Psalm 55

This Psalm is long, and when I read it I saw three fairly over sections.  Also, it has a pleading tone, which made me think of the blues.  So, I split the psalm into three sections and roughly the harmony, at least the bass line, corresponds with the three harmonic sections of a twelve bar blues.  However, the psalmist doesn't seem to be on sure footing.  There is a liminal or unsure tone to the psalmist's pleas.  To represent this harmonically I used a lot of parallel motion or so-called "chord planing" a la Revel's impressionistic music.  

Psalm 54

1. Save me, O God, | by your | Name; *
    in your | might, de- | fend my | cause.

2. Hear my | prayer, O | God; *
    give ear to | the words | of my | mouth.

3. For the arrogant have risen up against me,
    and the ruthless have | sought my | life, *
    those who have | no re- | gard for | God.

4. Behold, God | is my | helper; *
    it is the | Lord who | sustains my | life.

5. Render evil to those who | spy on | me; *
    in your faith- | fulness, | destroy |them.

6. I will offer you a | freewill | sacrifice *
    and praise your Name, O | LORD, for | it is | good.

7. For you have rescued me from | ever-y | trouble, *
    and my eye has seen | the ruin | of my | foes.

Psalm 53

For reasons I have yet to discern, reading Psalm 53 made me think of Oliver Nelson's minor blues tune Cascades from his album Blues and the Abstract Truth.  So, I decided to quote the first ten notes of the melody as the soprano line of the chant.  

1. The fool has said in his heart, "There | is no | God." *
    All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;
    there is | none who | does any | good.

2. God looks down from heaven | upon us | all, *
    to see if there is any who is wise,
    if there is | one who | seeks after | God.

3. Everyone has proved faithless;
    all alike | have turned | bad; *
    there is none who | does good; | no, not | one.

4. Have they no know- | ledge, those | evildoers *
    who eat up my people like bread
    and | do not | call upon | God?

5. See how greatly they tremble,
    such trembling as | never | was; *
    for God has scattered the bones of the enemy;
    they are put to shame, because God | has re- | jected | them.

6. Oh, that Israel's deliverance would come | out of | Zion! *
    when God restores the fortunes of his people
    Jacob will re- | joice and | Israel be | glad.

Psalm 52

This psalm is angry.  There is just no two ways about it, the author was angry, expresses anger, and is far from happy.  However, as with several psalms, the mood shifts in the last two verses. The poet is no longer admonishing the proud; rather the poet effusively praises God.  To portray both of these emotional characteristics musically I wrote two sections.  The first section is dissonant with lots of crunchy chords. The second section has the same soprano and bass lines, but the harmonies are both more consonant and traditionally functional. 

1. You tyrant, why do you | boast of | wickedness *
    against the | godly | all day | long?

2. You plot ruin;
    your tongue is like | a sharpened |  razor, *
    O |worker | of de- | ception.

3. You love evil | more than | good *
    and lying | more than | speaking the | truth.

4. You love all | words that | hurt, *
    | O you | deceitful | tongue.

5. Oh, that God would de- | molish you | utterly, *
    topple you, and snatch you from your dwelling,
    and root you out of | the land | of the | living!

6. The righteous shall | see and | tremble, *
    and they | shall laugh | at him, | saying,

7. "This is the one who did not take God | for a | refuge, *
    but trusted in great wealth and | relied | upon | wickedness."

8. But I am like a green olive tree in the | house of | God; *
    I trust in the mercy of | God for | ever and | ever.

9. I will give you thanks for what | you have | done *
    and declare the goodness of your Name in | the presence | of the | godly.

Psalm 51

This is probably THE Lenten Psalm of all the Psalms; so, I tried to make it penitential.  I'm not sure if the second chord on the second line works, but nonetheless, I'm sticking with it. 

Psalm 50

Psalm 49

Psalms 47 and 48

1.   Clap your hand, | all you | peoples;*
         shout to God | with a | cry of | joy.

2.   For the Lord Most High is | to be | feared;*
         he is the great King | over | all the | earth.

3.   He subdues the peoples under us,*
         and the | nations | under our | feet.

4.   He chooses our inheri- | tance for | us.*
         the pride of | Jacob | whom he | loves.

5.   God has gone up | with a | shout,*
         the Lord with | the sound | of the | ram's-horn.

6.   Sing praises to God, sing praises;*
         sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7.   For God is King of all the earth;*
         sing prai- | ses with | all your | skill.

