This work serves as a musical setting of a 13th-century prayer by St. Richard of Chichester, designed for liturgical or concert performance. Composer Bob Chilcott utilizes his extensive background in choral arrangement to provide a harmonic structure that emphasizes the text's devotional nature. The composition is structured to accommodate varying performance forces, ranging from unaccompanied double choir to organ-accompanied SATB arrangements.

Choral directors and musicologists frequently cite this piece as a standard contemporary anthem for church and concert settings. Experts note the accessibility of the vocal lines while highlighting the effective use of harmonic texture in the double choir arrangement.