This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Human Frailty
Staff Notation • Sacred
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · Barry Johnston
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Human Frailty by Daniel Read — Lyrics
Thee we adore, Eternal Name,
And humbly own to thee
How feeble is our mortal frame!
What dying worms are we!
Our wasting lives grow shorter still
As months and days increase;
And every beating pulse we tell
Leaves but the number less.
The year rolls round, and steals away
The breath that first it gave;
Whatever we do, wherever we be,
We're traveling to the grave.
Dangers stand thick through all the ground
To push us to the tomb,
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About Human Frailty
Daniel Read's Human Frailty is a sacred work for SATB choir, setting a deeply reflective English text. The lyrics explore the profound vulnerability of human existence, contrasting our fleeting lives and physical weaknesses with the eternal. The composer captures the text's somber contemplation of mortality, our relentless journey towards the grave, and the precariousness of our everlasting state. It's a piece that acknowledges our frailty while implicitly pointing towards a divine understanding of our place in the grander scheme of things. The setting would suit a choir looking for a text that prompts serious reflection and encourages a profound, inward-looking performance.
