Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B; Breen-Philips Hall.
Press play, and you hear Antonio Cipriani sing in a beautiful yet
subdued way, “That I would be good, even if I did nothing.” Then the melody
passes to Celia Rose Gooding, who responds, “That I would be good, even if I
got the thumbs down.” They continue alternating lines: “That I would be good,
even if I got resentful; that I would be good, even if I gained ten pounds.”
Lauren Patten then comes in with this plaintiff descant, “why won’t you accept who
I need to be?,” as Antonio and Celia keep on alternating, before Lauren takes
the melody and turns it up to eleven, coming in and belting out: “I need to
know that I would be loved, even if I am my true self; that I would be good,
even when I am overwhelmed.”