Hymn To St Thomas Of Hereford

Composed in 1981, this work is a setting of a sequence from the Mass for the Feast of St Thomas, found in the missal of the Hereford use.

The text is a conventional hymn of praise but it is distinguished by a livelyandattractive rhythm, and as this rhythm would have been lost in translation, I have set it in the original Latin.

The work is in the form of theme and variations and is characterised by a gradual crescendo throughout. Itbeginsvery quietly with solo timpani and then the choir sing the theme in unison, unaccompanied by flutes, bells, timpani and lower strings.