Psalm settings

/ Psalms / Tehillim, Songs by theme / By

Here are my (currently 28) musical settings of various complete psalms, some part psalms, and single psalm verses (by number, and alphabetically):

  • Adonai Ori / Achat Sha’alti  (Ps 27: 1, 4) – ‘My God, My Light’ / ‘Just One Thing I Ask’ – Elul, High Holy Days – solo; congregational
  • Adonai Roi (Ps 23) – ‘Adonai is my shepherd’ – a gentle song, with a simple, memorable chorus. Composed for the Yizkor service at Oxford in 2020.
  • Ashrei Ha’am (Ps. 89:16-19; SATB) – ‘Happy is the people’ – Rosh Hashanah; Parshat B’ha’alotecha – includes fun (optional) vocal ‘echoes’ in the chorus
  • Ashrei Yoshvei Veitecha (Ps 84:5, Ps 144:15) – ‘Happy is the one who lives in Your house’ – chant; creating sacred space; optional 2nd voice
  • Barchi Nafshi (Ps 103:1-12) – ‘Bless God, O my soul’ – thoughtful; verses used at Kol Nidrei and High Holy Days; usually solo
  • B’ruchah Haba’ah (Ps. 118:26; Song of Songs 6:10; 2 voices) – ‘Blessed Is She’ – baby blessing (girl); wedding; bat mitzvah – very easy for a congregation to pick up by ear during the service
  • Come Down, God (Ps. 86:1-7; solo) – spiritual challenge; loss; healing; interfaith – can also be sung as a wordless nigun
  • I lift my eyes to the mountains / Essa Einai (Ps. 121; solo a cappella) – spiritual challenge; interfaith; funeral; memorial
  • Halleluyah No. 1 (Ps. 150; solo) – shabbat; morning; praise; interfaith
  • Halleluyah No. 2 (Ps. 150; SATB + optional soprano solo) – shabbat; morning; praise; interfaith – 4 part round (32 bar melody)
  • Havayah S’fatai Tiftach (Ps 51:17) – ‘Open my lips’ – 1 or 2 voices; opening of the Amidah (Adonai s’fatai)
  • Holy Mountain (Ps. 87; SATB) – shabbat; praise; interfaith – lively
  • Ki L’Olam Chasdo (Ps. 136:1-2, 5-6, 16, 25, 3, 26; SATB) – Endless Lovingkindness –  Great Hallel – shabbat, Yom Tov, Pesach, Hoshanah Rabbah (7th day of Sukkot)
  • Mah Gadlu / How great are Your works (Ps. 92:6; 3 voices) – morning; praise; interfaith; any time – 3 part round (12 bar melody)
  • Neir Adonai No.1 (Prov. 20:26, Ber. 60b, Ps 18:29) – The candle of God – lively, celebratory – solo; congregational
  • Neir Adonai No.2 (Prov. 20:26, Ber. 60b, Ps 18:29) – The candle of God – gentle, reflective – solo; congregational
  • Nigun Chakartani Vateida (Ps 39) – ‘You have searched me out and known me’ – wordless nigun, meditative musical response to the text
  • Nir’eh Or / In Your light, we see light (Ps.36:8-10; solo) – baby blessing;  bar mitzvah ;  bat mitzvah ; wedding; protection, healing
  • Or Zarua No.1 (Ps 97:11) – ‘Light is sown’ – inward, contemplative
  • Or Zarua No.2 (Ps 97:11) – ‘Light is sown’ – cheerful, like a stately, celebratory procession
  • Shiru Ladonai, Shir Chadash (Ps 96:1-2, 7-8, 11-13) – ‘Sing to God a new song’ – gentle and joyful; solo, art song; in 8/8 with irregular rhythms
  • Sh’lach Or’cha (Ps 43:3) – ‘Send out Your light’ – yearning, thoughtful
  • Sh’ma Adonai Koli Ekra (Ps 27:7) – ‘Hear my voice’ – gentle, 2 part round; Elul, High Holy Days
  • Simcha Song (Ps. 81; 3 voices) – celebrations: bar / bat mitzvah, wedding, anniversary, baby blessing (brit shalom, brit milah, brit bat); festivals – 3 part round (48 bar melody)
  • Trust in You (Ps. 131; solo) – spiritual challenge; Shoah memorial; interfaith; Parshat Va’yeshev (Joseph in prison)
  • V’shavti B’veit Adonai (Ps. 23:6; 2 voices) – for reassurance; shabbat; Yom Kippur Mincha – 2 part round (32 bar melody)
  • Yih’yu L’ratzon (Ps 19:14) – ‘May the words of my mouth’ – gentle ending to the Amidah
  • Yism’chu Hashamayim (Ps 96:11) – energetic and fun, a real earworm!