Hear my prayer - Smart, Jason

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"A setting of the first six verses of Psalm 55. I have sought to depict the psalmist as someone oppressed by enemies and in fear of his life. His reference to the dove is not to a symbol of gentleness and comfort, but is a cry of anguish and despair. I have described the piece as a 'concert anthem' because its unremittingly dark mood may be more suited to the concert platform than the church, but I have no wish to be prescriptive about this. I think the psalmist's fears were not so different from those of many oppressed populations in the modern world."

◈ Genre → Anthems ♬ Voicing → SATB|SATB with divisions ¶ Language → English

Parts 4

Instruments Organ

Pages 12

CPDL # 57622

Editor Jason Smart

Posted 2020-03-20

License Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives

¶Lyrics / Text

Hear my prayer, O God, and hide not thyself from my petition. Take heed unto me and hear me: how I mourn in my prayer and am vexed. The enemy crieth so, and the ungodly cometh on so fast, for they are minded to do me some mischief, so maliciously are they set against me. My heart is disquieted within me and the fear of death is fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me and an horrible dread hath overwhelmed me. And I said, O that I had wings like a dove: for then would I flee away and be at rest. (Psalm 55, vv.1-6)