Clare Shore's Tropical Blessing
(a Blessing for St. Francis' Day)
for SAB Chorus and Handbells
The words are by the composer: Praise God, the Father, our Creator!/Bless all of us, He is our maker!/
Handbells Used: 7 Performance Note Tropical Blessing was written for the 2008 St. Francis' Day "Blessing of the Animals" service at USE: St. Francis' Day services, concerts (as Introit, etc.) LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: easy - for church, high school, Tropical Blessing is included in The SPRING 2010 NEW ISSUES of ECS PUBLISHING; NB: The handbells in this recording are synthesized; the final two chords on this recording The following tongue-in-cheek review appeared in CrossAccent, "Danger! Do not program if your congregation lacks a sense of humor. One hopes that To order copies of Tropical Blessing, call E.C. Schirmer toll-free: 1-800-777-1919
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Click here to listen to Tropical Blessing (c. 50 seconds)
Bless paw and hoof, burrow and roost;/Bless equine, bovine, canine, feline, Osprey, egret, woodpecker,
Little Blue;/Bless Spot and Puff and Grandma, too. //Praise God, the Father, our Creator!/
Bless all things, even alligator!
In lieu of a bell choir, the octave "B" handbells may be played by the accompanist, the "F#" by the conductor.
The additional bells on the final chord may be played by the choristers.
Calvary United Methodist Church in Lake Worth, Florida, and is dedicated to that congregation.
college, community, professional choruses
this recording was made on April 6, 2010 at The Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill, MA,
by the Philovox Ensemble of Boston, directed by Robert Schuneman
should be "tower swings" instead of reiterations.
the Journal of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians:
rhyming Creator with alligator would bring a smile to even the dourest parishoner.
This short piece is intended to be a whimsical benediction at the conclusion of a
St. Francis Day observance which includes the blessing of animals. The accompaniment
is by a small number of handbells, which could be carried outside. Keyboard
can substitute for the handbells. The choral parts are mostly unison with SAB touches,
and could also be easily performed outdoors. . . this work could offer a happy
conclusion to a St. Francis day worship." KAO
(561) 252-0987shoreclare@gmail.com