Prelude for organ:

Duration:  ca. 6:00

Premiere: 04.26.2026, by David Henning, organ

Commissioned by: St. Martin’s Episcopal Church

Hear an excerpt of Vocalise below:

Program Notes: 

Commissioned by St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in honor of David Henning’s tenure as Music Director, I Will Give You Rest is a meditative organ prelude inspired by the words of Christ in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This piece serves as an invitation to stillness and peace.

The music gently unfolds, drawing the listener into a place of quiet reflection. Woven into its fabric are quotations from my choral work Come Unto Me, commissioned by Jesus College Cambridge, UK, for their choristers, and premiered in Basel, Switzerland. These echoes of the choral setting lend an additional layer of meaning, connecting the prelude to a broader musical and spiritual journey.

Through its flowing lines and contemplative harmonies, I Will Give You Rest seeks to offer a moment of solace, much like the words that inspired it—an expression of divine compassion and an invitation to trust.