God Rest Ye: SATB: Vocal Score

For SATB Choir and Organ. Composed for the B.B.C broadcast coverage of the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother April 2002.

The Vocal Score for Judith Weir's Truly I Tell You a setting of three different Biblical passages from Psalms and Mark's gospel. This work was first performed by the Choir of Westminster Abbey at theCommonwealth Day Observance on the 9th of March 2015. It is arranged for SSATB Chorus and Organ. Truly I Tell You is a setting of Psalms 8: 4-10 and 34: 1-4 and Mark 10: 15. The thread thatmarries these three texts together is the comparison between man and the name of God the literal exposition of the word of God (working beautifully within the context of such a brilliantly-composed piece of music) and thehopeful entering of God's kingdom in general. In the December 2015 edition of RSCM Church Music Quarterly Magazine the reviewer states that this piece is 'highly recommended' and is a 'useful churchanthem that is not too difficult'. Judith Weir is a British composer whose music often draws influence from her many extra-musical interests such as medieval history and Scottish traditionalmusic. In 2005 Weir received a CBE for her services to music and in 2014 she was appointed the Master of the Queen's Music becoming the first female holder of a post which dates back to 1626.

Thomas Campion?s Never weather-beaten sail is a sprightly text that powerfully evokes the sailor?s plea for God?s calming presence upon the sea?s unrelenting rushing waves. At the opening of this work for unaccompanied mixed voices the jaunty alto/tenor movement in thirds symbolises the curling waves of the undulating sea the mellifluous soprano melody represents the boat?s sails and the bass section?s never-changing ?A? provides the anchor. All four voices then come together in homophony urging God to ?come quickly...and take my soul to rest?. Rather than a simple repetition of thematic material in the manner of a standard hymn the texture alters through the rest ofthe work until the very end where all voices gradually fade away into the distance leaving what seems like a lone voice in the wilderness to cry ?to Thee?. Contrasting to other well-known setting of this text this new work provides a fresh interpretation suitable for intermediate choirs.