Category:   COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY
Composer:   Stephen Paulus
Arranger:   NA
Publisher:   Paulus Publications
Edition:   SP101
Voicing:   SATB div
Setting:   Accompanied

Reviewer:   

Kathy Romey
University of Minnesota 1997
R&R Chair College & University

The libretto to Paulus’s new church opera “The Three Hermits” was written by Michael Dennis Browne and is based on a short story by Leo Tolstoy. The anthem is a beautiful homophonic prayer and deals with human faith and the infinite glory and grace of God. Set in a style reminiscent of both Russian church music and a Bach Chorale, the harmonic language is simple yet rich and uses an ever-changing meter which follows the natural declamation of the poetry.