Work
I Pray Tonight
for unison voices (or soloist), SA and SATB choirs, piano
About
This piece was written to close a concert by Whangarei Choral Society in August 2021, conducted by the composer. The text is by American poet Michael R Burch, whose poetry I discovered in late 2020, and immediately felt drawn to.
The text is a prayer of comfort, and the three short verses are broken up by a traditional Maori proverb (whakatauki) sung both in Maori and in English. The concert included two youth choirs, and each had a small but significant contribution to make. The work culminates in all three choirs singing together.
The score is available from the composer (contact info@sounz.org.nz).
Text note
Text by Michael R Burch