MTN019
US $2.00
for SATB chorus, a cappella Composed by
Š 2011 by Mark Templeton at www.MTchoralmusic.com
2
Bless, O Lord, Us Thy Servants, commonly known as the Chorister’s Prayer, is steeped heavily in the Anglican tradition and the Royal School of Church Music. It has long been thought that either Sir Sydney Nicholson (1875-1947), the RSCM’s founder, or Cosmo Lang (1864-1945), Archbishop of Canterbury were the authors, but, in fact, the text is much older. The first time a version of the text appeared was in 389 A.D. in the tenth canon of the fourth council of Carthage. It states, “Vide, ut quod ore cantas, corde credas, et quod corde credis, operibus comprobes” (See that what thou singest with thy lips thou dost believe in thine heart, and that what thou believest in thine heart thou dost show forth in thy works). It has since been revised and championed by the Church of England, but it is also wonderfully appropriate for all denominations and all faiths. This setting is included as the last piece in Mark Templeton’s Missa Brevis and reflects the other musical material in the mass. There is a TTBB arrangement also available. Your choir will treasure singing this reverent setting.
MARK D. TEMPLETON, born 1974, is an American choral composer, conductor, and countertenor. Templeton’s music has been described by the Boston Music Intelligencer as “charming and entertaining, playing with homophony and polyphony, and having a winning way with neo-romantic sweet dissonances.” Some of his music is published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing, and he has recently started to selfpublish. His music for men’s voices, including When I Hear Her I Have Wings, has been performed across the world at various international festivals and ACDA conventions. His Missa Brevis has recently been featured in a doctoral dissertation at Florida State University. Templeton is also a sought after performer and clinician. He currently sings countertenor with Vox Populi, Delaware's professional chamber choir. He resides with his wife, Becca, at West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Maryland, the oldest boarding school in the United States, where he is the director of choral activities, music theory, and music composition. He also enjoys coaching, playing, and watching soccer when he is not working. He is available for commission upon request.
Image on front cover: back door to St. John’s Episcopal Church, Charleston, WV.
3
The Chorister's Prayer (Bless, O Lord, Us Thy Servants)
Text attributed to various authors
Mark D. Templeton (b. 1974)
for SATB chorus, a cappella
Slowly with Devotion h = 54 Soprano
## 4 P & 2 w
˙-
Bless,
Alto
## 4 P & 2 w. ## 4 P V 2 w. ? # # 4 P˙ 2
Bless,
Organ otpional
5
S
A
&
# # F˙ . mi
## F & ˙. mi
T
F ## ˙ . V ˙. mi
B
mi -
˙
œ ˙
w.
O
Lord,
œ œ
˙-
˙-
Lord,
w
˙ ˙
˙ w
˙
-
tem
œœ ˙œ œ œ œ œ œ
ni - ster
˙
ni - ster
# & # ˙˙˙ ... F ? ## ˙ . œ œ ˙
in thy
w-
in thy
in thy
œ œ
in thy
œœ ˙œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
us
us
˙
˙ ˙
œ œ
thy
œ œ œ œ
w
P ˙
-
n ˙-
œœ
w-
thy
˙
˙
˙
˙
˙
˙ œ œ
ser
vants, thy
-
w
˙˙
˙-
˙
w
˙- . ˙
˙ œ ww
P w
w-
w
P ˙
ple.
ple.
tem
-
ple.
poco rit.
w˙ ˙.
˙ œ www
˙ w
˙
w w
Grant
Grant
˙
Grant
Grant
˙-
that
what we
˙-
that
œ œ
what we
˙-
œ œ
that
what we
˙-
that
œ œ
what we
˙
˙˙
œ œœ œ
˙
˙ ˙
œœ œ œ
˙
a tempo
w˙ P w˙
© 2010 by Mark Templeton at www.MTchoralmusic.com
n˙
˙
˙
-
vants, who
˙
˙-
w
who
˙-
w
˙
n ˙w
w
˙ ˙
ww
ser - vants,
˙ ˙
œ œ
who
ser - vants,
vants, thy
-
˙
w
ser - vants,
vants, thy
w
w w
˙
a tempo
ple.
