When Henry asked if I would compose a piece for the celebration, I could think of no better way to thank him for his influence in my life as a composer and choral conductor than to say yes.

I began looking for the right text for the occasion by focusing on words of blessing. I was introduced to a fascinating collection of  “prayers, hymns, charms, incantations, blessings, …’ titled Carmina Gadelica. Alexander Archibald Carmichael (1832–1912)  gathered the collection in the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland between 1860 and 1909 and translated them from the original Gaelic oral tradition to English. Although his methods are regarded as less rigorous than modern scholarship standards require, Carmichael’s effort to preserve vast amounts of folklore, rites, songs and other cultural observations resulted in several published volumes of his findings.

An invocation is a type of prayer asking for help, protection, or spiritual presence in a ceremony or in worship. It may be directed to God or another higher power. The text for Highlands Invocation is the third verse of a poem titled The Guardian Angel, to whom the poet is appealing.

I hope this expression of the universal desire for guidance and light provides moments for reflection and connection for your choir and audience alike.

Peter Robb