Genre: Choral
Mood: Religious
Forces: SATB
Length: 3 Minutes
A setting of the Gaelic prayer for choir SATB, written in 2014.
As the rain hides the stars
As the rain hides the stars,
as the autumn mist hides the hills,
as the clouds veil the blue of the sky,
so the dark happenings of my lot
hide the shining of your face from me.
Yet, if I may hold your hand in the darkness,
it is enough, since I know that, though
I may stumble in my going, you do not fall.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Special effects
The first two bars are marked ‘fingerclicks’. The singers should do soft fingerclicks, not in any rhythm, to make a gentle sound not unlike falling rain. This should be performed with books down so that both hands can do clicks.
Those people who say they can’t click their fingers should carry on anyway: the
desired effect is more of a rustling than a snap. Contribute what you can.
The effect should be established over a suitable period, perhaps starting very quietly, rising to a crescendo and then falling away.
When the conductor indicates, the tenors should take up their music and when
measured time begins they should start to sing.
The other sections should continue clicking until their turn comes. Time has been
allowed for each section in turn to pick up their books.
If the singers use stands, stand in choir stalls with lecterns, or have the piece by
heart, this may make life easier. But experimentation has shown that the above
system will work.