Prayer of St. Francis

For SATB choir and two soloists (soprano and baritone), this setting of the well-known text attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi falls into two sections. The first is an exchange between the two soloists, who alternate singing the pairs of contrasting elements in Francis' text (hatred/love, injury/pardon, and so forth), with the choir entering to underscore the positive element of each pairing. The second section begins as a duet for the soloists, and concludes with the full power of the choir. The last three measures have all the forces joined in an exultant declaration of eternal life.