Lyr Add: Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing)

Subject: Lyr Add: Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing)
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Feb 23 - 11:00 AM

My chorus is singing a composer's musical setting (Brian Tate?)
of this traditional invocation.
There is a literary source for this text,
which will be submitted in a later post.

DEEP PEACE

Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth and sleeping stones to you.
Deep peace I breathe into you.

Deep peace of the gentle night to you,
Deep peace of the dove of white to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth and shining stars to you,
Deep peace I breathe into you.

Copyright 2013 by Hal Leonard Corporation,
from Henry Leck Choral Series.
Text: "Traditional Gaelic Blessing"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing)
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Feb 23 - 11:18 AM

Poet and author William Sharp, under his
pen-name of Fiona MacLeod,
included an English version of this prayer in his 1895 book,
The Dominion of Dreams: Under the Dark Star.
Here is a direct quote.

Deep peace I breathe into you,
O weariness, here:
O ache, here!
Deep peace, a soft white dove to you;
Deep peace, a quiet rain to you;
Deep peace, an ebbing rain to you;
Deep peace, red wind of the east from you;
Deep peace, grey wind of the west to you;
Deep peace, dark wind of the north from you;
Deep peace, blue wind of the south to you!

Deep peace, pure red of the flame to you;
Deep peace, pure white of the moon to you;
Deep peace, pure green of the grass to you;
Deep peace, pure brown of the earth to you;
Deep peace, pure grey of the dew to you;
Deep peace, pure blue of the sky to you!

Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep peace of the sleeping stones to you!

Deep peace of the Yellow Shepherd to you,
Deep peace of the Wandering Shepherdess to you,
Deep peace of the Flock of Stars to you,
Deep peace from the Son of Peace to you,
Deep peace from the heart of Mary to you,
And from Bridget of the Mantle
Deep peace, deep peace!

And with the kindness too of the Haughty Father
Peace!
In the name of the Three who are One,
Peace!
And by the will of the King of the Elements,
Peace! Peace!

The Dominion of Dreams: Under the Dark Star, by Fiona MacLeod (William Sharp), pages 423 - 424, from the short story "The Amadan", New York: Duffield and Company, 1911. Previous copyright: Stone & Kimball, 1895.

In the short story this invocation is used to banish anguish and distress
from one tortured character,
and the prayer is prayed by a holy blind man.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing)
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Feb 23 - 11:21 AM

Another musical setting of parts of this text was composed by
composer John Rutter, and published by Oxford University Press.
Rutter added lines about Christ Light of the World
to the original text,
and arranged it for mixed chorus.

The Brian Tate setting which my chorus will sing,
does not mention Christ Light of the World, however.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing)
From: GUEST,Julia L
Date: 13 Feb 23 - 10:10 AM

I sing this to the Hebrides tune "Morag of Dunvegan"

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing)
From: leeneia
Date: 13 Feb 23 - 11:29 AM

Thanks for sharing that, Keb. It's interesting that it goes back to 1895.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Feb 23 - 12:28 AM

Here's a performance by "Libera," a boys' choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qvMFlL62XA

Bill Douglas (choral): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1OAZR4Avs0

Chris Brunelle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzL2hWurcaE

Barbara Bridge (choral): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud84_FIP3R4

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 19 Mar 23 - 06:09 PM

My chorus just sang this setting in our concert
celebrating all things Irish and Irish-American.
It was nice to sing it to a full house.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Deep Peace (Celtic Blessing)
From: keberoxu
Date: 26 Mar 23 - 01:55 PM

This is the musical setting which our chorus performed last week.

"Deep Peace" by Brian Tate