Arvo Pärt

The Deer's Cry

Commissioned by the Louth Contempory Music Society, Pärt's The Deer's Cry had its world premiere in February 2008 in Louth, Ireland, performed by the State Choir Latvija and conducted by Fergus Sheil. Based on a setting of the poem St. Patrick's Breastplate (Christ with me, Christ before me), this five-minute a cappella work evokes peaceful contemplation in both choirs and audiences alike. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in me, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me, Christ with me. According to the Lorica of St Patrick (~377)