Psalm 27

General Information:

Liturgical Uses:         Responsorial psalm.

Refrain:                          
“The Lord I my light and my salvation.
Whom should I fear? Whom should I fear?

© 1998 R. J. F. Burckardt.  All Rights Reserved.

Verses:                          
1) The Lord is my light and my help
Whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
Of whom should I be afraid?

2) There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I seek.
To live in the house of my God, all the days of my life.

3) I believe that the Lord will shoe me the path for my life.
I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living.

Arrangement:

Vocal:                       
Refrain:  Unison congregation and choir
Verses:   Cantor    

Instruments:             
Piano, guitar, bass

Availability:

Sheet Music:             
Lead sheet.
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Recorded Versions:

Video:       Not available

CD:           Praise for the New Dawn, Vol. 1

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Composer's Notes:

I feel this psalm should be sung with entitlement.  God is our light and salvation, so we need not fear!  The liturgical “workhorse” setting of the by David Haas is nice and almost pretty.  I wanted a setting with a different feel.  

Angie, singing at
Ryles in Cambridge,
 in Oct. 2010.

The refrain begins in what I’d say is a bit of moodiness with “the Lord is my light and my salvation” sung on 3 notes over somewhat vague chords over an E pedal, and then soars into D major with a sense of entitlement (“whom should I fear, whom should I fear!”).  If you believe these words, I think you have to say them with conviction.  No, not just conviction, but a sense of entitlement.  Our faith entitles us to be unafraid.

This song calls for a young, confident voice.  I asked Angie, at the time a senior at Berklee and member of the choir, to be cantor, as she has a wonderful faith and a voice to match it. 

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