for SATB unaccompanied The composer has combined a single line of Latin, 'O virgo splendens', with an earthy, late 13th-century Marian text in Middle English to create a work which reflects both the divine and the human qualities of the Virgin Mary. Beginning and ending with plainchant-style passages, Hevene Quene is by turns restrained, sparkling, pensive, and pleading. Suitable for the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for concert use, this is an approachable and rewarding anthem.
Kerry Andrew (b.1978)
"The repeated and overlapping calls on 'her mi' (hear me) are particularly effective." - Church Music Quarterly, March 08
"Kerry Andrew's talent is . . . clearly evidenced throughout Hevene Quene, a SATB a capella setting of the 13th-century poem that mixes plainsong elements with a sprightly and vivid sense of each line of text." - Matthew Greenall, The Singer Oct 06
