Chosen Race

Oliver Holden's setting of Chosen Race opens with a devotional spirit, immediately establishing a sense of awe and supplication. The SATB voicing allows for rich harmonic interplay, with the voices often moving in homophonic blocks to powerfully deliver the sacred text. The work draws from Psalm 67, a prayer for God's blessing and guidance. The Latin text implores divine mercy and illumination, asking that God's ways and salvation be known among all nations. Holden's setting is both stately and heartfelt, reflecting the solemnity of the petition and the exultation in God's righteous judgment and the bounty of the earth. This hymn offers a profound musical meditation on universal divine favour and recognition.