Beetschen: A Celtic Prayer
Thursday 3 October 2024
home >
Matthew Beetschen: A Celtic Prayer
Difficulty level: *** (out of *****)
This moderately-easy piece is available as a printed choral leaflet or as a PDF download.
Matthew Beetschen (Organist at Dunfermline Abbey, Scotland) has made a beautiful setting of this lovely prayer by Alistair Maclean telling of the gift of this new day to us, and asking that we "bear ourselves gently towards all"; that our thoughts may be mirrors of God's thoughts.
SATB choir (with some divisions) and organ
Customers who bought this item also bought
Sung on BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong
RSCM Millenium Youth Choir singing A Celtic Prayer
Photo: Stuart Robinson
This piece was sung by the RSCM Millennium Youth Choir, conducted by David Ogden, during a live BBC Radio 3 broadcast of Choral Evensong on Sunday 2nd September 2007 from Dunblane Cathedral, Scotland.
About the text
The text of this piece is adapted (anonymously) from "An Island Girl Prays upon a June Morning" in Hebridean Altars by Rev Alistair Maclean, Church of Scotland minister, Gaelic scholar, and father of the famous novelist.
David Adam, whose Foreword appears in the recent Hodder & Stoughton edition (London, undated), writes of these texts,
"here is music indeed that will give rhythm to our lives … thoughts and prayers [that] can pluck at the very strings of our heart and soul. Time and again there is a wonderful way of learning to accept the new day as a gift, a mystery and a companioning with God" (p.xii).
(Although we have plenty of copies of the music, unfortunately, the book in which this text appears seems to be out of print, though you may be able to obtain it from church bookstalls or through abebooks.co.uk (its ISBN is 0-340-73557-0).
Delivery notes
PDF (Portable Document Format)
Orders for PDFs are normally processed immediately. Your licensed PDF should be available within a few minutes of your payment.
You will need a PDF reader to view the file. The most popular is Adobe Reader, although other suitable programmes are also available.
Printed copies (octavos)
Orders for printed copies (where available) will normally be processed within 48 hours (excluding weekends and holidays).
Please note that in accordance with our environmental policy, we try to use suitable re-used packaging wherever possible.
Privacy policy
The text
This day is your love-gift to us.
This dawn, we take it from your hand.
Make us busy in your service throughout its hours,
yet not so busy that we cannot sing a happy song.
And may the south wind
blow its tenderness through our hearts,
that we bear ourselves gently towards all.
And may the sunshine of it pass into our thoughts,
so that each shall be a mirror of your thought,
noble and right.
adapted from Hebridean Altars by Alistair Maclean,
Moray Press 1937
Reviews
…it was rather nice, I thought, to hear a short introit by the Dunblane organist - the more so because it was a lovely setting and very well sung.
SimonSays (BBC Messageboard)
Beautiful, beautiful piece of music and really suits the words.
Sue Moore, London, England
Buy now (PDF download)
We accept credit and debit cards for payment.
Your order will be placed in pounds sterling (GBP); however, your credit card company will bill you in your own currency.
PDF download
To order a printable PDF, decide whether you want
- a licence to print up to 10 copies
- a licence to print up to 30 copies
- a licence to print up to 50 copies
then click on the relevant button below.
Our sales are administered by e-junkie.com and you will be taken to their website to complete the transaction.
When your payment is complete, you will be able to download your PDF.
We treat your privacy seriously: we hate spam, just like you do.
We will not sell or give your details to anyone else, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Do I need a PayPal account to buy music?
If you have a credit or debit card you don't need a PayPal account.
- Click on the relevant Buy Now button, and you will be taken to PayPal. Look for the following image:
- Click on the "Continue" button (not shown here).
Printed choral leaflets
Buy your copies of A Celtic Prayer here.
Your music will usually be despatched within 24 hours.
1–9 copies: £1.60 each |
|
|
To order, click on the Buy Now button above, |
|
FREE SHIPPING when you buy sets of 10 copies: Sets of 10 copies: £16.00 |
|
To order, click on the Buy Now button above, |
|
We accept credit and debit cards for payment.
Your order will be placed in pounds sterling (GBP); however, your credit card company will bill you in your own currency.
