Chorale #3

I've finished setting the text for Chorale #3 (otherwise known as prelude #4).

I wrote the chorale a year ago after my grandmother Evelyn visited memchu to attend service and hear us sing. We sang All Creatures that morning. To remember this day and her, I came home that afternoon and wrote this piece. Unfortunately she passed away a few months later; my mother played this chorale at her funeral.

While I've written a lot since this time, and my style has evolved to perhaps challenge tonality moreso, I still enjoy the simple pieces. Technically this is my fourth prelude, but my third chorale, so the name is a little misleading.

When I set the text to this piece (and I advise all to start with text not music!), I of course took the original St. Francis text "The Canticle of Brother Sun". I find he emphasizes Lord throughout, not to offend our modern people, but rather to perhaps offset his praise of 'sister earth, moon, brother sun, etc.'.

I couldn't help but think of Vera during the final stanzas, and so decided to expand the dedication to include her.

Modulations and rhythm require some care, but I think the voice leading is largely straightforward.

Greg Wait has offered to have our memorial church choir sing this work in a future performance.

Chorale #3
Score