8.   God reigns | over the | nations;*
         God sits | upon his | holy | throne.

9.   The nobles of the peoples have | gathered to- | gether;*
         with the people | of the | God of | Abraham.

10. The rulers of the earth | belong to | God,*
         and | he is | highly ex- | alted.

1.   Great is the LORD, and highly | to be | praised; *
         in the city of our God is his holy hill.

2.   Beautiful and lofty, the joy of all the earth, is the | hill of | Zion, *
         the very center of the world and the | city of | the great | King.

3.   God is | in her | citadels; * 

         he is known | to be | her sure | refuge.

4.   Behold, the kings of | the earth | assembled * 

         and | marched for- | ward to- | gether.

5.   They looked and | were a- | stounded; *
         they re- | treated and | fled in | terror.

6.   Trembling | seized them | there; * 

         they writhed like a woman in childbirth, 

         like ships of the sea when the | east wind | shatters | them.

7.   As we have heard, so have we seen,

         in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city | of our | God; *
         God has | es- tablished | her for- | ever.

8.   We have waited in silence on your  | loving-kindness, O | God, * 

         in | the midst | of your | temple.

9.   Your praise, like your Name, O God, reaches to | the world's | end; *
        your right | hand is | full of | justice.

10. Let Mount Zion be gladand the cities of | Judah | rejoice, *
        be- | cause of |your judg- | ments.

11. Make the circuit of Zion; walk | round about | her; *
        count the | number | of her | towers.

12. Consider well her bulwarks; | examine her | strongholds; *
        that you may | tell those | who come | after.

13. This God is our God for- | ever and | ever; * 

he shall | be our | guide for | evermore.

Psalm 46

Psalm 45

Psalm 44

Psalm 43

1.   Give judgment for me, O God, 

        and defend my cause against an un- | godly | people; *

        deliver me from the de- | ceitful | and the | wicked.

2.   For you are the God of my strength; why have you put | me from | you?*            and why do I go so heavily while the | ene-my | oppress- es | me?

3.   Send out your light and your truth, that they | may lead | me, * 

         and bring me to your holy | hill and | to your | dwelling;

4.   That I may go to the altar of God, to the God of my | joy and | gladness; * 

         and on the harp I will give thanks to | you, O | God my | God.

5.   Why are you so full of heaviness, | O my | soul? * 

         and why are you so dis- | quieted | within | me?

6.   Put your | trust in | God; * 

         for I will yet give thanks to him,
         who is the help of my | counte- nance, | and my | God.

Psalm 42

1.   As the deer longs | for the | water-brooks, *

        so longs my |soul for | you, O | God.

2.   My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the | living | God; *

        when shall I come to appear be- | fore the | presence of | God?

3.   My tears have been my food day and night, * 

        while all day long they say to me, | Where now |is your | God?"

4.   I pour out my soul when I think | on these | things; *

        how I went with the multitude and led them | into the | house of | God, 

5.   With the voice of | praise and | thanksgiving, *

        among those |who keep | holy | day.

6.   Why are you so full of heaviness, | O my | soul? *

        and why are you so dis- | quieted | within | me?

7.   Put your | trust in | God; * 

        for I will yet give thanks to him, 

        who is the help of my | countenance, | and my | God.

8.   My soul is heavy | within | me; *

        therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan 

        and from the peak of Mizar | among the | heights of | Hermon.

9.   One deep calls to another in the noise | of your | cataracts; *

        all your rapids and floods | have gone | over | me.

10. The LORD grants his loving-kindness | in the | daytime; *

        in the night season his song is with me, 

        a prayer | to the | God of my | life.

11. I will say to the God of my strength, "Why have you | for- gotten | me? *

        and why do I go so heavily | while the | enemy oppresses | me?"

12. While my bones | are being | broken, *

        my enemies | mock me | to my | face;

13. All day long | they mock | me *

        and say to me, |"Where now | is your | God?"

14. Why are you so full of heaviness, | O my | soul? *
        and why are you so | dis- quieted | within | me?

15.  Put your | trust in | God; *

        for I will yet give thanks to him, 

        who is the help of | my countenance, | and my | God.

Psalm 41

1.  Happy are they who consider the | poor and | needy! *
        the LORD will deliver them | in the | time of | trouble.

2.  The LORD preserves them and keeps them alive,
        so that they may be happy | in the | land; *
        he does not hand them over | to the will | of their | enemies.

3.  The LORD sustains them | on their | sickbed *

        and ministers | to them | in their | illness.

4.  I said, "LORD, be | merciful to | me; *

        heal me, for I | have sinned | a- gainst | you."

5.  My enemies are saying wicked | things a- | bout me: *

        When will he | die, and | his name | perish?"

6.  Even if they come to see me, they speak | empty | words; *

        their heart collects false rumors; they | go out- | side and | spread them.

7.  All my enemies whisper together | about | me *

        and devise | evil | against | me.

