Psalm 96 - a new song

I need to make a list of the music I am working with before I forget what I have done. I have 35 videos on my YouTube Channel. 10 of them are from my psalms lectures (6 years ago) and the lecture on the music of the accents for the SBL regional conference I was to attend in Idaho  in 2016 which I had to do remotely because of a sudden illness in the family. The last one (the Accents, Final) has had over 1100 views. The other 25 are developments of the music, one from 3 years ago, and the remainder from this year. I also have about 200 recordings of this music performed in the last century to advertise the work that Susanne Haïk-Vantoura accomplished before her death in 2000.

It is difficult to put into a few words the extensive testing she did to arrive at her synthesis. That one should require a musical mind to do this is hardly surprising. She herself testifies of a long manual process of testing possibilities. In my own book, I have done a thorough statistical analysis of accent patterns and also have explained her approach against the opinions of the last 1000 years and its vastly superior explanatory and acoustic power.

Humans are slow to respond and slow to change when they are sure they have an answer that can make them feel right and defend against any arguments against their established opinion.

You can see her careful approach in this image of Psalm 96. She always sang the Hebrew. In the case of the Psalms it is a strict syllabic rhythm.

An extract from SHV Psalm 96 ms - You can hear a performance at this link.

My own version is not syllabic since I have mapped the Hebrew to the English text of my own translation that follows the Hebrew as closely as possible. I have used a regular 5/4 bar. I could have used other possibilities. They are infinite. I also allowed some development of the ideas but I have maintained the strophic structure of the poem itself. Adding a trumpet as she does would have been a nice idea, but I think the TTBB version works quite well. Needs a good high tenor. The ms is here, and a synthesizer film is available from YouTube below.

You can note some differences in the reciting note because SHV was using the Letteris Edition (c. 1890s) of the text whereas I have used the Leningrad codex directly. And it happens that scribes, not understanding what the signs meant, over the centuries have added methegs to some words (for reasons of pronunciation) and they (methegs) looks the same as the silluq, which is the tonic (according to her inferred key). My programming attempts to distinguish these two signs, but it is a soft logic. The Aleppo Codex is our best source, but it is not available by web service or even in a Unicode form.

Isaiah 2

This week's verse in Isaiah 2, (paralleled in Micah with slightly different spelling of swords).

And he will judge between the nations and referee for many peoples.
And they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation nor will they teach war any more.

Isaiah 2:4

Congregational singing and the accents of the Old Testament

This morning I awoke with Isaiah 12 as an ear-worm. And a voice said to me, Write about this music.

Isaiah 12 for congregational singing

Isaiah 12 is the psalm for the lectionary in year C, the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost.

What this music proves is that singing the Old Testament from the deciphering key of Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura does not have to be confined to the professionals as she did in her thorough foray into North America via Chanticleer and NPR. The high performance standard is wonderful indeed, but it runs the risk of having the music be forgotten and this music should not be forgotten.

In earlier days at the Church of St Barnabas in Victoria, I had used the music to read the lesson from the Old Testament, with one or more readers depending on the story. I have used it for psalms. This is the first time I have provided a version for congregation. It was noted on the prior Sunday, sketched by Monday, revised by Tuesday, announcement prepared for the Wednesday deadline and discussed as to possible performance practice with the director. The discussion was an eye-opener for me as to how music develops and how to think about performance. Other than the email trail with the director, I did not prepare the choir or give any feedback. I heard it for the first time on the appointed day a week after first sketching it. The translation is from Bob's Bible for the music.

Here is the world premiere of Isaiah 12 sung by the congregation and choir of St John the Divine Church in Victoria conducted by David Stratkauskis. The cantor is Macrae choral scholar Anne van der Sloot.

Jeremiah 23

Following up on last week's first verse of the week for Bob's Bible, I draw attention to the difficulty of capturing Hebrew repeated sounds in a passage. Three times PQD occurs as a Hebrew stem here. It should not always be rendered as visit. (KJV renders it frequently as punish, a word I never use.) Here it can also have the sense of absent. If you use Bob's Bible with your favorite translation, you will be closer to the decisions that are made for you in translation and you will understand word play better.

PQD recurs in this chapter 5 times, three times in the lectionary portion for this coming Sunday.

