Calm the Tempests of My Heart
A prayer for peace within one’s own heart
Music: Elizabeth Alexander
Words: Søren Kierkegaard
For much of his life, the 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard struggled with depression, then referred to as “melancholy.” Often called “the father of existentialism,” Kierkegaard wrote eloquently about despair, calling it “sickness of the spirit” or “sickness unto death.” In this small, intimate prayer he makes a plea for help and solace as he faces his disquiet, which he terms “the tempests of my heart.”
“Calm the Tempests of My Heart,” originally commissioned as a Lenten meditation, is a universal invitation to humility, vulnerability and peace.
NOTE: The “Flexible Voicing” arrangement of this song includes voicings for 2-part, 3-part, and 4-part ensembles, each of which reflects a different facet of Kierkegaard’s timeless prayer.
Details and Ordering Information
Composer Notes
For much of his life, the 19th century Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard struggled with depression, then referred to as “melancholy.” Often called “the father of existentialism,” Kierkegaard wrote eloquently about despair, calling it “sickness of the spirit” or “sickness unto death.” In this small, intimate prayer he calls it “the tempests of my heart.”
Two centuries later, I couldn’t help but be moved profoundly by Kierkegaard’s plea for help and solace. It doesn’t hide behind any sort of formality or studied eloquence. It is tender and vulnerable. It makes my heart ache. When I was commissioned to write a flexibly-voiced Lenten meditation for a local church, I knew immediately what my text would be – and I knew my musical setting would be as emotionally transparent as Kierkegaard’s words already were.
Lyric of Calm the Tempests of My Heart
Calm the tempests of my heart, O my God.
Calm the tempests of my heart, O my God.
Be still, O my soul, so that God may rest in thee,
Bringing peace that the world can never take away.
Søren Kierkegaard
Adapted text © 2012 by Elizabeth Alexander
_____
Original Prayer by Sören Kierkegaard
Calm the waves of this heart, O God; calm its tempests.
Calm yourself, O my soul, so that God is able to rest in you, so that God’s peace may cover you.
Yes, You can give us peace, O God, peace that the whole world can never take away.
Performers
Premiere: Choir of Trinity Lutheran Church of Watertown / Joyce Harding (Watertown, MN)
AKSARA / Victoria Schneider. Elliot Hospital Service of Remembrance (Manchester, NH)
Choir of Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship / Deborah Mensh (Lafayette, CO)
Choir of Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church / Lila Farrar. Benefit for The Center for Nonviolent Solutions (Brookfield, MA)
Choir of First Parish in Concord / Beth Norton (Concord, MA)
Choir of Trinity Lutheran Church of Watertown / Joyce Harding (Watertown, MN)
Choir of Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica / DeReau Farrar (Santa Monica, CA)
Choir of Unity Church-Unitarian / Ruth Palmer (St. Paul, MN)
Festival Choir of First Presbyterian Church / Linda Kachelmeier (South St. Paul, MN)
Lumina Women’s Ensemble (St. Paul, MN)
Women’s Ensemble of Unity Church-Unitarian / Ruth Palmer (St. Paul, MN)
