This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
I know my soul hath power
Staff Notation • Sacred, Anthems
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · John Henry Fowler
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I know my soul hath power by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry — Lyrics
I know my soul hath power to know all things,
Yet she is blind and ignorant in all:
I know I'm one of Nature's little kings,
Yet to the least and vilest things am thrall.
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About I know my soul hath power
Charles Parry sets words exploring the paradox of human knowledge and frailty. The SATB choir expresses a profound inner conflict: the soul's capacity for understanding, contrasted with its blindness and subservience to lesser things. The text acknowledges humanity's supposed dominion, yet reveals a deep sense of being enslaved to the insignificant. It speaks of life's transient and painful nature, and senses mocked by experience. Ultimately, the words confront the contradictory state of being human – a condition both proud and wretched. Parry’s anthem offers a powerful musical setting for this introspective and challenging text.
