Breathe on Me, Breath of God

This song first appeared in the Easter cantata AD in 2002. It was the concluding song in a sequence about the coming of the Holy Spirit. If you are familiar with the hymn lyric of the same title by Edwin Hatch (1875), you’ll recognize my lyrics are in several places paraphrasing his lyrics. (This was done on purpose, by the way.) The song has never been released as an individual anthem.

I changed almost nothing from my original arrangement, other than some simple choir voicings. I love the pleading message of this song and the heartfelt emotion of the music. It features a baritone solo, and the choir remains in support. It works well with piano only, though the rhythm section and the optional strings add a lot of color.