Prayer Of St. Francis (arr. Simon Lole): SSAA Choral Octavo

Simon Lole's SSAA arrangement opens this prayer to women's choirs without sacrificing the warmth of Temple's original composition. The voicing sits comfortably for mixed ability ensembles while preserving the meditative quality that makes this text so powerful in performance.

The music unfolds with quiet purpose, never forcing sentiment but allowing it to emerge naturally from the prayer's own language. There is stillness here, coupled with gentle forward motion that keeps listeners engaged across its nine pages.

Women's choirs at all levels, from high school through community ensembles, will find this arrangement both musically satisfying and emotionally accessible. It works equally well in concert settings, interfaith services, or as a closing number for secular programs seeking spiritual reflection.

• Approach the phrasing as speech, letting the natural inflection of the prayer guide your tempo and breath marks rather than strict metric divisions.
• Balance the upper voices so they support rather than overshadow the harmonic foundation; the second soprano should anchor without dominating.
• Let silence between phrases breathe as intentionally as the sung material, respecting the contemplative nature of the text.

Pair this with other sacred or contemplative works to create a focused thematic set, or position it as a finale that shifts the emotional register of your concert. The piece also works beautifully as a benediction following a more varied program.

• Sustaining long phrases with intentional phrasing rather than technical breath marks
• Balancing SSAA voicing so each part contributes to overall harmonic color
• Connecting text to musical expression in sacred/spiritual repertoire
• Singing with musical restraint and intimacy rather than projection