How Do I Love Thee?

This anthem was composed for the service of thanksgiving for a Civil Partnership in June 2011. In looking for a suitable text the composer turned to Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61), one of whose sonnets he had used for another wedding anthem (Love is beautiful indeed) a few years earlier.

As the title suggests, this highly expressive text puts into words the intense feeling of love and the mostly homophonic music reflects that through luscious harmonies and beautifully shaped phrases. Suitable for intermediate choirs, this setting of a popular wedding text is a joy for both performers and audience.