Double chant in A major

This double chant for SATB voices sets Psalm 126, a powerful reflection on divine providence. The text emphasizes that human effort in building a home or guarding a city is futile without God's blessing. It speaks of the vanity of toiling before dawn and finds solace in the gift of children, described as arrows in a mighty hand. The latter part of the psalm offers a blessing to the man who is satisfied with his offspring, promising he will not be put to shame when confronting his enemies. Walmisley's setting, in A major, offers a fittingly grand and devotional musical response to these profound words, suitable for Anglican services.