Music>SATB Choral
Her Sacred Spirit Soars
The Heartland Festival, for whom this work was commissioned, had for years been home to a thriving Shakespearean festival. So when they asked Tony Silvestri and me to write an original work for them, we immediately decided that the poem should be a traditional fourteen line sonnet. I told Tony that I would like to send the work with the phrase “long live fair Oriana,” an homage to the Renaissance works written in tribute to the ‘Virgin Queen,’ Elizabeth I. Not only did Tony include the line at then end of his brilliant sonnet, he made the poem an acrostic: the first letter of each line spells out “HAIL FAIR ORIANA.”
Her Sacred Spirit Soars was commissioned by the Heartland Festival, and is dedicated in gratitude to Dr. Robert Demaree. It was first performed on June 8th, 2002, in Platteville, Wisconsin.
Her Sacred Spirit Soars
Her sacred spirit soars o’er gilded spires,
And breathes into creative fires a force;
In well-tuned chants and chords of countless choirs
Lives ever her immortal shadowed source.
From age to age the roll of poets grows;
And yet, a lonely few are laurel-crowned,
In whose sweet words her inspiration shows,
Revealing insights deep and thoughts profound.
O shall Cecelia, or shall Goddess Muse
Reach then to me across eternal skies?
Is heaven’s quick’ning fire but a ruse,
Abiding rather here before mine eyes?
Nearer than I dream’d is She whose fame
All poets sing, whose glory all proclaim:
“LONG LIVE FAIR ORIANA!”Charles Anthony Silvestri, 1965-present
15 Comments
Kyle Whitaker on April 22, 2010 at 9:40 am
I've been listening to this song and and its lyrics for years now and I never realized that the first letters of each line spell that!!
MAJOR props to Mr. Silvestri!
I mean, they also go to Mr. Whitacre for being, well…himself :)
I love this new website!!
Mzukisi on June 1, 2010 at 8:20 am
The TUKS Camerata choir from South Africa has had this song as part of their standard repertoir for a couple of years and I have a live recording of them singing it at a festival which is tons better than this BYU recording. A fantastic piece of music!
Shaun Taylor on June 4, 2010 at 3:45 pm
I am so In love with your music Mr. Whitacre!! I just want to say thank you for being such a talented person, you are a role model for me and many others. Thank you once again for your wonderful talent.
Nicklaus Anderson on August 6, 2010 at 1:06 am
I LOVE this song and all your music! it is sooo peaceful and beautiful with exquisite chords! We sang a Boy and a Girl last year and I became hooked. thanks.
Jesse VanDenKooy on August 15, 2010 at 4:19 pm
Amazing piece. This is definitely one of your more comparable polyphonic works. I wish I could hear it being performed more!
Victor Nguyen on September 5, 2010 at 11:20 pm
I died. From beauty.
Barry Wentzel on October 14, 2010 at 12:07 am
This beautifully performed music reminds me of the music om the CD with the Gemrod Endeavor Choir (Germany) and its celestial beauty with Davids Prayer (Allegri)and the Missa Papa Marcelli (Palestrina).
Kind greetings,
Barry Wentzel
BakerPurdon on November 14, 2010 at 2:02 pm
I am falling in love with your hybrid of polyphonic/aleatoric work with a seemingly basic choral structure with not too advanced chordal structure moving it along…..every time I listen to this I get just a little bit more confused, in the best of ways. You seem to have found a way to ground polyphony in traditional choral structure….and it is entrancing.
Jake Stamatis on December 2, 2010 at 5:21 am
one of my favorite choral works of all time. and completely under-appreciated
Judith W Feldman on June 19, 2011 at 8:56 am
What a joy to have discovered this day Eric Whitacre, Virtual Choir and this amazingly beautiful and complex piece.
Bien on July 17, 2011 at 12:49 am
How can i have this piece.?? Where can i buy this???
Maria Petrova on March 12, 2012 at 2:40 am
Bien, this song is on Eric’s new CD, “Water Night,” now available for pre-order on Amazon.
Polo on October 4, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Hello. Our choir is trying to learn this piece. I sing in the Chorus 2 part. Is there a midi file available so I could hear my part with the backdrop of the rest of the singers? Thanks
Sarah on November 26, 2011 at 8:24 pm
I have goosebumps. On my face.
I don’t know if that is possible but that was absolutely beautiful.
Justin Vanni on March 20, 2012 at 3:32 am
I really liked the consonant section in the middle, it really provided a nice platform from which to launch into the next progression into dissonance. This has a great balance of consonant chords in the men and major seconds in the women and vice versa. I am a big part of the aleatoric section in the middle toward the end. In short: another fantastic piece that boggles the mind of this high schooler.