This work is the 1st piece of the Spiritual Songs, a group of eight partsongs for mixed chorus on poems from George Herbert’s collection The Temple. They may be sung as a complete set, in selected groupings of two, three, or four songs, or singly. The music is designed chiefly for choirs of 20 to 40 members, but it can also be sung by small madrigal-size groups as well as larger choral ensembles.
Herbert’s text appeals to God to forego wrath and rod and use instead the gentle discipline of love. Rhythmic and energetic, this setting’s musical articulations and dynamics sharpen the dramatic vibrancy of the poem.