Como el Padre is a setting of Christ’s words on love and joy from the Gospel of John (15:9, 11), for a cappella SATB choir, dedicated to Mariana Olvera-Cravioto and Albert Whangbo. The text is in Mexican Spanish, fitting for a wedding that took place in Mexico, though no forces were available to perform it there. The piece was later sung by the Stanford Memorial Church Choir at Stanford, with the dedicatees present.

The setting opens in D major with a homophonic statement, Como el Padre me amó (“as the Father loved me”), which gives way to a peppy imitative theme at también yo los he amado a ustedes (“I also have loved you”). The pattern repeats in G major for Permanezcan en mi amor (“abide in my love”) with a more elaborate treatment. The music then returns to D major for Les he dicho esto (“these things I have said to you”), reaching a peak at perfecto, signifying perfect love with a deceptive cadence on the mediant, F-sharp major. The closing Amén is a brief fughetta in B minor, which cadences, happily, in bright B major.

Here are the Spanish and English texts: