Set to George Herbert’s profound poetic reflection on divine love, the text portrays the speaker as they approach “Love” with hesitation, acutely aware of personal shortcomings and unworthiness—yet “Love,” revealed as the Divine Host, responds not with judgment, but with invitation. The interplay between the soprano soloist, SSATB choral parts, and piano accompaniment is characterized by lush secundal, quartal, and quintal harmonies. The piano part may also be effectively realized on organ, if desired, as another option for various concert settings.
