John Burge

Now We Return

Now we return is the final movement of the work Millennial Suite: Hymns through the Ages. The work's six movements make imaginative use of popular hymns that are presented in chronological order.The words for Now we return were written by Rev. Dr. Harold A. Wilson, and are based on the Benediction that he uses at he end of his Sunday morning service. For these words the choir sings an original melody while the organ part maintains the constant passage work that is heard in the opening few bars. By way of concluding the entire work in a triumphant fashion, the hymn tune of the second movement, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, enters in long note values in the pedal part.