A Reflection from the Composer:
I wrote it to be a substitute for the physical sharing of the peace. It is designed to be versatile: it can be sung as a solo, as a responsive dialog between cantor and presider, and by a larger ensemble singers, in unison or with the included harmony as the situation permits. I wrote it with piano accompaniment.
My thoughts during the pandemic have been that the inevitable changes to worship ought not be looked at as inconvenience, but rather as a time of renewal. In some churches where I have worshipped, I’ve wondered if the true meaning of the sharing of the peace has been lost and used rather as a time of socializing. I wanted “Peace Be With You” to not only provide a musical sharing of the peace, but also to reiterate what the sharing of the peace means in the liturgy.