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The King of Love My Shepherd Is
St. Columba
for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, and Strings (full ensemble or quintet)
The King of Love My Shepherd Is is an expressive instrumental setting of the beloved hymn tune ST. COLUMBA, scored for flute, oboe, bassoon, and strings. The string parts may be performed by a full string ensemble or by a quintet, allowing the work to function equally well in an orchestral setting or with more intimate chamber forces.
Dedicated “for My Mother,” the arrangement approaches the familiar melody with warmth and lyricism rather than as a straightforward hymn harmonization. Beginning Moderato and quietly, the woodwinds introduce and exchange the tune in long, singing phrases before the strings enter, gradually broadening the sonority. The melody moves naturally among the instrumental voices, surrounded by countermelodies and gently shifting harmonies that preserve the simplicity of the hymn while giving it a more expansive orchestral character.
As the work develops, increasingly active triplet figures bring movement and energy to the texture. What begins as a restrained meditation grows into a fuller, more animated statement, with the flute, oboe, and bassoon taking on flowing ornamental lines above the sustained warmth of the strings. The music eventually reaches a strong forte before withdrawing into a contrasting section marked Andante with intensity.
The hymn then emerges again with renewed simplicity as the score returns to Moderato. Rather than ending with a grand orchestral climax, the final pages gradually relax; a molto ritardando draws the ensemble inward, and the work comes to a quiet, spacious conclusion.
Reflective, pastoral, and deeply lyrical, The King of Love My Shepherd Is is well suited to worship, memorial services, sacred concerts, hymn festivals, and chamber or orchestral programs. Its flexible string scoring and familiar melodic source make it particularly useful for churches seeking a substantial instrumental meditation that remains immediately connected to the hymn tradition.
LISTEN
MIDI demo recording
LISTEN TO THE DEMO →
One purchase includes an unlimited-copy license for one purchaser and one organization.
Your purchase permits you to print or reproduce as many copies as needed for use by your ensemble or organization. The license is limited to the purchasing individual and one affiliated organization and may not be transferred, shared with another organization, resold, or distributed outside that organization.
Digital PDF download including:
Full score
Parts
The King of Love My Shepherd Is
St. Columba
for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, and Strings (full ensemble or quintet)
The King of Love My Shepherd Is is an expressive instrumental setting of the beloved hymn tune ST. COLUMBA, scored for flute, oboe, bassoon, and strings. The string parts may be performed by a full string ensemble or by a quintet, allowing the work to function equally well in an orchestral setting or with more intimate chamber forces.
Dedicated “for My Mother,” the arrangement approaches the familiar melody with warmth and lyricism rather than as a straightforward hymn harmonization. Beginning Moderato and quietly, the woodwinds introduce and exchange the tune in long, singing phrases before the strings enter, gradually broadening the sonority. The melody moves naturally among the instrumental voices, surrounded by countermelodies and gently shifting harmonies that preserve the simplicity of the hymn while giving it a more expansive orchestral character.
As the work develops, increasingly active triplet figures bring movement and energy to the texture. What begins as a restrained meditation grows into a fuller, more animated statement, with the flute, oboe, and bassoon taking on flowing ornamental lines above the sustained warmth of the strings. The music eventually reaches a strong forte before withdrawing into a contrasting section marked Andante with intensity.
The hymn then emerges again with renewed simplicity as the score returns to Moderato. Rather than ending with a grand orchestral climax, the final pages gradually relax; a molto ritardando draws the ensemble inward, and the work comes to a quiet, spacious conclusion.
Reflective, pastoral, and deeply lyrical, The King of Love My Shepherd Is is well suited to worship, memorial services, sacred concerts, hymn festivals, and chamber or orchestral programs. Its flexible string scoring and familiar melodic source make it particularly useful for churches seeking a substantial instrumental meditation that remains immediately connected to the hymn tradition.
LISTEN
MIDI demo recording
LISTEN TO THE DEMO →
One purchase includes an unlimited-copy license for one purchaser and one organization.
Your purchase permits you to print or reproduce as many copies as needed for use by your ensemble or organization. The license is limited to the purchasing individual and one affiliated organization and may not be transferred, shared with another organization, resold, or distributed outside that organization.
Digital PDF download including:
Full score
Parts