Hosanna to the Son of David

SATB with divisi 1′30″

This short introit, with text taken from the Liturgy of the Palms, was written for Portsmouth Cathedral’s annual Palm Sunday Service.

The choir begins the service on the ramparts of Portsmouth’s City Wall before the vergers lead the donkey into the Cathedral. Sung outdoors, with the choir’s backs to the sea and voices projected into the open air, this setting of Hosanna to the Son of David embraces the forceful, declamatory singing demanded by its unusual surroundings.