Feb 13

Turn! Turn! Turn! (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) – Pete Seeger

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The Byrds in 1965. From left to right: David Crosby, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman, and Jim McGuinn.

The Byrds in 1965. From left to right: David Crosby, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, Chris Hillman, and Jim McGuinn.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

[The only lyrics in the song not straight from scripture is “turn” and the last line: “A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late”]

Turn! Turn! Turn! written by Pete Seeger (1919-2014) in 1959 and covered by The Byrds in 1965

Performed by The Byrds

 

Feb 13

O Lord, in thy wrath (Psalm 38:1) – Orlando Gibbons

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Orlando Gibbons - Portrait by an unknown artist

Orlando Gibbons 

Psalm 38:1 [English]

1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak:
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.
My soul is also sore troubled:
but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me?
O save me, for thy mercy’s sake.

O Lord, in thy wrath, composed by Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)

Performed by The Merbecke Choir

FREE SHEET MUSIC

Choral Public Domain Library

Nov 29

Have mercy on me, Lord my God (Psalm 51:1-4) – Johann Sebastian Bach

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Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach’s harmonization on organ around a chorale melody and text that paraphrases Psalm 51:1-4

German text of chorale:

Erbarm’ Dich mein o Herre Gott!
nach Deiner groß’n Barmherzigkeit,
wasch’ ab mach’ rein mein’ Missethat,
ich kenn’ mein’ Sünd’ und ist mir leid;
allein ich Dir gesündigt hab’,
das ist wider mich stetiglich;
das Bös’ vor Dir mag nicht bestahn,
Du bleibst gerecht, ob Du urtheilest mich.

English translation of chorale:

O God, be mercyfull to me,
Accordynge to Thy great pitie;
Washe of, make clene my iniquite:
I knowlege my synne, and it greveth me
Agaynst The, agaynst The only
Have Isynned, which is before myne eye:
Though Thou be judged in man’s syght,
Yet are Thy wordes founde true and ryght.

Psalm 51:1-4

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Erbarme dich mein, O Herre Gott, BWV 721, composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Performed by Robert Hovencamp, organist

FREE SHEET MUSIC

 International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) / Petrucci Music Library

 

Nov 14

Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110:1-7) – Claudio Monteverdi

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Monteverdi by Bernardo Strozzi (c. 1630)

Claudio Monteverdi by Bernardo Strozzi (c. 1630)

Psalm 110:1-7 [Latin]

1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.

6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.

Dixit Dominus from Vespers for the Blessed Virgin, SV 206 (1610), composed by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)

Performed by John Eliot Gardiner and Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Les Pages du Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles

FREE SHEET MUSIC

Choral Public Domain Library