Program Note:

George Herbert (1593-1633) was an English metaphysical poet whose meditations on the ephemeral nature of existence contemplated the struggle between the transient pleasures of mortal life and the perpetuity of Grace. In brief, the poem Vertue reminds us that, while nothing lasts, one thing does abide: the virtuous soul. The poem begins as a lament; it ends as a celebration. Commissioned by music director Phillip Olson and the Brookfield Central High School Chamber Choir for their New York appearance at Alice Tully Hall in 2005, the poem was chosen by the students themselves; the setting was completed on January 5th, 2005.