Dedicatory Fanfare
RBM-038
SATB Chorus with Piano or Brass Quintet, Organ and Percussion Accompaniment

As a companion piece to the Dedicatory Anthem [RBM-037], this opening anthem was commissioned by the Trinity United Methodist Church of Arlington, TX, to assist in the dedication of a new sanctuary and organ installation.

Like the anthem with which it was originally paired, the work falls generally into an “arch” form, with a fanfare-like brass-percussion opening and choral declamation, followed by more restrained passages with chorus and organ alone. The concluding section of the anthem features a choral iteration, followed by a congregational sing-along of the well-known Anglican hymn, Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation (Neale – Smart, 1867).

The text for the original music was paraphrased from portions of Psalm 122:
      I was glad when they said unto me:
      Let us go into the house of the Lord.
      Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within this sacred place.
      For my family and companion’s sakes, I will now say:
      Peace be within you.