The Beatitudes

Description

• Composer: Arvo Part
• Publisher: Universal Edition

Composed in 1990, and revised in 1991, for SATB Choir or soloists with organ accompaniment, Pärt's setting of The Beatitudes is one of only a handful of works (Litany and And One of the Pharisees also falling into that category) composed in English.
Taken from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, as found in Matthew 5:1-12. The Beatitudes provide a fitting structure for Pärt's setting. Each verse states a godly quality and the blessing attached to it; all except the last verse begin with the word 'blessed'.