The Bible as Music

Laudate Pueri Dominum [Praise the LORD] (Psalm 113:1-9) – Johann Christian Bach

Posted on March 16, 2014 Posted in Bach, Johann Christian (1735-1782)

Johann Christian Bach, painted in London by Th... — Johann Christian Bach, painted in London by Thomas Gainsborough, 1776 (Museo Civico, Bologna) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Psalm 113:1-9 [Latin]

¹ Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.

² Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.

³ From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.

⁴ The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

⁵ Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,

⁶ Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

⁷ He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

⁸ That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

⁹ He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.

—

Laudate Pueri Dominum by Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782)

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Performed by L’Orfeo Barockorechester

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Laudate pueri [Praise the Lord] (Psalm 113) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Saul, Saul, was verfolgst du mich? (Acts 26:14) – Heinrich Schütz

Posted on March 9, 2014 Posted in Schütz, Heinrich (1585-1672)

Heinrich Schütz, c. 1650-1660 (Leipzig), by Ch... — Heinrich Schütz, c. 1650-1660 (Leipzig), by Christoph Spetner (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Acts 26:14b

¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ (English Standard Version)

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Saul, Saul, was verfolgst du mich?, SWV 415, composed by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672)

Saul, Saul, was verfolgst du mich, Heinrich Schütz, Victoria Consort

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MP3: Symphoniarum sacrarum III, Op. 12: No. 18. Saul, Saul, was verfolgst du mich, SWV 415 / Heinrich Schütz / Monteverdi Choir / SDG

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Saul, Saul, was verfolgst du mich? SWV 415 by Heinrich Schutz (1585-1672). Edited by Werner Bittinger. For voice/mixed choir/orchestra (2 Solo Sopranos/Solo Alto/Solo Tenor/2 Solo Basses/2 Mixed Choirs: SATB ad lib./2 Violins/Basso continuo). Stapled. Deutsches Konzert Nr. 18 aus Symphoniae sacrae III”. Level 3. Score. SWV 415. Published by Baerenreiter Verlag (BA.BA3466).

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Choral Public Domain Library

O Lord my God (1 Kings 8:28,30) – Samuel Sebastian Wesley

Posted on March 2, 2014 Posted in Wesley, Samuel Sebastian (1810-1876)

1 Kings 8:28,30 [from Solomon’s prayer]

²⁸ Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:

³⁰ And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.

–

Text of music:

O Lord my God, hear thou the pray’r thy servant prayeth, Have thou respect unto his prayer. Hear thou in heav’n thy dwelling place, And when thou hearest Lord, forgive.

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O Lord my God, anthem by Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876)

Samuel Sebastian Wesley: O Lord my God | The Choir of Somerville College, Oxford

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Performed by The Choir of Somerville College, Oxford

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The New Church Anthem Book [100 anthems] by Lionel Dakers. For SATB choir and keyboard. Mixed Voices. Sacred, Choral Collection. Paperback. 592 pages. Published by Oxford University Press (OU.9780193531093).

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Choral Public Domain Library

Zwei Motetten [Two Motets] (Job 3:20-23; Lamentations 3:41; James 5:11) – Johannes Brahms

Posted on February 23, 2014 Posted in Brahms, Johannes (1833-1897)

English: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), german c... — English: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), german composer Deutsch: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897), deutscher Komponist (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

From the first motet, “Warum ist das Licht gegeben den Mühseligen,” which includes Job 3:20-23; Lamentations 3:41; James 5:11 [German]

²⁰ Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul;

²¹ Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures;

²² Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave?

²³ Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

⁴¹ Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

¹¹ Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

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Zwei Motetten, Op. 74 (1877 for the first motet, which uses Biblical texts), by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Zwei Motetten by Johannes Brahms - Sofia Vokalensemble