Do Not I Love Thee, O My Lord?

Augsburg Fortress
Using the tune Detroit from The Sacred Harp, Shaw has fashioned a deeply expressive setting of this text. The part writing is clear and solid; yet, as is often the case for choirs, working on intonation and deep listening will be key. Set in D minor, the opening stanzas feature contrasts between humming and singing voices (i.e., SA voices hum while TB voices sing). The third stanza is sung in full, four-part harmony with divisi passages in the soprano and alto parts. The thoughtful writing and development is concluded by a beautiful cascade of Amens that resolve with a Picardy third. This arrangement is moderately difficult and probably best interpreted without instrumental accompaniment.