Music exposes the meaningless

I was brought to a musical standstill - a muting of all instruments, by Psalm 7:8.  There is no way to compose an opera of recitation when you don't know who is speaking and about what. What appeal is being made in this verse on whose behalf?

My current experimental thesis is that the psalms are collected in the shadow of the exile. Does that help to supply a character to the tribes? I searched my available texts and found an article that reconstructs a new text: The textual problems of Psalm 7, Jacob Leveen, Cambridge.  He suggests, among many emendations, reading אֱלֹהִים gods for לְאֻמִּים tribes. I don't think that will help the music much. The help to the assembly of the tribes seems more immediate in any age whether of David or of post-exile or even of today with our current tribal conflicts.

OK - so back to the imagining of a leit-motif for the tribes...

Recitation in Hebrew

The music I have written can also be sung in Hebrew. I will not immediately underlay Hebrew text to the whole recitation - but it is feasible as I have demonstrated here for the first phrase or two of Psalm 1. (PDF is a little more complete. In the image below I have not spelled it out in full - e.g. the resh with shwa would be unemphasized and r-sha-im therefore 3 syllables rather than two as illustrated). All that is required is a judicious omitting of some reciting notes, and the selection of up beat and on the beat syllables according to the requirement of the language. (If I record it in Hebrew, I will post the link on the right panel).

The reason this is possible is that the music is written by small groups of words with attention to their structural relationships.  The image below also gives due acknowledgement of MuseScore whose software I am using. It is quick to learn but avoid complex copy and paste. And be very careful when you are in note input mode, you may be overwriting what you have written. This is a nice feature when you become aware of it.

Carnival

I am grateful to Deane Galbraithe for his generous list of posts at PoC in the BS Carnival 69. There are in his list of blogs a huge number that I am not looking at - I wonder how to manage them.  I have not been reading much recently - too much collecting and purging (of my own notes) and testing internal structures for the Psalms. Next there is going to be the music project - I doubt that that qualifies as Biblical Studies.

PoC has 10 posts scheduled for next month too. And they have all been revised since they were first scheduled. I am trying to find beautiful or convincing diagrams for each psalm.  Some sections of the poems have very low recurrence - like maybe one word in 7 verses - but those verses connect very strongly to the rest of the poem - my thesis is that the poet is thinking in a larger block - i.e. 2 and 3 won't work as an organizing principle. 8, 10, 12 even 19 verse segments seem possible when recurrence is considered.

Probably I need another technique and another life to consider this question.

Hearing the Psalter - an outline of the Grand Opera

The final result of the bulk of the Psalter is this note- this new song:

אֱלֹהִים שִׁיר חָדָשׁ אָשִׁירָה לָּךְ בְּנֵבֶל עָשׂוֹר אֲזַמְּרָה לָּךְ	144.9	O God, a song that is new I will sing to you on lute, a tenth I will sing a psalm to you
הַנּוֹתֵן תְּשׁוּעָה לַמְּלָכִים הַפּוֹצֶה אֶת דָּוִד עַבְדּוֹ מֵחֶרֶב רָעָה	10	giving salvation to kings setting even David his servant free from a sword of evil

Here then is the beginning of a draft of the Grand Opera known as the Psalter. (Links to music are on the right panel.)

First Act - David the Beloved, Book 1
Scene 1: Introduction (1-2) -
Ps 1 F+ A rising third and descending fifth motif for the 'Happy are' phrases - to be used whenever they recur at the seams and conclusions of the Psalter. A triple rhythm (hidden in this case in 4/4) that signifies the voice of the Most High.; angular diminished fifths as structural gates and as a tossed away motif.
Ps 2  F- (D-flat+) A lament motif - augmented descending fifth - recurs in various voices throughout the Psalter. Triple rhythm descending major 7th as well as high recitation on a single note for proclamation. Descending minor seconds for the derision. Rapid-fire 16th notes wrapping tenderness.
Scene 2: Prayer (3-6), problem (7), solution (8), celebration (9-10)
Ps 3-6 sequence in D+ upper minor third and lower major third separately then combined, then D- for lament. - the leit-motifs to be extended as the song develops.

