Paulus, Pilgrim’s Hymn

The American composer Stephen Paulus (1949-2014) is perhaps best known for his choral works. We featured one such example, the exceptionally lovely chorus The Road Home in this series four years ago.

The Pilgrim’s Hymn comes from Paulus’ one-act opera The Three Hermits, based on a short story by Tolstoy. A bishop traveling by sea hears stories of three holy men living alone on a remote island on the horizon. He diverts the ship to visit them and hears their one, simple prayer: “Three are ye, three are we, have mercy upon us.”

The bishop attempts to teach them the Lord’s Prayer as the right way to pray. With some difficulty, they master that prayer. Satisfied, the bishop sails away. But the hermits quickly forget it, so they follow after the bishop—running on the water as he  sails away—to ask him to teach it again. The bishop concedes that their prayer is heard and it was not for him to instruct them in prayer.

The Pilgrim’s Hymn appears twice in the opera as commentary sung by a cappella chorus, first as the bishop leaves the island, and then again as epilogue. You can see the full opera in concert here sung by the Harvard University Chorus at the Harvard Memorial Church. (The Pilgrim’s Hymn appears at 39:33 and 57:50)

The libretto for Three Hermits was written by Michael Dennis Browne, a frequent collaborator with Paulus. The text of the hymn begins:

Even before we call on Your name
To ask You, O God,
When we seek for the words to glorify You,
You hear our prayer.