Gentle Mary

This choral hymn challenges singers less than other pieces reviewed here, yet it offers solid musical rewards. The meter changes in every bar (unmarked), but the natural pacing of the phrases keeps the timing intuitive. The melody builds effectively within a fairly quiet overall dynamic, peaking at the midpoint of the fourth and final phrase. The language is unabashedly tonal, with a compelling sense of harmonic progression. Sensitive execution of this chorale could yield profundity out of the relative simplicity.
The Journal of the Association of Anglican Ministers