Choral ~ General ~ with Keyboard
Psalm 121 (“I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes”)
(An original setting of Psalm 121, King James Version)
SOUND CLIP / WATCH VIDEO ON VIMEO / SCORE SAMPLE
SCORING: SATB (some divisi), acc. by piano
DURATION: ca. 4:40 — DIFFICULTY: 3/5 — PAGES IN PDF SCORE: 12
HOW TO PLACE AN ORDER — PDF: $50 (for all the copies you need)
DESCRIPTION
This gentle and flowing setting of Psalm 121 is in the tranquil key of D-flat major.
The piece is predominantly calm, but there are two musical climaxes: “The sun shall not smite thee by day” and “He shall preserve thy soul.”
The piece ends with a chantlike intonation of “The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in,” designed to evoke a sense of serenity and quiet trust.
This piece is of course suitable as an anthem in a church service, but it would also be very successful on a concert program.
TEXT INFO
Psalm 121 (King James Version)
Complete text:
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Amen.
