This setting of the commonly sung parts of the Common Worship Order One Holy Communion service was written at the request of Andrew Kirk for the lower voices of his choir at St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol. The brief was to provide a fairly straightforward unaccompanied setting that could be learnt without too much difficulty, but providing some interest in the part writing.

A motif, the first four notes of the Kyrie, and its inversion provide a link between the different movements.