Oratorio part 6, Psalms 116

 Psalms 116 took a form that was completely unexpected. I had been setting psalms from 110-115 and they all seemed to be homophonic chorales. Psalms 116 turned into an aria instead, with verse 5 serving as a repeating chorus as the soloist works through the first 4 verses and verse 16. Verse 16 is the release given the prayer announced by verses 3 and 4. Verses 1 and 2 then provide a recap. 

Psalms 116

Psalms 116 verse 5, and the beginning of the aria

Syllables: 298. Words: 131. Roots: 77. Root Recurrence: 61%. Average per verse: 4.2.

adm ahb alvh amh amn amr ana (2) ani (4) app arx asr at (3) azn bit bn ci (6) cl (4) cvs czb dbr dkh dll dmy gml (2) hlc hll idh igh ih ihvh (15) iqr irvwlm ivm iwy (2) kbl kih klx knn (2) kpz ksid kxr l (3) mad mh ml't mn mvt (3) mxa (2) na (2) ndr (2) n'th ngd (2) npw (3) nvk nwa pnh pti ptk qra (4) qvl rgl rkm tvc wavl wlm (2) wm (3) wmr wmy wvb (2) xdiq xrr (2) ybd (2) yin (2) yl (2) ym (2) ynh zbk (2)

אָ֭הַבְתִּי כִּֽי־יִשְׁמַ֥ע ׀ יְהוָ֑ה אֶת־ק֝וֹלִ֗י תַּחֲנוּנָֽי		1 ♪g I love, for Yahweh heard, the voice of my supplication.
a ahbti ci-iwmy ihvh at-qoli tknunii	8 7	ahb\ti ci i/wmy ihvh at qvl\i t/knvn\i
כִּֽי־הִטָּ֣ה אָזְנ֣וֹ לִ֑י וּבְיָמַ֥י אֶקְרָֽא		2 For he bent his ear to me, and in my days I will call.
b ci-h'th aozno li ubimii aqra	5 5	ci h/+h azn\v l\i vb/im\i a/qra
אֲפָפ֤וּנִי ׀ חֶבְלֵי־מָ֗וֶת וּמְצָרֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל מְצָא֑וּנִי צָרָ֖ה וְיָג֣וֹן אֶמְצָֽא		3 The pangs of death enveloped me and anguish of Sheol found me. Trouble and sadness I find.
g appuni kbli-mvvt umxri waol mxauni xrh vigon amxa	16 7	app\vni kbl\i mvt vm/xr\i wavl mxa\vni xr\h v/ig\vn a/mxa
וּבְשֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה אֶקְרָ֑א אָנָּ֥ה יְ֝הוָ֗ה מַלְּטָ֥ה נַפְשִֽׁי		4 So in the name of Yahweh I will call, beseeching, Yahweh, make an escape for my being.
d ubwm-ihvh aqra anh ihvh ml'th npwi	6 8	vb/wm ihvh a/qra an\h ihvh ml+\h npw\i
חַנּ֣וּן יְהֹוָ֣ה וְצַדִּ֑יק וֵ֖אלֹהֵ֣ינוּ מְרַחֵֽם		5 Gracious is Yahweh and righteous, and our God is compassionate.
h knun ihvh vxdiq valohinu mrkm	8 7	knvn ihvh v/xdiq v/alh\inv m/rkm
שֹׁמֵ֣ר פְּתָאיִ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה דַּ֝לּוֹתִ֗י וְלִ֣י יְהוֹשִֽׁיעַ		6 Yahweh keeps the simple. I was brought low and me he saves.
v womr ptiim ihvh dloti vli ihowiy	8 9	wmr pt\aim ihvh dl\ti v/l\i ihv/wy
שׁוּבִ֣י נַ֭פְשִׁי לִמְנוּחָ֑יְכִי כִּֽי־יְ֝הוָ֗ה גָּמַ֥ל עָלָֽיְכִי		7 Return, O my being, to your rest, for Yahweh has matured you.
z wubi npwi lmnukiici ci-ihvh gml yliici	8 9	wvb\i npw\i lm/nvk\ici ci ihvh gml yl\ici
כִּ֤י חִלַּ֥צְתָּ נַפְשִׁ֗י מִ֫מָּ֥וֶת אֶת־עֵינִ֥י מִן־דִּמְעָ֑ה אֶת־רַגְלִ֥י מִדֶּֽחִי		8 ♪C For he rescued my being from death, my eyes from tears, my foot from tripping.
k ci kilxt npwi mmvvt at-yini mn-dmyh at-rgli mdki	9 6 6	ci klx\t npw\i m/mvt at yin\i mn dmy\h at rgl\i m/dk\i
אֶ֭תְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה בְּ֝אַרְצ֗וֹת הַֽחַיִּֽים		9 ♪g I will walk in the presence of Yahweh, in the lands of the living.
't athlç lpni ihvh barxot hkiim	7 6	at/hlc l/pn\i ihvh b/arx\vt h/ki\im
הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי כִּ֣י אֲדַבֵּ֑ר אֲ֝נִ֗י עָנִ֥יתִי מְאֹֽד		10 ♪g I believed so I spoke. I myself was much afflicted.
i hamnti ci adbr ani yniti maod	8 7	h/amn\ti ci a/dbr ani yn\iti mad
אֲ֭נִי אָמַ֣רְתִּי בְחָפְזִ֑י כָּֽל־הָאָדָ֥ם כֹּזֵֽב		11 ♪g I myself said in my haste, Every human lies.
ia ani amrti bkopzi cl-hadm cozb	8 6	ani amr\ti b/kpz\i cl h/adm czb
מָֽה־אָשִׁ֥יב לַיהוָ֑ה כָּֽל־תַּגְמוּל֥וֹהִי עָלָֽי		12 What will I return to Yahweh, for all his benefits to me?
ib mh-awib lihvh cl-tgmulohi ylii	5 7	mh a/wb l/ihvh cl t/gmvl\vhi yl\i
כּוֹס־יְשׁוּע֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֑א וּבְשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָֽא		13 The cup of salvation I will bear, so in the name of Yahweh I will call.
ig cos-iwuyot awa ubwm ihvh aqra	6 6	cvs iwvy\vt a/wa vb/wm ihvh a/qra
נְ֭דָרַי לַיהוָ֣ה אֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם נֶגְדָה־נָּ֝֗א לְכָל־עַמּֽוֹ		14 ♪g My vows to Yahweh I will pay, may it be before all his people.
id ndrii lihvh awlm ngdh-na lcl-ymo	8 7	ndr\i l/ihvh a/wlm ngd\h na l/cl ym\v
יָ֭קָר בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה הַ֝מָּ֗וְתָה לַחֲסִידָֽיו		15 ♪g Precious in the eyes of Yahweh, is the death of those under his mercy.
'tv iqr byini ihvh hmvvth lksidiv	7 7	iqr b/yin\i ihvh h/mvt\h l/ksid\iv
אָֽנָּ֣ה יְהוָה֮ כִּֽי־אֲנִ֪י עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ אֲ‍ֽנִי־עַ֭בְדְּךָ בֶּן־אֲמָתֶ֑ךָ פִּ֝תַּ֗חְתָּ לְמוֹסֵרָֽי		16 Yahweh beseeching, for I myself am your servant, I myself your servant and child of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.
'tz anh ihvh ci-ani ybdç ani-ybdç bn-amtç pitkt lmosrii	9 9 7	an\h ihvh ci ani ybd\c ani ybd\c bn am\tc ptk\t lmv/sr\i
לְֽךָ־אֶ֭זְבַּח זֶ֣בַח תּוֹדָ֑ה וּבְשֵׁ֖ם יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָֽא		17 To you I will offer the offering of thanksgiving, so in the name of Yahweh I will call.
iz lç-azbk zbk todh ubwm ihvh aqra	8 6	l\c a/zbk zbk tv/dh vb/wm ihvh a/qra
נְ֭דָרַי לַיהוָ֣ה אֲשַׁלֵּ֑ם נֶגְדָה־נָּ֝֗א לְכָל־עַמּֽוֹ		18 ♪g My vows to Yahweh I will pay, may it be before all his people,
ik ndrii lihvh awlm ngdh-na lcl-ymo	8 7	ndr\i l/ihvh a/wlm ngd\h na l/cl ym\v
בְּחַצְר֤וֹת ׀ בֵּ֤ית יְהוָ֗ה בְּֽת֘וֹכֵ֤כִי יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ		19 in the courts of the house of Yahweh, in your centre, O Jerusalem. Hallelu Yah.
i't bkxrot bit ihvh btocci iruwlim hllu-ih	17	b/kxr\vt bit ihvh b/tvc\ci irvwlm hll\v ih

