Touch the Hem of his Garment

Description

Soprano, Tenor, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, Piano — This is one of two short sacred choruses and two sacred songs on the same texts that Bonds composed in 1968. Bonds originally composed the work for solo voice and piano, then arranged it for chorus with soprano solo. The words were written by her friend and frequent collaborator Janice Lovoos, a multifaceted artist, critic, and librettist. This work reflects Bonds’s lifelong involvement with church singers and church choirs, offering high-quality music that does not exceed the technical abilities of proficient amateurs. The unaffected style of Bonds's music bespeaks the message of simple trust eloquently even as it reflects Bonds’s sure-fire ability to build to meaningful high points even with the simplest of materials.