''Benedicite'' is a composition for choir, children's choir and orchestra by Andrew Carter. He set the hymn

Benedicite The Benedicite (also Benedicite, omnia opera Domini or A Song of Creation) is a canticle that is used in the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, and is also used in Anglican and Lutheran worship. The text is either verses 35–65 or verses 35–66 of ...

from the

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...

, and additional free texts based on the model in three

movements Movement may refer to: Generic uses * Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece * Movement (sign language), a hand movement when signing * Motion, commonly referred to as movement * Movement (music), a division of a larger c ...

for

unison Unison (stylised as UNISON) is a Great Britain, British trade union. Along with Unite the Union, Unite, Unison is one of the two largest trade unions in the United Kingdom, with over 1.2 million members who work predominantly in public servic ...

children's choir. The work was published in 1991 and dedicated to Andrew Fairbairns. A subset of the music for children's choir was published as ''Bless the Lord''.

History

''Benedicite'' was commissioned for the 1989 Singing Day in Edinburgh by the British Federation of Young Choirs. Carter, an English composer and church musician in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, was inspired by the restoration of roof bosses at the southern transept of

York Minster York Minster, formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The minster is the seat of the archbishop of York, the second-highest of ...

, which had been destroyed in a fire in 1984. They depict around 60 images of creatures. The music is written to convey a child-like perspective of the wonders of Creation. ''Benedicite'' was published in 1991 and dedicated to Andrew Fairbairns. A subset of the music for children's choir was published as ''Bless the Lord''.

Structure and music

Carter set the hymn

from the

in six movements, and interspersed three additional movements, whose texts are free variations on the model, to be sung by a

children's choir. The movements are titled: # O all ye works of the Lord # Green Things # Sun and Moon # Badgers and Hedgehogs # Ice and Snow # Whales and Waters # Butterflies and Moths # Thunder and Lightning # Spirits and Souls # Grannies and Grandads # O let the earth bless the Lord The duration is given as 35 minutes. The first movement, beginning "O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord", is marked ''Molto ritmico'' (Very rhythmic) and is in 2+2+2+3/8 time. The three movements based on added text to be sung by a children's choir were also published separately as ''Bless the Lord'', which is concluded with the final movement. The movements are: * Badgers and Hedgehogs (Benedicite No. 4) * Butterflies and Moths (Benedicite No. 7) * Grannies and Grandads (Benedicite No. 10) * O Let The Earth Bless The Lord

Performances and recordings

The first performance of ''Benedicite'' was at the

Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. Fro ...

in Edinburgh on 5 November 1989, conducted by

Philip Ledger Sir Philip Stevens Ledger, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE, FRSE (12 December 1937 – 18 November 2012) was an English classical musician, conducting, choirmaster and academic, best remembered as Director of the Choir of King' ...

. The work was recorded, together with Rutter's

Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...

, by the Wayne Oratorio Society at Wayne Presbyterian Church on 10 May 2006, conducted by Jeffrey B. Fowler. In 2016, ''Benedicite'' was performed, together with Mozart's ''

Great Mass in C minor ''Great Mass in C minor'' (), K. 427/417a, is the common name of the musical setting of the mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which is considered one of his greatest works. He composed it in Vienna in 1782 and 1783, aged 24-25, after his marriag ...

'', at the York Minster by the York Musical Society.

References

{{Italic title Anglican church music Choral compositions 1991 compositions