Text: Prayer from the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (4th Century, A.D.); adapted by the composer
Duration: 6'
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The choral work, Every Good & Perfect Gift was written primarily in response to a request by my colleague, Alan Raines, former Director of Choral Activities at the Georgia State University School of Music. The piece was also written in celebration of the Tenth Anniversary of the neoPhonia New Music Ensemble, a group I founded in 1995.
The text is adapted from a closing prayer found in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church. I selected this particular text because it addresses two motivations (aside from the commission) I had for writing the piece. First, it is offered as a thanksgiving to God for the numberless blessings bestowed upon me and, more specifically, for the success of the neoPhonia New Music Ensemble over the years of its existence. It also serves as a small oasis, for me anyway, amid a world agonizing in violence and hatred. It is my sincere hope that in some small way, the listener may find a moment of respite and encouragement within the brief confines of this work.