Lord Of My Heart: SATB Choral Octavo

Leavitt's treatment of Irish melody here strikes an uncommon balance: the arrangement breathes with authentic character while remaining genuinely singable for mixed choirs. The seven pages unfold with natural phrasing rather than gratuitous complexity, allowing your singers to connect emotionally with the material instead of wrestling with technique.

The arrangement carries the introspective devotion of its Irish source material. Leavitt's harmonic choices enhance rather than obscure the melody, creating a performance that feels both intimate and resonant.

Any mixed SATB ensemble seeking repertoire with folkloric warmth and straightforward musicianship demands. This works equally well for community choirs and high school groups wanting to expand their cultural range without excessive difficulty.

• Let the legato line sing through phrase arcs. Irish melodies thrive when supported by sustained breath, not syllable-by-syllable articulation.
• Check blend in the alto and tenor sections during unison or near-unison passages. These middle voices often carry transitional material that locks the harmonic movement together.
• Shape dynamics gradually rather than abruptly. Leavitt's arrangements reward singers who listen to the arch of each section and adjust volume accordingly.

Pair this with other world music selections to build a culturally diverse concert set, or feature it as a contrasting slow movement between more energetic pieces. Its reflective quality makes it particularly effective as a program closer.

• Sustaining legato lines through longer phrases
• Balancing melody and supporting harmonies
• Blending vowels in sustained choral writing
• Responding to folkloric melodic contours