Jeremiah 23		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
ה֣וֹי רֹעִ֗ים מְאַבְּדִ֧ים וּמְפִצִ֛ים אֶת־צֹ֥אן מַרְעִיתִ֖י נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה	1	B	Alas pastors who eliminate or disperse the sheep of my pasture, an oracle of Yahweh.	3c	4B	19
לָ֠כֵן כֹּֽה־אָמַ֨ר יְהוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל עַֽל־הָרֹעִים֮ הָרֹעִ֣ים אֶת־עַמִּי֒ אַתֶּ֞ם הֲפִצֹתֶ֤ם אֶת־צֹאנִי֙ וַתַּדִּח֔וּם וְלֹ֥א פְקַדְתֶּ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם הִנְנִ֨י פֹקֵ֧ד עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם אֶת־רֹ֥עַ מַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה	2	~	Therefore thus says Yahweh the God of Israel concerning the pastors who pasture my people, You have dispersed my flock and banished them, and have not visited them. Note me well, I will visit upon you the evil of your practices, an oracle of Yahweh.	3c	4C	43 18
וַאֲנִ֗י אֲקַבֵּץ֙ אֶת־שְׁאֵרִ֣ית צֹאנִ֔י מִכֹּל֙ הָאֲרָצ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁר־הִדַּ֥חְתִּי אֹתָ֖ם שָׁ֑ם וַהֲשִׁבֹתִ֥י אֶתְהֶ֛ן עַל־נְוֵהֶ֖ן וּפָר֥וּ וְרָבֽוּ	3		And I myself will collect the residue of my flock from all the lands where I banished them, and I will return them to their homes, and they will be fruitful and multiply.	3d	4B	26 17
וַהֲקִמֹתִ֧י עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם רֹעִ֖ים וְרָע֑וּם וְלֹא־יִֽירְא֨וּ ע֧וֹד וְלֹא־יֵחַ֛תּוּ וְלֹ֥א יִפָּקֵ֖דוּ נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה	4		And I will raise up pastors over them, and they will pasture them, and they will not fear any more nor be dismayed, and they will not be visited, an oracle of Yahweh.	3c	4A	13 19
הִנֵּ֨ה יָמִ֤ים בָּאִים֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וַהֲקִמֹתִ֥י לְדָוִ֖ד צֶ֣מַח צַדִּ֑יק וּמָ֤לַךְ מֶ֙לֶךְ֙ וְהִשְׂכִּ֔יל וְעָשָׂ֛ה מִשְׁפָּ֥ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה בָּאָֽרֶץ	5		Behold days are coming, an oracle of Yahweh, when I will raise for David a sprout, a righteous one, and a king will reign and give insight, and he will do judgment and righteousness in the land.	3d	4C	22 19
בְּיָמָיו֙ תִּוָּשַׁ֣ע יְהוּדָ֔ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִשְׁכֹּ֣ן לָבֶ֑טַח וְזֶה־שְּׁמ֥וֹ אֲ‍ֽשֶׁר־יִקְרְא֖וֹ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ צִדְקֵֽנוּ	6		In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell in trust, and this is his name that he will be called, Yahweh is our righteousness.	3e	4B	18 14

My verse of the week is verse 2, and its music is like this. Note well where the ornaments are and how they paint the lines. The opening 'therefore', the accusing 'You', the emphasized 'me'.

Jeremiah 23:2 for the music

Verse of the week from Bob's Bible

Isaiah 12:4 

And you will say in that day, Give thanks to Yahweh. Call in his name. Make known among the peoples his prodigality. // Remember that set on high is his name.

A very unusual verse in the chapter and for the Revised Common Lectionary in that this chapter is used as the 'Psalm'. There is more on this verse in its musical context here. Of course if you want to know about 'that day', you can reference the prior chapter where the phrase 'And it will happen in that day' occurs twice. The phrase that day occurs 45 times in Isaiah (about a third of all instances in the Hebrew Bible).

Isaiah 12 as a Psalm in the lectionary

I think it is important not to forget what we perceive as being caught up short and project as anger or wrath in Someone Else. Our consciences may be a reliable guide to changing our minds - whether we use phrases like the wrath or anger of G-d or not.

The lectionary this week includes the 12th chapter of Isaiah beginning at verse 2! for the Psalm. Good grief - how can you leave out the structural wholeness? (Note the repetition of And you will say in that day).

