In the first song, Welcome, the music reaches out to the visitor with the open hand of friendship. There are no strangers on the journey of life, but only raveling fellow-pilgrims traveling side by side. So with a joyful smile, the song invites the newcomer to join his brothers and sisters as they fly into the vastness-sky.

With a lively musical fanfare, Congratulation expresses the heart’s frank and open admiration for a fellow human being’s achievement. In this oneness-world where envy and jealousy do not exist, the singers are also congratulating themselves, for each man’s achievement belongs to all.

Brimming with joy at these words of congratulations, the heart sings out its gratitude in the Thank You song. There is no false humility here, but only the bright, bold declaration of oneness. He who achieves and he who appreciates are equals, and the themes of “Thank You” and “Congratulation” reflect back and forth like mirror images.

With a sweet and beautiful poignancy, Farewell conveys the feelings that come with the parting of a friend. The heart is saddened, but the soul reassures it that there is no parting, but only oneness – a soul’s oneness that persists through time, through space, through life and beyond.

Sri Chinmoy composed Welcome and Congratulation on September 15 and 17, 1978 in Puerto Rico, and Thank You and Farewell on October 2 and 4 during a lecture tour in California later that year. But in a deeper sense these songs were not composed by any single person; rather they have existed for as long as the human race. In these Four Universals, we hear the universal Spirit of humanity singing its own song – all nationalities, all races, all religions and all creeds joining together in one voice to sing out the Song of Man.

Superman movie benefit premiere evening at Astor Theatre with Christopher Reeve (December 11, 1978)

Four Universals have been publicly performed:

December 5, 1978 – at Sunstorm Galleries at Hicksville, where Sri Chinmoy received Art Award

December 7, 1978 – after Sri Chinmoy offered award for the “Thank You” song; singers sang all Universals and Red Cross Song at American Red Cross Dinner, Queens Chapter, Tavern on the Green in Queens.

December 11, 1978 – at Superman movie benefit premiere evening at Astor Theatre – sang 4 Universals and many other of Sri Chinmoy’s songs for prominent members of entertainment and political communities nationwide.

December 13, 1978 – at Soroptomist Dinner performance

December 13, 1978 – at Soroptomist Dinner performance

December 17, 1978 – before a capacity crowd in Medison Square Garden, for NY Knick Game and in New York’s Shea Stadium during a football game between Jets and Cowboys. All 4 Universals performed.

November 23, 1978 – First radio performance on WNYC-AM, the featured music on a Thanksgiving Day programme.

November 26, 1978 – First TV performance of the songs by the F U Singers at WCBS-TV “The Way To Go” Sang all but Congratulation.

March 19, 1979 – at the City Hall Rotunda in San Fransico.

August 26, 1979 – at 3 p.m. (EDT), simultaneously to celebrate Sri Chinmoy’s 48th birthday the bell players around the U.S., Canada, England, France, Belgium, West Germany and Australia performed the Four Universals as the Sri Chinmoy‘s songs of universal good will.

Red Cross Song at American Red Cross Dinner in Queens, New York (December 7, 1978)

The Four Universal Singers have also performed at:
Carnegie Hall
Lincoln Center
Town Hall
Museum of Modern Art
St. John the Divine Cathedral
Yankee Stadium
Harvard University
Nassau Coliseum
Stanford University
University of California at Berkeley
U.C.L.A.

Artist: The Four Universals Singers
Name: Four Universal
Composer: Sri Chinmoy
Release year: 1978 (SP)
Duration: 0:11:58
Acknowledgements: Sri Chinmoy
Tracks and Page uploaded: Ashish Zubaty | Tejvan Pettinger
Format: Advanced Audio Coding