8.  "A deadly thing," they say, "has | fastened on | him; *

        he has taken to his bed and will | never get | up a- | gain."

9.  Even my best friend, whom I trusted, who broke | bread with | me, *

        has lifted up his | heel and turned | against | me.

10. But you, O LORD, be merciful to me and | raise me | up, *

         and | I shall | repay | them.

11. By this I know you are | pleased with | me, *

         that my enemy does not | triumph | over | me.

12. In my integrity you | hold me | fast, *

         and shall set me be- | fore your | face for- | ever.

13. Blessed be the LORD | God of | Israel, *

         from | age to age. | Amen. | Amen.

Psalm 40

I actually wrote this yesterday, but I did not get it posted last night.  So, I'm still on track with my Lenten discipline.  I tried to write this one in Phrygian mode.  I will always remember Lauren Hill reading this Psalm at the Grammy's in her acceptance speech.  I wanted to convey both the adversity of trials and hardship, along with the joy of deliverance. 

1. I waited patiently u- | pon the | LORD;*
he stooped to | me and | heard my | cry.

2. He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the | mire and | clay; *
he set my feet upon a high cliff and | made my | footing | sure.

3. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise | to our | God; *
many shall see, and stand in awe, and put | their trust | in the | LORD.

4. Happy are they who | trust in the | LORD! *

they do not resort to evil | spirits or | turn to false | gods.

5. Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God! 

how great your wonders and your | plans for | us! *
there is none who can | be com- | pared with | you.

6. Oh, that I could make them known | and tell | them! *

but they are | more than | I can | count.

7. In sacrifice and offering you | take no | pleasure *

(you have gi- | ven me | ears to | hear you);

8. Burnt-offering and sin-offering you | have not re- | quired, *

and so I | said, "Be- | hold, I | come.

9. In the roll of the book it is written con- | cerning | me: *

'I love to do your will, O my God; your | law is | deep in my | heart.'"

10. I proclaimed righteousness in the great | congre- | gation; * 

behold, I did not restrain my lips; | and that, O | LORD, you | know.

11. Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;

I have spoken of your faithfulness and | your de- | liverance; *
I have not concealed your love and faithfulness | from the great | congre- | gation.

Forty Days of Chant, Psalm 39

Three years ago, for my Lenten discipline, I wrote an Anglican Chant for a psalm every day. I had intended to complete 40 chants for the first 40 Psalms in the 40 days of Lent.  You can see those chants in earlier posts on this blog.  Alas, I made it to Psalm 38.  Fortunately, failing at a Lenten discipline just allows us to repent and once again experience the forgiveness of God.

I'm picking up where I left off for my discipline this year.  I ask your prayers as I once again attempt to write forty chants in forty days.  Below is today's chant on Psalm 39.  I wrote a single chant that moves from c-minor to c-major because the verses of the psalm frequently express multiple emotions in a single verse.  For example, verses 5-7 expound upon the shortness and transience of life.  Then verse 8 reads,

And now, what is my hope?
     O Lord, my hope is in you.

The despairing question of the first line is followed by the assured declaration of the second.

1.  I said, "I will keep watch up- | on my ways,*
       so that I do not | of-fend | with my | tongue.

2.  I will put a muzzle | on my | mouth*
        while the wick- | ed are | in my | presence."

3.  So I held my tongue | and said | nothing;*
        I refrained from rash words; but my | pain be- | came un- | bearable.

4.  My heart was hot within me; while I pondered, the fire burst | into | flame;*
        I | spoke out | with my | tongue:

5.  Lord, let me know my end and the number | of my | days,*
        so that I may know | how short | my life | is.

6.  You have given me a mere handful of days and my lifetime is as nothing | in your | sight;*
        truly, even those who stand erect are | but a | puff of | wind.

7.  We walk about like a shadow, and in vain we | are in | turmoil;*
        we heap up riches and cannot tell | who will | ga- ther | them.

8.  And now, what | is my | hope?*
        O Lord, | my hope | is in | you.

9.  Deliver me from all | my trans- | gressions*
        and do not make | me the | taunt of the | fool.

10. I fell silent and did not | open my | mouth,*
        for surely it | was you | that did | it.

11. Take your af- | fliction from | me;*
        I am worn down | by the blows | of your | hand.

12. With rebukes for sin you punish us; like a moth you eat away all that is | dear to | us;*
        truly, everyone is | but a | puff of | wind.

13. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear | to my | cry;*
        hold not your peace at my tears.

14. For I am but a | sojourner with | you,*
        a wayfarer, as | all my | forebears | were.

15. Turn your gaze from me, that I may be | glad a- | gain,*
        before I go my | way and | am no | more.