for mixed voices (SATB) & organ
Text: Latin (Anon)
Duration: 5'00''
Difficulty: 3/5
Use: Feast of St Andrew, General


This work was composed in 2011. It was first performed on Ascension Day, 2 June 2011, at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Glasgow, by the choir of St Aloysius Church, Rose Street, Glasgow, conducted by Dan Divers.


Text
Beatus Andreas expansis manibus ad caelum orabat, dicens: Salva me bona crux: Ut per te me recipiat, qui per te me redemit.


The blessed Andrew stretched forth his hands to heaven and prayed, saying, Precious cross, be my salvation: So that He, who redeemed me through thee, shalt receive me through thee.


from the versicle at Matins on the Feast of St Andrew and a prayer attributed to St Andrew


James MacMillan
Born in Scotland in 1959, James MacMillan studied at Edinburgh and Durham Universities and now lives in Glasgow. His early successes as a composer in the 1990s included The Confession of Isobel Gowdie, premiered at the BBC Proms, and the percussion concerto Veni, Veni, Emmanuel written for Evelyn Glennie. MacMillan has a special interest in choral composition, ranging from simple liturgical settings for use in church services, to major works for choir and orchestra including Seven Last Words from the Cross, Quickening and St John Passion. His music has been championed and recorded by leading choirs and vocal groups including Cappella Nova, Polyphony, The Hilliard Ensemble, The Sixteen, Westminster Cathedral Choir and the Netherlands Chamber Choir. With their Gaelic inflections and characteristic mixing of ancient and modern, his works have also proved popular with amateur chamber choirs around the world.