Gerig set’s Abbey’s poem, Faith’s Vista for unaccompanied SATB with divisi. Largely homorhythmic, he paints a broad dynamic portrait, with close attention to the flow present in Abbey’s words. The work stands as a beautiful choral statement carrying forth the poet’s personal view of faith and the destination of life’s journey.

Faith’s Vista

When from the vaulted wonder of the sky
The curtain of the light is drawn aside,
And I behold the stars in all their wide
Significance and glorious mystery,
Assured that those more distant orbs are suns        
Round which innumerable worlds revolve,—
My faith grows strong, my day-born doubts dissolve,
And death, that dread annulment which life shuns,
Or fain would shun, becomes to life the way,
The thoroughfare to greater worlds on high,        
The bridge from star to star.  Seek how we may,
There is no other road across the sky;
And, looking up, I hear star-voices say:
“You could not reach us if you did not die.”

• Henry Abbey (1842-1811)