PRESS ONWARD
SATB choir a cappella | 4.5 minutes | Medium difficulty
Text by Christina Rosetti
Commissioned by the Shepherd College Concert Choir, Maestro Scott Williamson
Christina Rossetti's passionate poem of spiritual aspiration becomes a vibrant, rhythmically energized choral work. Press Onward builds from eager momentum to soaring climax, with an optional solo moment that adds flexibility for programming. The a cappella texture showcases the choir's blend while the driving energy keeps singers and audiences engaged. This piece speaks to the human longing for transcendence and hope—themes that resonate across contexts from sacred services to concert programming.
Perfect for: Easter services, concerts of hope and renewal, youth or college choirs seeking meaningful contemporary repertoire
Text by Christina Rosetti
Press onward, quickened souls,
Who mountin move,
Press onward, upward,
Fire with mounting fire;
Gathering volume of untold desire
Press upward, homeward,
Dove with mounting dove.
Point me the excellent way that leads above;
Woo me with sequent will,
Me too to aspire;
With sequent heart to follow higher and higher,
To follow all who follow on to love.
Up the high steep, across the golden sill,
Up out of shadows into very light,
Up out of dwindling life to life aglow,
I watch you, my beloved, out of sight; -
Sight fails me, and my heart is watching still:
My heart fails, yet I follow on to know.