Triumph Through Ours Sorrows

The majestic theme from the middle section of "Jupiter" from the orchestral suite The Planets by English composer Gustav Holst has been the subject of numerous arrangements and settings. Holst named the now famous tune "Thaxted" after the village where he spent much of his life. In 1921 Holst set the poem "I Vow to Thee, My Country" by Cecil Spring Rice to the hymn and since then, many versions of the tune have appeared as the musical setting for such titles as "We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God," "Building the Kingdom," and "For the Splendor of Creation" to name a few. In 1982, Michael Perry set the tune to "O God Beyond All Praising" from which this adaptation draws its title from the second verse: "And we'll triumph through our sorrows and rise to praise you still." The inspiration for this adaptation was the Easter message delivered by Pope Francis in 2020 at the height of COVID-19. His message was straight forward and powerful: do not abandon hope (Esperanza) for Chris has arisen. The beginning of this setting is dark and mournful symbolizing the anguish many people were feeling due to the ravages of the pandemic. As the piece progresses, a single voice (a solo flute) announces the hymn tune; light and hope against the darkness. More voices join and the majesty of the hymn takes over for a final triumphant statement.