgmg1K7BFxo&t=133s

Coco's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/SupportCocoThroughCancer

Lisa Littlebird teaching tracks: https://thebirdsings.com/the-river/

Sheet music for The River: https://cocolovealcorn.com/store

Nuts & Bolts: 2:2, major, verses & chorus, harmonize

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The Sunday after this episode is released, January 4th, 2026, at 4 p.m. Eastern time, there will be an online gathering of folk who use song to help navigate life -- and we'll sing through this Ribbon of Songs with live-looping! To learn more, click here, or sign up right now to join us!

Lyrics ​& Links to the original episodes for the songs in this ribbon.

4. Let It Blow Through

by Maggie Wheeler

Let it blow through, let it blow through.

Open up the windows of your soul, and let it blow through.

Hard times come, and hard times go, let it blow through.

Open up the windows of your soul, and let it blow through.

Hard times come and hard times go, let it blow.

Open up the windows of your soul, and let it blow through.

63. Awaken Me

by Abigail Spinner McBride

1. Open my eyes to the miracles around me,

wake me up, wake me up. (2x)

3. Shake me from my sleep and stir me from my dreaming.

Chorus: Awaken me. (4x)

113. Borrow Trouble

by Patricia Norton

Let me not borrow this trouble

ahead of time.

Let me not carry this sorrow

before it's mine.

It will come when it comes, and go when it goes.

I will know; I will know.

It will come when it comes and go when it goes,

I will know. My trust and love are banks on the river

where grief and praise can find a flow.

My tender heart, it floats on the ocean.

The waves come. The waves go.

161. Good Friend

by Jan Harmon

Oh the wind, it is a song

that harbours through the winter,

Oh the sail, it is a door

that bids the song to enter,

And let us sail the sea, good friend,

And let us sing together,

The singer lasts a season long,

While the song, it lasts forever.

204. May the Way Open Before You

by Ana Hernández

May the way open before you.

May you see beyond darkness and light

to the love you are;

to the love you bring into the world.

6. Be Open

by Debbie Nargi-Brown

Be open for something wonderful to happen

Be open to the possibility

(x2) Aiye Aiye Aiye, Aiye Aiye Aiye (x2)

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share

Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html

Song: I Believe

Music by: Una McCann

Guest singers:​ Rebecca Csuy, Seth Norton, Tom Norton, Marika Tabilio

Notes: You'll hear a wonderful group of singers helping me cover all the ranges of this song: Tom and Seth bring the bass, Marika nails the tenor, Rebecca lines up the alto, and I take on soprano. There's a bit of octave confusion -- where do we find these pitches in our different voices?! And then this fabulous song and groove reminds us to see the goodness -- in you, in me, in everybody. So grateful to Una McCann for living into the teachings of Tara Brach and catching this song that feels so good to have singing in my body! Wishing everyone a week of discovery and festive comradery, whether you are celebrating holy days or simply the close of 2025...

Songwriter Info:

Una McCann is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland where she works as a choir leader and songwriter. She has been leading groups in harmony since her school days and has been working professionally with choirs for 15 years.

Currently the chair of the Natural Voice Network, Una runs 6 Natural Voice style weekly choirs. She also enjoys running singing holidays and retreats.

Una is passionate about the power of creativity to transform lives and encourages her singers to improvise, play and explore their own creativity.

Song writing is a part of life that sustains and supports Una. She writes melodies and words that she needs to hear in that moment and is always delighted when they resonate with other people too.

I Believe was born out of the wish to always see the best in people even when it’s hard and we don’t want to, and to remember that underneath all of us is someone who just wants to be happy. We all come from love but sometimes we lose our way a bit.

It was inspired by listening to Tara Brach who creates beautiful talks on topics such as this.

Sharing Info: Please buy sheet music on Una's website (see below) if you plan to share this song as a songleader.

Song Learning Time Stamps:

Start time of teaching: 00:05:24

Start time of reprise: 00:19:52

Links:

Una's website: www.unamccann.org

Sheet music for this song: https://unamccann.org/product/i-believe/

Una's Instagram: www.instagram.com/unamccann47

Una's Facebook (Una McCann Music): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558408430060

Tara Brach's website: www.tarabrach.com

Natural Voice Network: www.naturalvoice.net

Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, minor, 2 layers, one layer with melody & two harmonies

Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share

Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html