Spun of Thy Wheele

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This is my first work for church choirs. I was fortunate to be commissioned by the Baker Memorial Church Choir of St. Charles, IL - an incredibly capable group of singers and director who are very close to my heart. 

This text was presented to me by the commissioning couple, Burch and Diana Seymour.  The Middle English poem, entitled “Huswifery” by Edward Taylor, explores the metaphor of creating and wearing the fabric of God through one’s ministry.  As I studied Taylor’s poetry, the first thing that came to mind was Franz Schubert’s Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel).   The cyclical, spinning aesthetic of compound meter was a perfect match for for the imagery of the text.  A tip-of-the-hat to Schubert, the accompaniment was the first to materialize, with a softer, warmer, more joyful character than that of the sorrowful German art song.