Commissioned by Oasis Chorale, Wendell Nisly, Conductor, in honor of Dr. Jana Nisly and La Clinica de las Buenas Nuevas, El Salvador. The opening motive pairs the lower three parts in parallel triads with the soprano floating above them on an pedal tone E with octave changes and ornamented with notes a fourth and fifth apart. Although the pitches remain constant in the soprano, the lower voices explore multiple tonalities in the short opening section. The different key areas hinted at in the opening are developed more fully in the body of the piece as the text specifies in more detail the types of things that would happen with the influence of the Spirit of the Lord. At the completion of the text, the soprano voice leads us into a more extended meditation on the opening line.

A favorite of churches, youth and school choirs, this setting of the Beatitudes from Matthew 5 is easy to pick up and yet rewarding to sing. This title is available only as a licensed PDF (email delivery), and you can select a “per-copy” option (priced per copy) or an “organizational license.” The organizational license gives your church, school or organization permission to make as many copies as you need and perform it as often as you like.

A mildly-syncopated melody is set over a steady quarter note pulse to open the piece, and builds to a climax upon being “delivered” from the “noisesome pestilence” (don’t you just love the old KJV english?). A dissonant descending passage which sets the “cover thee with his feathers” text then combines with the original melody to close out this atmospheric setting. This setting of Psalm 91 was commissioned by the Miller Brothers Quartet in memory of their grandmother.