SSAA or TTBB Chorus a cappella (2023)

Music by Amy Messenger
Text from the Eastern Orthodox Lenten Triodion

Benedict Sheehan asked me to write this piece, which I initially scored for TTBB chorus, and then transcribed for SSAA. It can be performed effectively by either forces, or by both together. My hope is that the music, along with the simple refrain “God is with us”, will work together to create a sense of joyful tenderness, celebrating God’s care for us.

Amy Messenger grew up in Montana, where she was a folk singer/songwriter for well over a decade, releasing multiple albums and touring worldwide. Her love for the inherent beauty and transformational power of music, along with her conversion to Orthodox Christianity, led her to the Music Program at St. Tikhon’s Monastery in Pennsylvania, where she studied choral Composition with Benedict Sheehan. Her music conveys meaning and shares beauty in a direct, thoughtful, and timeless way.