MacMillan, James: Do not be afraid

This prayerful setting is suitable for funerals and memorial services. The mantra ‘Do not be afraid’ frames words from the Book of Wisdom: ‘But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them …’ The homophonic choral texture later gives way to a cappella polyphonic writing at ‘As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering.’ The work closes with a brief fortissimo organ fanfare reflecting ‘hope full of immortality.’