Benediction
BENEDICTION was written in February-March of 2013 for my friend Keith Haan upon his retirement as Director of Choral Activities St. Ambrose University. The “threefold blessing” seemed perfect for the occasion as we gathered to wish our colleague well on his way. I used the latin text because I wanted that elevated sound those open vowels afford, and because it made much more sense with the musical sequence on the words “pacem” and “amen.”
Benedicat tibi Dominus et custodiat te
Ostendat Dominus faciem suam tibi et miseratur tui
Convertat Dominus vultum suum ad te et det tibi pacem. (Amen)
The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
— from Numbers 6:24–26
| Season or Event: | General |
| Difficulty: | Intermediate, Advanced |
| Descriptive Tags: | Comfort, Inspiration |
| Voicing: | SATB |
| Instrumentation: | A Cappella |
| Language: | Latin |
| Sacred or Secular: | Sacred |
| Duration: | 1-5 Minutes |
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