SATB Chorus, strings, harp and percussion

1. originally for SATB and piano (dedicated to Douglas R. Boyer)
2. also available for TBB and cello solo
3. SSA, vibraphone, harp
4. SATB Chorus and orchestra

1. Peace My Heart (Text by Rabindranath Tagore)
2. Batter my heart, three-person’d God (text by John Donne)
3. Beauty (Navajo chant)
4. Daihishin Dharani (Sutra of Great Compassion)

I have always had an interest in comparative religion, believing most of our sacred traditions point towards a similar
source. The first of the four Prayers sets poetry of the Bengalipoet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). The second takes lines of the English metaphysical poet John Donne (1572–1631). The Navajo prayer of the third movement is rooted in animism. The final movement takes a Buddhist dharani as its source material. I encountered chanting of dharani (Sanskit धरणि) while on a retreat at a Zen monastery. The dharani are among the oldest extant written texts we have today. The meaning of the syllables is lost, but the chant is thought to have protective powers in Buddhism. It is traditionally accompanied by a rhythmic woodblock and gong, both of which are incorporated into this setting.