This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Florida
Staff Notation • Sacred
Preview
0
0
Subscribed as
Want Sunday picks sent to another address too?
Free weekly email
Your choir should not be left out in what's trending
Sunday mass selections, psalms, and trending songs in your area — straight to your inbox.
Florida by Oliver Shaw — Lyrics
And must this body die?
This mortal frame decay?
And must these active limbs of mine
Lie mould'ring in the clay?
Corruption, earth, and worms
Shall but refine this flesh,
Till my triumphant spirit comes
To put it on afresh.
God my Redeemer lives,
And often from the skies
Looks down, and watches all my dust,
Till He shall bid it rise.
Read full lyrics
About Florida
Oliver Shaw's Florida opens with a gentle, flowing melody that gradually builds in intensity as the STB voices enter. The music moves with a quiet assurance, reflecting the profound theological questions posed by the text. The words explore the nature of death, resurrection, and redemption, moving from the despair of mortality to the triumphant hope of spiritual renewal. Shaw's setting captures this journey, with moments of introspection giving way to exultation. The piece is a thoughtful exploration of Christian belief, offering comfort and inspiration through its earnest musical expression and its focus on divine grace and the promise of eternal life.
