The New Lord's Prayer: SATB Choral Octavo

Sorenson brings a composer's ear for singable lines and harmonic interest to sacred texts; this setting avoids the generic while remaining accessible to singers who aren't specialists. The piece sits comfortably in the repertoire space between reverent and contemporary, giving your choir permission to sound both grounded and modern in the same breath.

The music meets reverence with an open harmonic palette. Sorenson's setting feels both grounded in tradition and gently contemporary, creating space for reflection without sacrificing musical engagement or forward momentum.

SATB choirs in worship settings, educational choirs preparing sacred repertoire, and singers seeking a contemporary approach to a timeless prayer. This works equally well for church music programs and concert choirs exploring the sacred idiom.

• Establish clarity in the text from the start. Sorenson's setting carries weight, so diction precision ensures the prayer's meaning cuts through the music rather than getting buried beneath it.
• Balance the inner voices carefully. The alto and tenor lines deserve attention in rehearsal; they anchor the harmonic language and prevent the piece from tilting toward a soprano-driven sound.
• Find the natural breathing points and honor them. This music rewards singers who understand where phrases begin and resolve rather than pushing through for breath economy alone.

Pair this with other Sorenson works if your choir has performed her compositions before, or position it as a centerpiece in a sacred choral concert where you want something substantive but not imposing. The ten pages suggest a piece that commands attention without overwhelming a service or program.

• Singing sustained harmonic progressions with secure intonation
• Balancing independent vocal lines within a four-part texture
• Shaping text with musicality while maintaining clarity of vowels
• Reading and interpreting contemporary sacred music notation and compositional language