So I Sent Them

John 17:17–18, from the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, is the communion antiphon for Episcopal ordinations and a fitting text for other ordinations, installations, or commissioning. Composer Julian Revie has a flair for sensitivity to the text, and begins this prayer with hushed homophonic writing, gently supported by organ and French horn. The piece builds slowly but persistently, breaking into polyphonic, imitative writing, and reaches a dramatic fortissimo before tapering to the end.