Chesterton’s poem starts with a description of the ugly donkey, with sickening cry, "the devils walking parody on all four-footed things": but ends with the sublime "There was a shout about my ears And palms before my feet". This setting for SATB and organ illuminates all these descriptive variations: a great opportunity for word-painting! The music is challenging but should be immensely satisfying for an amateur choir to perform.