for mixed chorus, children's choir, and small orchestra
The words are from the Book of Common Prayer, with three additional movements especially suitable for the children's choir. These three movements are also published separately under the title Bless the Lord.
Orchestral and vocal material is available on hire.
Forces or Category: SATB, children's chorus, & orchestra
Duration: 35 minutes
Difficulty: Easy to Moderately difficult
Orchestration: 2 bn, 4 hn, 2 tpt, hp, org, timp, perc, str
Percussion: glock, sus cym, bowed cym, clash cym, tam or large gong, waterphone (opt)
Programme Notes
Benedicite is simply the Latin title for All the world, praise the Lord. The English Prayer Book takes thirty-three verses to say so; I chose a few of the old verses and added a sprinkling of new verses to make the following eleven movements:
1. O all ye works of the Lord, praise ye the Lord
A dance of joy to the rhythm of trumpets and drums.
2. Green Things
In a lilting five-four time, the old verse is amplified to include plant forms like 'herbs and heathers'.
3. Sun and Moon
An attempt to capture in sound that sense of silence and eternity, not to say human insignificance, that we feel when looking up into the heavens on a starry night.
4. Badgers and Hedgehogs
In the first of three sections for the younger singers, some of the animals that Noah forgot to mention have a rumbustious time.
5. Ice and Snow
Whilst we sleep, nimble Jack Frost darts round the village with his icicle brush. We shiver in winter's special beauty.
6. Whales and Waters is a drop in the ocean.
Our voices and instruments can only hint at the vast unknown. But in the middle, I transcribe into the strings the plaintive song of the majestic whale, captured on tape by the British Antarctic Survey.
7. Butterflies and Moths
The youngsters remind us and themselves that life is fragile and transient, wafted away on the breeze. So we enjoy and give thanks for a myriad of colourful moments.
8. Thunder and Lightning
Over a short repeating bass line, a storm threatens, and the frightening elemental powers give way to the calm waters of:
9. Spirits and Souls
In a brief reference to earlier music, we think of all those absolutely smashing people of our generation who are good to know, and of those of earlier times whose lives can serve as a model. Not least of course:
10. Grannies and Grandads
11. O let the earth bless the Lord
The world has come full circle, and the final hymn of praise recalls the opening fanfares.