I remember being surprised that some psalms would lend themselves to aria rather than chorus. But of course, some might lend themselves to drama, dialogue, and other forms as well. I haven't set them all by any means. 

My computer programs have generated all the scores, see the music page on this blog. Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura did all hers by hand, and she completed many chapters throughout the Bible including all 150 psalms. A link to her scores is also on the music page. Here for instance is Psalms 116. You can see that I did not use the mode she suggested in this case. We need composers to discover these and set more of them for performance or even just perform those that we have. All the raw material for the music is available freely in score form and in music XML. There's a vast amount of beauty here to be discovered. 

It sure beats arguing about hierarchies, and disjunctive and conjunctive accents. - All thoroughly distracting from the real thing in my opinion. As it is written - And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs of everlasting praise on their heads. - remembering the setting by S.S.Wesley - 

Isaiah 35:10

This translation is in a word order that might fit the contours of the music. It will be clear to a musician that there are lyric problems that arise when one tries to match the feel of the music to a foreign language. Sometimes one can just leave out a note or two and let the rhythm of the words carry the cantus firmus. I hope the restrictions of the harmonic structure will not prove too taxing. It is different from modern western music. It is not tonic-dominant - but tonic-subdominant, creating a different music. Working under such a constraint will provide some surprises too.

Isaiah 35

ank bva igh ihvh nvs nwg pdh raw rnn wmk (2) wvb wvw xivn yl ylm

וּפְדוּיֵ֨י יְהוָ֜ה יְשֻׁב֗וּן וּבָ֤אוּ צִיּוֹן֙ בְּרִנָּ֔ה וְשִׂמְחַ֥ת עוֹלָ֖ם עַל־רֹאשָׁ֑ם שָׂשׂ֤וֹן וְשִׂמְחָה֙ יַשִּׂ֔יגוּ וְנָ֖סוּ יָג֥וֹן וַאֲנָחָֽה ס		10 And the ransomed of Yahweh will return and enter Zion with a shout of joy and gladness everlasting over their heads. Joy and mirth they will overtake, and sadness and sighing will withdraw.
i upduii ihvh iwubun ubau xion brinh vwmkt yolm yl-rawm wwon vwmkh iwigu vnsu igon vankh s	24 18	v/pd\vii ihvh i/wb\vn v/ba\v xivn b/rn\h v/wmk\t yvlm yl raw\m ww\vn v/wmk\h i/wg\v v/ns\v ig\vn v/ank\h