'My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.'
A setting which contrasts Job's haunting words from Job 7, with the song of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis). wordsmusic
Is there not an appointed time for man on earth, are not his days also like the days of an hireling.
As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow and as an hireling looketh for the reward for his work,
so am I made to posess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
When I lie down I say when shall I arise and the night is gone.
My days are swifter then a weaver's shuttle and are spent without hope.
O remember that my life is wind, mine eyes shall no more see good.
Amen.
Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word;
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
O sing to the Lord a new song: for he hath done marvellous things:
his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
The Lord hath made known his salvation:
his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
He hath remembered his mercy and his truth towards the House of Israel:
all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth:
make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
Sing unto the Lord with the harp:
with the harp and the voice of a psalm.
With trumpets and the sound of the cornet
make a joyful noise before the Lord the King.
Let the sea roar and the fullness thereof:
the world and they that dwell therein.
I will extol thee, O Lord;
for thou hast lifted me up,
and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried unto thee,
and thou hast healed me.
'For as often as ye eat this bread'
Communion Motet - Words from the Communion sentence for the Feast of Corpus Christi. words
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,
ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
Whereore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily,
shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
I Corinthians 11 26,27 Communio, Feast of Corpus Christi
Therefore, putting aside all filthiness
and all that remains of wickedness,
in humility receive the word implanted,
which is able to save your souls.
But prove yourselves doers of the word,
and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
Lighten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord,
and by thy great mercy defend us.
Defend us from all perils and dangers of this night,
For the love of thy only Son,
Our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen
Isaiah's vision of the Lord from Chapter 6. wordsmusic
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another,
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
And he laid it on my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, Whom, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
And he said, Go, tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabit tant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate.
And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
Verse anthem based on Psalm 24.
The anthem derives from a motet in Tempus per Annum, this is an expansion of the English version of the motet with additional words taken from Psalm 24.
It is not quite strictly in Verse Anthem form but mixes solo passages with choral refrains in a verse anthem like way. words
My eyes are ever turned towards the Lord;
For he shall sustain me.
For he shall pluck my feet out of the snare:
Look thou upon me, have mercy on me, for I am alone and poor.
To thee have I lifted up my soul.
In the only God I put my trust.
Let me not be ashamed.
My eyes are ever turned towards the Lord;
For he shall sustain me.
For he shall pluck my feet out of the snare:
Look thou upon me, have mercy on me.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged:
O bring thou me out of my distresses.
Look upon mine affliction and my pain:
Look thou upon me, and forgive all my sins.
Consider mine enemies;
For they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
O Keep my soul, and deliver me.
To thee have I lifted up my soul.
In the only God I put my trust.
My eyes are ever turned towards the Lord;
For he shall sustain me.
For he shall pluck my feet out of the snare:
Look thou upon me, have mercy on me, for I am alone and poor.
God be merciful unto us, and bless us: and cause his face to shine upon us.
That thy way may be known upon the earth, thy saving health among all nations.
Let the people praise thee, O God: let all the people praise thee.
O let the nations be glad and sing for joy;
for thou shalt judge the people righteously
and govern the nations on earth
Then shall the earth yield her increase
and God, even or own God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
Anthem setting Luther's German translation of verse from the Song of Solomon words
Lege mich wie ein Siegel, ein Siegel auf dein Herz,
wie ein Siegel auf deinem Arm.
Denn Liebe ist stark wie der Tod
und Leidenschaft unwiderstehlich wie das Totenreich.
Ihre Glut is feurig und eine Flamme des Herrn,
so dass auch viele Wasser der liebe nicht auslöschen
und Strömme sie nicht ertränken können.
Setting of a prayer by St. Symeon the New Theologian. words
Thou, O Christ, art the kingdom of Heaven;
Thou, the land promised to the meek;
Thou, the meadowland of paradise;
Thou, the hall of the celestial banquet;
Thou, the ineffable bridal chamber;
Thou, the table set for all,
Thou, the bread of life;
Thou, the unheard of drink;
Thou, both the urn for the water and the life–giving water;
Thou, moreover, the inextinguishable lamp for each one of the saints;
Thou, the garment and the crown and the One Who bestoweth the crowns;
Thou, the joy and rest;
Thou, the delight and glory;
Thou, the gladness and mirth;
And Thy grace, the grace of the Spirit of all sanctity, will shine like the sun in all the saints;
And Thou, the unapproachable Sun, wilt shine in their midst; and all will shine brightly, according to the measure of their faith, their asceticism, their hope and their love, their purification, and their illumination by Thy Spirit.
The familiar words from II Samuel 18:33 in an atmospheric setting for unaccompanied eight-part choir.
Composed partly as a result of a challenge from a choir member, our choir having sung a large number of settings of the text from Renaissance right through to contemporary. wordsmusic
When David heard that Absalom was slain
he went up to his chamber over the gate and wept.