-
ww˙
-
tem
ser
œœ œ œ
tem
-
w-
ser
thy
˙
ser - vants,
œ œ
P w
poco rit.
œ œ
˙ ˙
ww ..
œ œ œ œ œ
-
˙
Lord,
ni - ster
ni - ster
us thy
w
-
? ## F œ œ ˙ 5
˙
w-
˙
ww . P ? # # 42 ˙w .
ser
O
# & # 42
w-
us thy
O
˙
œ œ
Lord,
˙
Bless,
Bass
w.
O
Bless,
Tenor
˙
who
˙˙
˙
œ œ ˙-
sing with our lips
˙ ˙
œ- œ we
˙
œ œ ˙-
˙
˙
œ œ ˙ -
˙
˙
œ œ ˙
n˙ ˙
œ œœ ˙ œ ˙
œ˙ œ
˙ ˙
œ œ ˙˙ œ œ
˙ ˙
sing with our lips
sing with our lips
sing with our lips
we
we
˙ we
4 The Chorister's Prayer
&
##
&
##
V
##
9
S
A
T
B
poco rit.
˙.
œ ˙-
may
be-lieve
œ- œ ˙ ˙.
œ ˙-
may
be-lieve
? ## ˙ &
##
be - lieve
˙œ . œ ˙ œ ˙˙
? # # ˙˙ .
13
S
A
&
##
˙-
˙
may
9
˙-
may be - lieve
œ ˙˙ ˙
in our
œ œ
w
w
in
œ œ
w
˙.
in our
hearts,
œ œ
w
w
hearts,
w˙
œœ œœ
in our
œ œ
˙-
œ œ
w-
˙
in
? ## w
˙
lieve
# & #
ww ..
? ##
˙ w
˙
in
our
w
hearts,
œ œ
w- .
œœ œœ
w˙
œ œ
w
˙ w
in
our hearts.
w
w
w˙
n ˙-
œ œ
w-
˙
˙-
our
our
˙
our hearts,
our
hearts
hearts
ww œ ˙ w
˙
w
we
˙
hearts
˙
we
˙
w
we
w- .
˙
hearts
we
n ˙w
w
˙˙
˙ w.
w
13
˙
˙ ˙
œ œ œ œ
w w.
w
˙ ˙
˙ œ œ ˙ ˙
˙
, p ˙ ˙ ,
˙
˙
˙ ˙
be -
˙-
˙
we
˙
be -
˙-
be -
˙˙
˙˙
˙ ˙
˙ ˙
˙ ˙
˙ ˙
And what
˙
˙-
˙ ˙
˙˙ p ˙ ˙
be -
we
And what
p
we
˙
And what
a tempo
˙
˙. w
˙
our
˙
hearts,
œ ˙
hearts.
œ œ œ œ w
hearts,
hearts.
, p
˙
˙-
˙
And what
poco rit.
w w
œ œ œ œ
in our
our
w
˙
our
a tempo
,
w
hearts.
˙
hearts,
in our
w
in our
in our
lieve
# V # ˙
œ œ
œ œ œ œ
w-
# & # w.
w
hearts,
œ œ
lieve
B
˙
w.
lieve
T
œ œ
p ˙
we
˙
F ˙.
œ ˙
œ œ
F ˙.
may
show forth
in our
may
F˙ ˙ ..
show forth
may
show forth
F
œ œ œ ˙ œœ wœ œ ˙ œ œ
œ œ ˙
˙
˙. ˙˙ .. F ˙. œ œ ˙
œ ˙ œœ œœ
œ œ˙ œ
œ œ ˙
œ ˙ œ œ
may
show forth
in our
5 The Chorister's Prayer
&
##
&
##
17
S
A
T
poco rit.
lives.
Uw
˙ œ w
ourlives.
w
w
lives.
## P & w-
S
T
A
B
? ## 21
&
##
P wA
a ww P ? # # ˙w
men,
U
A
## P ˙ V
w
-
## P & aw -
Ó
U
w
-
-
˙
poco rit.
˙
w
-
p W
A -
Ó Ó
men
U w
ww
U w
w
sus
˙˙ .
