An Irish Blessing
Carl Fischer (purchase the score)
Commissioned by the Texas Choral Directors Association
for the TCDA Middle School / Junior HS Honor Choir 2015 - Dr. Andrea Ramsey, conductor
An Irish Blessing is a setting of the poignant text "May the road rise up to meet you." This text has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and this setting brings out the hopeful and aspirational qualities of the poetry with energetic rhythms in the piano and legato sweep in the voices. Appropriate for all ages of mixed choruses from middle school and high school, to collegiate, civic, church and professional.
This work is dedicated fondly to conductor Dr. Andrea Ramsey and the members of the Texas Choral Directors Association 2015 Middle School / Junior HS Honor Choir, for whom the setting was commissioned. I must also express gratitude to Jennifer Galligher, without whom this collaboration would not have been possible. After leaving a faculty teaching position in Houston in 2012 to accept a job at Indiana University, I am positively delighted to return now under such wonderful circumstances.