Virtue - Charles Paterson



Duration: 2'00"
Ensemble: SATB unaccompanied
Grading: Medium
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CMP288 Full score £2.50
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The Beatific Vision

Virtue is available on The Beatific Vision (Leicester Cathedral Chamber Choir, Christopher Ouvry-Johns, Simon Headley), which can be ordered from here.

Virtue (Sweet day) was written in 2014 in response to a commission from Fr Simon Lumby (concert singer, organist, and conductor as well as parish priest) for his choir 8ctave, whose singers are all serving priests in the Diocese of Leicester, with the occasional addition of spouses. The choice of words was left to me and, for once, I had no difficulty choosing, as this poem by George Herbert had long been at the back of my mind. Its imagery of the cool day, the bright rose, and spring with its promise of sweetness offer opportunities for contrast, while all come to the same end: only virtue is everlasting. These features I have tried to capture in my setting, and they should be reflected in performance.