HAIL ST MATTHEW

"Hail St Matthew" is a robust, unifying parish anthem written to celebrate the community and its patron saint. The song opens with a bright, welcoming call, describing the church as a place where the light of God illuminates the congregation. It captures the essence of parish life—people gathering from different places to form "one lovely family" with a shared purpose to build up their local church.

In the second half, the music shifts to a strong unison declaration before breaking back into four-part harmony, asking St. Matthew to be a shield and guide. The lyrics cleverly pray for the grace to live an "upright, hard-working and accountable life"—a fitting nod to St. Matthew’s own history as a tax collector who left his post to follow Christ.

Choirs will find this piece perfect for their parish feast day celebrations, especially around September 21st, or for any major anniversary Mass. It is the kind of anthem that swells from the choir loft and leaves the congregation feeling proud of their shared faith and identity.