The Lord's Prayer Anthem

General Anthem for SATB voices and Piano; words from Matthew 6:9-13; adapted by Mark Miller and Laurie Zelman; music by Mark Miller - an anthem from Abingdon Press Choral Club volume 17.1 (Winter - Spring 2007)

You will be captivated by the opening flutter of the right-hand accompaniment, winging as if surrounded by angel wings. Unison voices enter on the familiar text, gently unfolding the lilting 6/8 melody. A beautiful molto ritardando brings a humble pause at "forgiven." Parts begin dividing at measure 19 with text moving into "light" and God's glory. The opening phrases are repeated, both unison and two-part, iterating "holy is your name."

The accompaniment will challenge weaker players. Frequent hand crossings and the D-flat major key require an accomplished player. The results will be beautiful! The vocal parts are easy and accessible to most four-part ensembles. Keep this in mind for both youth and adult groups.

Performance options include singing the first section as a solo. Tutti choir could enter at measure 12, illustrating "us" in the text. This could be sung as a prayer anthem, a call to prayer, or response to prayer in place of the congregation reciting the text. An A/P CD is available for this anthem - item # 0687335779.

Appropriate days: General worship.