Psalm 113

General Information:

Liturgical Uses:  Responsorial psalm; themes of God’s care for the poor.

Refrain:
“Praise, oh praise the Lord, who lifts up the poor.”        

                           

Verses:                       
1) Praise, you servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed by the name of the Lord both now and forever.

2) High above the nations is the Lord;
Above the heavens is God's glory.
Who is like the Lord, enthroned on high,
Who looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

3) God raises up the lowly from the dust; from the ash-heap
God lifts up the poor to seat them with princes, with princes of his people.

Arrangement:

Vocal:                         
Refrain:  SATB choir
Verses:   Cantor    

Instruments:           
Piano, guitar, bass with recorders (or flutes or other reeds)   

Availability:

Sheet Music:           
Lead sheets.
Order from Wood Harbor Music

Recorded Versions:

Video:       New Dawn Concert, May 20, 2011     [link to be added]

CD:            Praise for the New Dawn, Vol. 1   
Order from Wood Harbor Music.
Digital download available at CD Baby.
Listen on YouTube or at Spotify!

Composer's Notes:

This is a favorite psalm, describing God’s concern for the poor and marginalized.  In the 3^rd verse the psalmist wrote of God who lifts up the poor from the dust and ashes to seat them with the princes of his people. 

The text is timeless as even in today’s world, the text could be updated to tell of God who raises up the poor from the slums of the 3^rd world, from the poverty of Appalachia, from the depressed urban neighborhoods, and seating them at a banquet table with the fabulously rich.  Time passes, but the word of God is eternal!

The arrangement is inspired by setting of Psalm 103 (Praise the Lord, O My Soul!) composed many years ago by a friend and Berklee grad, George Guenther.

  

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Psalm 98

General Information:

Liturgical Uses:  Responsorial psalm; psalm for the Christmas season; themes of salvation.

Refrain and Verses:
Four versions of Psalm 98 are available as found in the Lectionary.

Versions 1 and 2 share same verses:

Refrains:
Refrain 1) “Sing to the Lord a new song for God has done marvelous deeds.”  (repeat)

Refrain 2) “All the ends of the earth have seen the saving pow’r of God.”  (repeat)

Verses:
1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for God has done such wond'rous deeds!
His right hand as won the vic'try for him, his holy arm.

2) The Lord has made his salvation known
To the nations revealed his justice.
God has remembered his kindness and faithfulness to Israel.

3) All the ends of the earth have seen salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
Break into song; sing praise!

4) Sing Praise to the Lord with the harp and song;
With trumpet and horn give praise.
Sing joyfully to the king, the Lord; break forth in praise.

Version 3:
Refrain:
“The Lord has come to rule the earth with justice.”  (repeat)

Verses:
1) Sing Praise to the Lord with the harp and song;
With trumpet and horn give praise.
Sing joyfully to the king, the Lord; break forth in praise.

2) Let the sea and what fills it resound,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
The mountains shout with them for joy.

3) Before the Lords, for he comes, for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with equity.

Version 4:
Refrain:
“The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.”  (repeat)



Verses:
1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for God has done such wond'rous deeds!
His right hand as won the vic'try for him, his holy arm.

2) The Lord has made his salvation known
To the nations revealed his justice.
God has remembered his kindness and faithfulness to Israel.

3) All the ends of the earth have seen salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
Break into song; sing praise!

Arrangement:

Vocal:                         
Refrain:  SATB choir
Verses:   Cantor(s) - (I often use 2 cantors, alternating verses)    

Instruments:           
Piano, guitar, bass

Availability:

Sheet Music:           
Lead sheets for each of the 4 refrains.
Order from Wood Harbor Music

Recorded Versions of Version 2 ("All the Ends of the Earth"):

Video:       New Dawn Concert, May 20, 2011     [link to be added]

CD:            Praise for the New Dawn, Vol. 1   
Order from Wood Harbor Music.
Digital download available at CD Baby.
Listen on YouTube at Spotify!

Composer's Notes:

For years, the Haugen/Haas setting from Psalms for the Church Year Vol. 1 has been the workhorse when Ps. 98 comes around in the Lectionary, which is a fairly frequent occurrence.  Thus, the inspiration for a new setting was born.  

The inspiration for the refrain melody came to me on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 2010, while sitting at another church and hearing the pianist recite the psalm (yes, recite in spoken voice, with no music).  I went home that evening and had the two refrains.  (The alternative refrain is “Sing to the Lord a new song, for God had done marvelous deeds.”)  The verses were written, appropriately, on New Year’s Day 2011.

Like the Gloria from the Mass of St. Anne, the melody is kept fairly easy for the cantor, while the keyboardist and bass player navigate the mildly challenging changes and the ever-descending bass line of the verses.  The cadence from the verse back to the refrain consists a potentially unprecedented four consecutive ascending major chords (Gb, Ab, Bb, C7), the last being the dominant.

  

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