˙˙
w-
w-
Lord.
w
˙-
˙-
˙
˙-
˙
Christ our
w
˙
w˙
˙ œ
˙˙
˙-
our
ww
ww
˙
Ó
p p p
-
-
˙-
w
˙-
w
˙ ˙-
w w
-
W
ww
˙˙
˙˙
˙
- men.
Ó
A - men,
b ˙-
A
Ó
A - men,
˙-
A
Ó
A - men,
˙ ˙-
A
w
men.
˙
-
w
men.
˙
-
w w
˙ ˙
-
men.
a tempo
W p Ó
˙˙ ˙ ˙
www w
W Ó
b ˙˙ ˙ ˙
b www w
, ,
Lord.
decresc.
˙
,
Lord.
˙
Christ
œ
n˙
our
w-
˙
sus
˙
Lord.
w
Christ
œ -
our
w-
˙
˙-
˙
˙˙ .
˙
men,
U
-
˙
,
w-
˙ ˙˙˙ ˙
ww
n ˙˙
a tempo
men,
U
Christ
œ
˙- .
f˙
w Ó f
w
poco rit.
A
A
˙-
a tempo
Uw
˙
21
f ˙
˙- .
Through Je
U # poco rit. & # w˙˙ . ˙ œ www
? # # ˙w
f ˙
w-
Through Je - sus
Ó
17
decresc.
˙
Through Je
Ó
U
˙-
Je - sus
Ó
w
our
# . V # ˙˙ ? ##
Through
U
˙
in
B
w
lives.
in
f w
U
w ˙
a tempo
Ó
˙˙
˙˙
f ˙-
˙
f ˙-
˙
A -
Ó fw. A -
Ó Ó
f w. Ó
A -
f˙
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
˙
A -
-
˙˙
˙˙
˙
˙
-
6 The Chorister's Prayer
w-
# & # ˙ 25
S
-
A
T
&
## -
˙
-
-
? ## ˙ -
# & # ˙˙ ? ##
&
##
&
##
29
A
T
˙-
-
-
˙.
-
-
œ œ
-
œ
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
˙w
-
œ˙ œ ˙w
Ó
w
A
Ó
? ## W Ó &
##
A
-
œ œ ˙ ˙
w˙ .
Ó
w-
w
Ó
w
Ó
-
A
-
men.
wA
˙˙ . P œ ˙w
-
men.
W w
˙
b wA
w-
A
-
-
-
-
˙
men,
˙
-
˙
˙
-
men,
˙
men,
Ó
? ## W Ó
w
A
-
-
˙
men,
Ó Ó
w-
A
-
b w-
-
A
˙
Ó
˙ ˙
A
w-
A
w- . Ó
-
-
w
A
p
W Ó
π W
-
-
-
n˙ -
-
men.
-
w
-
w -
-
-
men.
-
w
-
w -
-
-
men.
-
-
-
men.
-
-
men.
-
-
-
W W
-
-
-
-
π W
π W π
W W
rit.
b www
˙˙ ˙
˙˙ ˙
w
˙
˙ ˙
Ó
w. Ó
b www w
www . W W
ww
n˙
men,
w-
A
-
ww
A
-
-
-
-
w.
-
A
A
Ó
w w
˙
w
a tempo
w
ww
p
p AW Ó
w
poco rit.
˙ œ
p
men.
w-
˙
A - men,
˙
W
A
A - men,
men,
˙w
men,
P œ w
˙.
a tempo
- men.
œ
-
P˙
-
p
poco rit.
rit.
# V # Ó
29
men,
œ œœ
˙.
P ˙- .
men,
˙
A -
w
˙
-
˙
w
men,
B
men,
œ œ ˙
w-
-
25
S
-
# # œ œ ˙V -
B
-
˙-
P ˙
W W W π W W
-
˙
men,
˙
men, -
-
˙
men,
www
˙˙ ˙
w
˙
-
SATB or TTBB, a cappella
SATB & organ/piano Also available with string quartet.
SATB, Soprano solo & organ/piano Also available: with string quartet with brass quintet SATB, a cappella
SATB-SATB (double choir) & organ Also available with string quartet.
SATB divisi, a cappella (in Aramaic)
SATB, a cappella
For more information about these songs and other compositions by Mark Templeton visit www.MTchoralmusic.com