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Psalm 15 – Adonai mi yagur beoholekha

for unaccompanied SSAATTBB choir

Year:  2019   ·  Duration:  5m 15s

Year:  2019
Duration:  5m 15s

Composer:   Helen Bowater

Films, Audio & Samples

Helen Bowater: Psalm 15 — V...

External video
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Helen Bowater: Psalm 15 — A...

Embedded audio
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Sample Score

Sample: pages 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 of choral score

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Sample Score

Sample: pages 2, 5 and 7 of conductor's score

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Borrow/Hire:

To borrow items or hire parts please email SOUNZ directly at info@sounz.org.nz.

About

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Psalms were the hymn book of the Hebrew old testament. 'Psalm 15' is included in the first of five books of the Book of Psalms comprising 150 psalms. This psalm asks these questions of God: Who may stay in your tabernacle? Who may live on your holy mountain? then sets out ten conditions relating to human morality to achieve this – essentially moral instructions to be kind to each other. The ten conditions are underlined by a harmonic ascent which, to conclude, leads to a reiteration of the questions posed at the start.

I am drawn to the profound emotional expression and modal nature of synagogue chant, its ritual cantillation, melodic ornamentation and accompanying drones. Psalms sung or chanted in the synagogue were originally accompanied by ritual and drama, and communicate the rich, passionate, metaphorical language of Hebrew poetry. This appreciation invited a musical setting in Hebrew and a lyrical and dramatic response for this a cappella piece.


Commissioned note

Commissioned by the New Zealand Festival of the Arts


Text note

text from the Bible (Psalm 15:1–5)