An Irish Blessing — SATB Choir Sheet Music PDF
“May the road rise up to meet you” for unaccompanied SATB choir, arranged by Paul Lorenz — with the score and a separate part for every voice. Read the first page below, then download instantly.
Of all the words spoken at a departure — a wedding, a funeral, a graduation — few carry the weight of this traditional Irish blessing. This is a setting for unaccompanied SATB choir, which is exactly what makes it usable: no accompanist to book, no instrument to tune, nothing to move. It works at the graveside, in the church porch, at the end of a reception, or as the last thing an audience hears before the lights come up.
What choir directors will notice first is the packaging. Alongside the two-page score you get a separate, single-page part for each voice — Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass — engraved from the same source, so the whole choir can read from its own line without anyone squinting past three other staves. Two verses over a repeated frame with first and second endings, marked Adagio at ♩ = 56 in B-flat major. The whole first page is shown below at full size, so you can read the engraving before you decide.
Choose your “An Irish Blessing” edition
SATB Choir Edition
€29.90Six A4 pages — the complete two-page SATB score for unaccompanied choir plus a separate one-page part for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. High-resolution PDF, delivered the moment you pay.
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- Licensed edition
Quality in detail
- Read the score before you buy: The image on the product card is page 1 of the actual PDF. Click it to open the page at full size and check the note spacing, the text underlay and how the four voices sit together.
- A separate part for every voice: Six pages in total — the complete two-page SATB score plus one page each for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass, extracted from the same engraving so bar numbers and phrasing match exactly.
- Unaccompanied — nothing else to organise: The setting is a cappella. No accompanist, no instrument, no power. That is what makes it work at a graveside, in a doorway, or anywhere a choir can stand together.
- Singable ranges, one clear page: Adagio at ♩ = 56 in B-flat major, with dynamics and phrasing marked and the two verses written under a single repeated frame — a page a choir can sight-read at the first rehearsal.
- Instant PDF delivery: The file downloads the moment your payment goes through. Print a set for the whole choir, or read it on a tablet in forScore or unrealBook.
- Bespoke adjustments on request: A lower key for an ageing ensemble, an added keyboard reduction for rehearsal, or an SAB reduction for a smaller group — Paul Lorenz adapts the edition personally. Ask before you buy.
An Irish Blessing sheet music at a glance
| Work | An Irish Blessing (“May the road rise up to meet you”) — traditional words and melody |
| This edition | SATB choir, a cappella — arranged and engraved by Paul Lorenz (© 2024 Ars Media LP GmbH, Austria) |
| Voicing | SATB, unaccompanied, no divisi |
| Key & tempo | B-flat major, Adagio ♩ = 56 |
| Extent | 6 A4 pages — 2-page score + one page each for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass |
| Structure | Two verses under one repeated frame with first and second endings |
| Difficulty | Approachable — homophonic writing, comfortable ranges; parish and community choirs |
| Format | High-resolution PDF — instant download, print- and tablet-ready |
| Licensing | Traditional work; the arrangement is licensed for performances by the purchasing choir, with standard PRO reporting by the organiser |
| Price | €29.90 |
Where this piece earns its place
- Weddings — as the couple leaves, or as a blessing over the congregation
- Funerals and memorials — the reason most choirs learn it, and the moment it was made for
- Graduations, farewells, final concerts — anywhere a programme needs to end by wishing someone well
- Anywhere without an instrument — a churchyard, a doorway, the top of a hill
What you receive
- The complete two-page SATB score, unaccompanied, in B-flat major at ♩ = 56
- Four separate voice parts — Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass, one page each, from the same engraving
- One high-resolution PDF of six A4 pages, delivered instantly — yours to keep and print for the whole choir
Singing An Irish Blessing
The setting is homophonic almost throughout: four voices moving together on the words, which puts everything on tuning and on the ends of phrases. Take the Adagio seriously — the temptation is to push, and the blessing only lands if the choir lets each line finish. Because the two verses share one frame, the second time round is where the interpretation happens: a little more voice, a little more time before the last cadence, and nothing else.
If your programme needs more music in the same register, the related sacred and ceremonial arrangements below sit naturally beside it.
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An Irish Blessing sheet music — frequently asked questions
What exactly is included in the download?
One high-resolution PDF of six A4 pages: the complete SATB choral score on two pages, followed by a separate one-page part for Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass. The setting is a cappella — there is no accompaniment part, because none is written.
Can I see the sheet music before I buy?
Yes — the whole of page 1. The product image on this page is the actual first page of the PDF; click it to open it at full size and zoom in. If you would like to see more of the score first, write to us and we will send further sample pages personally.
Is there a piano or organ accompaniment?
No. This is an unaccompanied setting for four voices, and that is deliberate — the blessing is most often needed exactly where no instrument is available. If you would like a keyboard reduction for rehearsal, or an organ part for liturgical use, Paul Lorenz can prepare one on request; contact us before purchasing.
What key and tempo is it in?
B-flat major, marked Adagio at ♩ = 56. The two verses are set under one repeated frame with first and second endings, so the choir learns one page of music and sings it twice with different words.
How difficult is it for the choir?
This is one of the more approachable pieces in the catalogue. The writing is homophonic — all four voices move together on the text — with comfortable ranges and no divisi, so a good parish or community choir can bring it to performance in one or two rehearsals. The difficulty is entirely in the tuning and the restraint, which is what an unaccompanied blessing lives on.
May we perform it in public?
Yes. The words and melody are traditional; the arrangement is Paul Lorenz' own (© 2024 Ars Media LP GmbH, Austria), and your purchase licenses this edition for performances by the purchasing choir — weddings, funerals, services and concerts included. Any reporting of the public performance to the responsible performing-rights society — GEMA in Germany, AKM in Austria, SUISA in Switzerland, ASCAP/BMI/PRS elsewhere — is handled by the organiser as usual.
Can the arrangement be adapted for our choir?
Yes. Paul Lorenz offers a bespoke service — a transposition, an SAB or three-part reduction, an added keyboard part, or a layout built for a particular tablet. Requests are handled personally and usually take a few days for a piece of this length. Contact us before purchasing so we can quote it.
What is your refund policy?
Because you receive the complete file the moment you pay, downloads cannot be returned. That is exactly why the whole first page is shown here at full resolution — please read it, and ask us anything you are unsure about, before you buy. If a file is ever faulty or will not open, write to us and we will fix it personally.