One of the new pieces added to the All Saints choral repertoire this program year is The Steady Light, with text by Sheila Dunlop and music by Reginald Unterseher.

“Let my footfall on this sacred earth tread lightly as a falling leaf.
Let my shadow from this blessed sun shut no one from the light.
Let my dance beneath these holy stars grow stronger with the years.
Let my heart expand with sky-wide love.
Those who go before hold high the steady light
that shows me where I am.”

In the midst of all the many and varied transitions of this year, Dunlop’s poem (along with Unterseher’s lovely choral setting) have been particularly meaningful for me.

For me, treading lightly as leaf is a wonderful image for keeping things in perspective. Keeping in mind my own shadow reminds me that I can either be a help or a hindrance to others in following the light, and I am called into a place of gratitude for those who have held the light for me, showing the way.

In the words of the composer, “This piece is dedicated to our heroes, those people who made the choice to be the light for us.”

Performances