Lord, It Is Night

A meditative prayer for the night in its stillness, complexity, and depth. Scored for either TTBB or SATB (occasional five- and six-part divisi), includes a cappella sections interspersed with single-line, bass organ accompaniment. Can be effective in a service context whose theme is evening prayer but may also be used in a concert setting. Mostly quiet writing except for the setting of the words, "The night heralds the dawn. Let us look expectantly to a new day, new joys, new possibilities" where the chorus reaches a stirring climax before resolving as it began in a meditative sound-space. Non-denominational, suitable for most religious settings.

Composer Note: The cello part replaces the organ in the men’s chorus version. To hear this version sung at Canterbury Cathedral during the Choral Evensong service on August 17, 2024, scroll to the 31:20 min/sec mark using the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD5oG5cTKuM&t=2486s

Lord, it is night.

The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.

The night is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives rest in you.

The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us, and all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys, new possibilities.

In your name we pray.

Amen.