Isaiah 12		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא אוֹדְךָ֣ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י אָנַ֖פְתָּ בִּ֑י יָשֹׁ֥ב אַפְּךָ֖ וּֽתְנַחֲמֵֽנִי	1		And you will say in that day, I will give you thanks, Yahweh, that you were angry against me. Your anger turns and you comfort me.	3e	4B	17 9
הִנֵּ֨ה אֵ֧ל יְשׁוּעָתִ֛י אֶבְטַ֖ח וְלֹ֣א אֶפְחָ֑ד כִּֽי־עָזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֣הּ יְהוָ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָֽה	2		Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and I will not dread, for my strength and psalm is Yah, Yahweh, and he has become my salvation.	3c	4C	13 14
וּשְׁאַבְתֶּם־מַ֖יִם בְּשָׂשׂ֑וֹן מִמַּעַיְנֵ֖י הַיְשׁוּעָֽה	3		And you will draw water with joy, from the springs of salvation.	3e	4A	7 7
וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֞ם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא הוֹד֤וּ לַֽיהוָה֙ קִרְא֣וּ בִשְׁמ֔וֹ הוֹדִ֥יעוּ בָֽעַמִּ֖ים עֲלִֽילֹתָ֑יו הַזְכִּ֕ירוּ כִּ֥י נִשְׂגָּ֖ב שְׁמֽוֹ	4		And you will say in that day, Give thanks to Yahweh. Call in his name. Make known among the peoples his prodigality. Remember that set on high is his name.	3e	4C	26 8
זַמְּר֣וּ יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י גֵא֖וּת עָשָׂ֑ה מוּדַ֥עַת זֹ֖את בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ	5		Sing a psalm to Yahweh, for proud things he has done. This is known in all the earth.	3e	4B	9 9
צַהֲלִ֥י וָרֹ֖נִּי יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת צִיּ֑וֹן כִּֽי־גָד֥וֹל בְּקִרְבֵּ֖ךְ קְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵֽל	6		Be bright and shout for joy, inhabitant of Zion, for great and near you is the Holy One of Israel.	3e	4B	11 10

Word / Gloss	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Vs	Stem
ואמרת and you will say	░								1	אמר
ביום in day		░							1	יום
ההוא that			░						1	הוא
אודך I will give you thanks				░					1	ידה
ישׁועתי is my salvation					░				2	ישׁע
וזמרת and psalm is						░			2	זמר
לישׁועה salvation					░				2	ישׁע
הישׁועה salvation					░				3	ישׁע
ואמרתם and you will say	░								4	אמר
ביום in day		░							4	יום
ההוא that			░						4	הוא
הודו give thanks				░					4	ידה
בשׁמו in his name							░		4	שׁם
הודיעו make known								░	4	ידע
שׁמו his name							░		4	שׁם
זמרו sing a psalm to						░			5	זמר
מודעת is known								░	5	ידע

And here is the raw data of the music and the arrangement I have done for congregational singing. Hoping for a hearing this Sunday at St John the Divine Anglican Church. This allows singing from verse 2 if you must. But the whole frame of the Psalms and of the Epistle to the Hebrews is that we have a father who deals with and gives correctional power to the wayward - i.e., us. We may perceive this as wrath or randomness or inexplicable consequences. The structure of the music is historically accurate from a theological point of view, perhaps even useful for correction itself. Here is a link to a performance at a later date from this post.

For a different interpretation in a major mode with several spurious silluqim and the occasional a#, beautiful singing from Esther Lamandier, listen here.

Here's a bit for the bulletin if you want to use it:

It is unusual to have a section of the prophets as the Psalm in the lectionary. The music for Isaiah 12 is extracted from directly the text of the Hebrew Bible using the accents as interpreted by the French composer Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura in the last century. These signs, a record of a musical tradition lost for millennia turn the whole of the Old Testament into a song. The arrangement today is by Bob MacDonald, translator and long-time student of the textual tradition and its music.

A few performance notes:

• The pulse can be flexible. Haïk-Vantoura considered the 'Psalms' to be syllabic, like very 'even' plainsong. She considered the prose books to be speech rhythm. Her mapping of the melodies is a brilliant use of Occam's Razor - getting as much information from the signs as possible. So the melodic framework is key. The plainsong idiom works for all books.
• The Psalms are poetry. The Prophets are generally not considered poetry by her because the system of signs is different from the three books (Psalms, Proverbs, and Job) compared to the 21 prose books - the rest of the Bible. So take longer breaks between verses or voices, if needed.
• Verse 4 is overloaded with content. I think it comes across as the centre of the piece. It has four responses to the opening statement. It can be spacious.
• Having changed the language to English, the pulse of the original must be adjusted. I have tried to keep the melody and ornaments consistent between English and Hebrew - but it is a whole host of decisions.
• Choir as women and men as congregation is fine as a strategy. The melodic line is from the hand signals in the text itself. The accompaniment can be ad lib with the melody doubled. I am still considering the structural aspects of the constraints of the harmonic framework that is implied by the decoding of the hand-signals in the text. These are clearly not tonic-dominant ternary or sonata forms. The sense of home and mid verse distance, or even of multiple-verses as migrating and then returning to home is something that needs a creative approach. 
• In the prose books (of which Isaiah is one), there is a mid-verse 'pause' on the subdominant and a return to the tonic (E) for each verse. Sometimes I will allow myself to have a full close on the subdominant (A) at the end of the verse or even a move to the submediant (C).
• re instrument - I think Organ is fine. I have written for a plucked instrument only because I cannot specify the stops in my music program (yet?).