Remainder of scenes in draft form... Note I am organizing the scenes using the acrostics in Books 1 and 5. I think that there are 4 is significant - copying perhaps the 4 in Lamentations and recognizing thereby the exile as a critical aspect of all human experience.
Scene 3: Restating the problem (12-15), leading to instruction (16-19), the king (20-24), celebration (25)
Scene 4: 26-34, Reprise (26),  ? (27-30), ? (31-33), celebration (34)
Scene 5: Oracle and celebration (36-37)
Entr'acte: 38-41

Second Act - Surrounding the harvest
Part 1 Book 2
Scene 1: Korah (42-49)
Scene 2: Asaph (50 in front of the curtain)
Scene 3: David (51-64)
Scene 4: Harvest (65-67)
Scene 5: David (68-70)
Scene 6: Solo (71), Solomon (72)

Part 2 Book 3
Scene 7: Asaph (73-83)
Scene 8: Korah + (84-88)
Entr'acte: Lament 89

Third Act  - Book 4 Moses
Scene 1: Moses and response (90-92), Rivers and judgment (93-94), Warning (95)
Scene 2: יְהוָה's reign (96-100)
Scene 3: David and renewal (101-103)
Entr'acte: Creation and redemption (104-106)

Fourth Act - Book 5
Scene 1: Predicament (107), redemption (108-110), celebration (111-112)
Scene 2: Praise and adoration (113-117), salvation (118), celebration (119)
Scene 3: Ascent (120-134), Arrival (135)
Scene 4: Creation and redemption (136)
Scene 5: Exile (137)
Scene 6: Recapitulation of David, Holy of Holies (138-139) Prayer of the anointed king on behalf of all (140-144), celebration (145)
Coda: 146-150

Do you see any patterns?

Here are the words used in the Songs of Ascent more than once in the 15 psalms. (organized in order by count 2 to 15) I don't see much in the way of coherence internally. I suspect the collection has external references rather than internal.

Root

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

אדני

X

X

אהל

X

X

אז

X

X

אח

X

X

איב

X

X

אכל

X

X

בטן

X

X

בנה

X

X

גדל

X

X

חנן

X

X

חסד

X

X

חץ

X

X

יחד

X

X

יחל

X

X

ירא

X

X

כסא

X

X

כף

X

X

לב

X

X

לילה

X

X

לשׁון

X

X

מה

X

X

מוט

X

X

מן

X

X

משׁך

X

X

נוח

X

X

נום

X

X

נער

X

X

סבב

X

X

עבר

X

X

עדה

X

X

עזר

X

X

עיר

X

X

עלה

X

X

צדיק

X

X

קצר

X

X

קרא

X

X

רנן

X

X

רשׁע

X

X

שׁבט

X

X

שׁוב

X

X

שׁכן

X

X

שׁלא

X

X

שׁלח

X

X

שׁמע

X

X

שׁער

X

X

שׂבע

X

X

שׂמח

X

X

שׂנא

X

X

ארץ

X

X

X

אשׁר

X

X

X

בוא

X

X

X

בושׁ

X

X

X

בן

X

X

X

גם

X

X

X

הלך

X

X

X

הר

X

X

X

חיה

X

X

X

ילך

X

X

X

ירושׁלם

X

X

X

ישׁן

X

X

X

כן

X

X

X

לחם

X

X

X

לי

X

X

X

למען

X

X

X

מלא

X

X

X

נא

X

X

X

עבד

X

X

X

עמד

X

X

X

ענה

X

X

X

עתה

X

X

X

פה

X

X

X

פרי

X

X

X

קום

X

X

X

רגל

X

X

X

אם

X

X

X

X

אמר

X

X

X

X

גבר

X

X

X

X

דבר

X

X

X

X

טוב

X

X

X

X

לה

X

X

X

X

לך

X

X

X

X

נשׂא

X

X

X

X

עין

X

X

X

X

עלם

X

X

X

X

עשׂה

X

X

X

X

רבה

X

X

X

X

שׁמים

X

X

X

X

שׁמר

X

X

X

X

בית

X

X

X

X

X

היה

X

X

X

X

X

יד

X

X

X

X

X

נתן

X

X

X

X

X

עם

X

X

X

X

X

שׁלם

X

X

X

X

X

שׁם

X

X

X

X

X

ברך

X

X

X

X

X

X

דוד

X

X

X

X

X

X

ישׁב

X

X

X

X

X

X

כל

X

X

X

X

X

X

לא

X

X

X

X

X

X

נפשׁ

X

X

X

X

X

X

עד

X

X

X

X

X

X

הנה

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

ציון

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

ישׂראל

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

מעלה

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

שׁיר

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Now for something quite different

