Commissioned anthem “The Song of Hannah”

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the publication of Voices Found, the Women’s Sacred Music Project commissioned a new anthem from Philadelphia-based composer Andrea Clearfield.  The Song of Hannah is a choral setting of the Biblical passage from 1 Samuel chapter 2, in which Hannah praises God for giving her a son, Samuel.  

On Friday November 9th, 2018 The Song of Hannah received its premiere at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, as an anthem during the opening Eucharist of the 2018 Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. Director of Music Thomas Lloyd directed the Cathedral Singers.

On November 18, 2018, when the Song of Hannah was appointed in the lectionary,
the anthem was also performed at Holy Trinity Rittenhouse Square, St. Martin in the Fields, Chestnut Hill, and again at the Cathedral.  The anthem will be published by G. Schirmer in 2019.


Andrea Clearfield is an award-winning composer who has written more than 150 works for orchestra, opera, chorus, chamber ensemble, dance, and multimedia collaborations. Clearfield creates deep, emotive musical languages that build cultural and artistic bridges. Recent works are inspired by Tibetan music fieldwork that she conducted in the Nepalese Himalaya. Among her works are ten cantatas for voices and orchestra, including one for The Philadelphia Orchestra. She was recently appointed the Steven R. Gerber Composer in Residence with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia for their 2018-19 season. Dr. Clearfield was awarded a 2017 Independence Foundation Fellowship, a 2016 Pew Fellowship in the Arts and fellowships at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center, American Academy in Rome, Yaddo, Ucross, Wurlitzer Foundation, Copland House and the MacDowell Colony among others. Her music is published by Boosey & Hawkes, G. Schirmer, Hal Leonard and Seeadot and recorded on the Bridge, Sony, MSR, Albany, Crystal and Innova labels. Passionate for building community around the arts, she is founder and host of the renowned Salon featuring contemporary, classical, jazz, electronic, dance, and world music