Joyfully We Adore Thee
WIND SYMPHONY | 3’ | GRADE 3 | 2020
VIEW E FLAT SCORE
VIEW D MAJOR SCORE
PDF Full Set (in both keys)
In 2018, I had the pleasure of writing a concert band piece, Rejoice in the Holy Spirit, that was commissioned by where I graduated high school, Holy Ghost Prep in PA. That piece incorporated the chant, "Veni Creator Spiritus," as part of the focal melody.
Joyfully We Adore Thee, commissioned by Ben Ware of the Strake Jesuit and St. Agnes Academy Schools, feels like a spiritual successor. One of the commissioning elements was to include some type of chant or hymn within the context of the piece. We decided on the plainchant, "Adoro Te Devote," which I often sing in church on the weekends (more commonly known as "Humbly We Adore Thee").
What a joy this was to compose! It blends original material, such as the opening figure, alongside arrangements and variations of the plainchant interweaved as the primary melody. Especially during 2020, this piece was a good reminder that even in trying times, there is always joy found in God.
A fast and bombastic fanfare, with a touch of delicacy in certain sections, Joyfully We Adore Thee is designed to bring that very thing — joy. To the conductor, to the performers, and subsequently, to the audience.
Thank you to Ben Ware and the students of Strake Jesuit and St. Agnes Academy for providing me the opportunity to write this piece for you!
Commissioned and Premiered by Strake Jesuit and St. Agnes Academy Symphonic Band in Houston, TX under the direction of Ben Ware