Brandon

This setting for STB voices opens with a delightful musical depiction of the text’s imagery. The interwoven vocal lines suggest the joyful running and leaping described in the first verse, with the music itself seeming to bound and exult. The composer captures the gentle call of the beloved, with a tender phrase that invites a response. The second verse brings a shift in mood as the text moves from personal devotion to the arrival of spring. The music reflects this, with flowing lines evoking the fleeing clouds and past winter, and the appearance of vernal flowers and birdsong. The composer’s skill is evident in the way the musical texture supports the emotional arc of John Wesley’s words.