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Thursday, 24 October 2024

Psalm 150

Psalms 150: Syllables: 96; Longest recitation: 6; Tenor: A 30.21%;
Ornament density: 12.6%; Average phrase length: 8.6.
The tenor is on the subdominant, a recitation pitch of stability and rest. All 5 bi-cola cadence on the subdominant and the revia-mugrash is always on that recitation pitch as well. The last verse is a single phrase conclusion to the whole.

The last five psalms of the Psalter, 146 to 150 are all connected through their first note. Psalm 146 begins the series, starting on the dominant. Psalms 147 to 150 all start on the f# (mercha). This pattern of starting on a note other than the tonic has in every case, in the now 1000s of verses I have looked at, always implied a connection that is not difficult to guess as you become familiar with the music, between the song and what came before it. These are as simple as an immediate connection between verses, or between two chapters, like psalms 114-115, or between distant verses like the narrators parts in Job. There are examples on every page of Scripture. 

The performances here and here underlay the Hebrew with a little more flexibility than my software.  The arranger is always at liberty to determine the underlay for ornaments and words. There are other performances noted in this list. I used this psalm with psalm 117 as the concluding movements of Unleashing Leviathan, an oratorio I wrote using the music of the Bible.

1 ♪f Hallelu Yah. Praise God in his holiness.
Praise him in the expanse of his strength.
א ה֥ללו־י֨ה הֽללו־א֥ל בקדש֑ו
הֽ֝לל֗והו ברק֥יע עזֽו
9
8
a hllu-ih hllu-al bqodwo
hlluhu brqiy yuzo
2 Praise him in his valiant acts.
Praise him for the multitude of his greatness.
ב הֽלל֥והו בגבורת֑יו
הֽ֝לל֗והו כר֣ב גדלֽו
7
7
b hlluhu bgburotiv
hlluhu crob gudlo
3 ♪g Praise him with the sound of a shophar.
Praise him with lute and harp.
ג הֽ֭ללוהו בת֣קע שופ֑ר
הֽ֝לל֗והו בנ֣בל וכנֽור
8
9
g hlluhu btqy wopr
hlluhu bnbl vcinor
4 ♪g Praise him with drum and dance.
Praise him on harp-strings and pipes.
ד הֽ֭ללוהו בת֣ף ומח֑ול
הֽ֝לל֗והו במנ֥ים ועוגֽב
8
9
d hlluhu btof umkol
hlluhu bminim vyugb
5 Praise him on cymbals to be heard.
Praise him on cymbals of jubilation.
ה הֽלל֥והו בצלצלי־ש֑מע
הֽ֝לל֗והו בֽצלצל֥י תרועֽה
9
10
h hlluhu bxlxli-wmy
hlluhu bxlxli truyh
6 ♪B All the breath-bearing praise Yah. Hallelu Yah.
ו כ֣ל ה֭נשמה תהל֥ל י֗ה הֽללו־יֽה 11
v col hnwmh thll ih hllu-ih

The music in these posts is derived from the accents in the Hebrew Bible. Introductions - letters, music, text and music, and terminology, are here.

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