Busking - just kidding - not like David Ker in Africa somewhere.  But here I am making music - you can't just see the psalms, you've gotta hear them too.  So here's the sheet music that I wrote this week for Psalms 1, 2, and 3 - and will I dare - or more to the point, can I remember how to record it?

Oh - I remember - but there are a few hard notes to hit! I think it is easier in Psalm 1 to sing the E-flat major triad at the end if the nor is an A-flat.  So let the variations begin!

In Psalm 2 there are likewise some tricky key-changes.

Psalm 3 with the other two show the beginning of the extent of chant music to map structure. (Psalm 4 and 5 will continue in D+ with Psalm 6 finding a minor key yet to be decided. I will be outlining the musical plan ... some day.)

Here they are - performance as I thought it might be - not note or word perfect but close - meant to be freely sung anyway. Probably could be mapped to other translations if they are close enough to the Hebrew. Performance links here: Psalms 1, 2, and 3.

If all goes well over the next two years, I will set all 42000 words of my translation. One thing surely it will do is to help me verify them rhythmically.

Any ideas for accompaniment?  If you are a musician I can send you the .mscz files for experimentation.

Psalm 1 and 26

I made a comment months ago on Poetry of Christ that Psalms 26 and 1 were closely related. Here is the pattern of word usage between the two of them. Psalm 26 opens with the request for judgment. Psalm 1 ends with being able to stand in such. Do you think the poet was reading Psalm 1 as he composed Psalm 26?

Selected words occurring in each of psalms --1,-26

Word and gloss * first usage

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Vs

Stem

* אשׁרי happy

░

--1.1

אשׁר

* אשׁר who

░

--1.1

אשׁר

* לא does not

░

--1.1

לא

הלך walk

░

--1.1

הלך

* רשׁעים the wicked

░

--1.1

רשׁע

* חטאים sinners

░

--1.1

חטא

* לא does not

░

--1.1

לא

עמד stand

░

--1.1

עמד

* ובמושׁב and in the seat of

░

--1.1

ישׁב

* לא does not

░

--1.1

לא

* ישׁב sit

░

--1.1

ישׁב

* אשׁר that

░

--1.3

אשׁר

* לא does not

░

--1.3

לא

וכל and in all

░

--1.3

כל

* אשׁר that

░

--1.3

אשׁר

* לא not

░

--1.4

לא

* הרשׁעים the-many wicked

░

--1.4

רשׁע

* אשׁר that

░

--1.4

אשׁר

* לא they will not

░

--1.5

לא

יקמו arise

░

--1.5

קום

* רשׁעים the wicked

░

--1.5

רשׁע

במשׁפט in the judgment

░

--1.5

שׁפט

* וחטאים nor sinners

░

--1.5

חטא

* רשׁעים those wicked

░

--1.6

רשׁע

שׁפטני judge me

░

-26.1

שׁפט

* הלכתי have walked

░

-26.1

הלך

לא --

░

-26.1

לא

* והתהלכתי and I have walked

░

-26.3

הלך

לא not

░

-26.4

לא

ישׁבתי I have sat

░

-26.4

ישׁב

לא not

░

-26.4

לא

רשׁעים the wicked

░

-26.5

רשׁע

לא not

░

-26.5

לא

אשׁב I will sit

░

-26.5

ישׁב

כל all

░

-26.7

כל

ומקום and the -place of

░

-26.8

קום

חטאים sinners

░

-26.9

חטא

אשׁר whose

░

-26.10

אשׁר

עמדה stands

░

-26.12

עמד