Psalm of the Sky TBB
In the poem “Psalm of the Sky,” Rabbi Rachel Barenblat reimagines “The Lord is My Shepherd” (Psalm 23) in a contemporary context. Performers may highlight the many instances of text painting and create contrast between moments of gentleness, boldness, and carefree movement. The last verse of Psalm 23 is included in Hebrew as a coda in a similar style to many prayers sung in Jewish worship; this allusion to Barenblat’s textual inspiration is intended to express the enduring human need for comfort and hope despite changing modes of worship.
Psalm of the Sky was commissioned by the Creative Commissions Project at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, sponsored by the Harmony Fund, and it was premiered by Ensemble X at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. This work is ideal for moderate to advanced high school, university, and community choirs. It is also SSA, and SAB (with parts indicated for any size tenor section).
| Sacred or Secular: | Sacred |
| Season or Event: | Concert, General, Jewish Festival |
| Difficulty: | Medium, Intermediate, Advanced Student |
| Duration: | 5-10 Minutes |
| Voicing: | TB, TBB, TTB, TTBB |
| Language: | English, Hebrew |
| Descriptive Tags: | Comfort, Devotion, Jewish, Liturgical text, Peace, Poetry, Prayer, PROJECT : ENCORE, Psalm, Reverence, Worship |
| Instrumentation: | Piano, Violin |
$3.95
This title is available in print. For both options, there is a minimum required quantity of 8 copies for choral titles. Please support self-publishing composers by ordering the quantity according to the number of singers in the ensemble that will perform the work.
Print orders are printed on demand and shipped by our printing partner, and can be expected to be processed within a few days of the order. Please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] to follow up.
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This carol was first published in 1833 in a collection entitled “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern”. William Sandys, a solicitor by day and music & manuscript collector by night, purportedly came across the tune in Devonshire, England. In this gentle setting from 1991 many colors of choral writing appear with sections for SATB, 3-part men, […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 3'30" | English | The words of Job are paired with the style of the American work song or chain gang song for this a cappella SATB setting. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The words of Job are paired with the style of the American work song or chain gang song for this a cappella SATB setting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 4' 10" | Italian | Due Sonetti de Petrarca are settings of sonnets by Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) (1304-1374), great Italian scholar and poet and one of the earliest humanists. The set was written for the Saint Mary’s University Chamber Singers, who premiered the works on their tour of France in March, 2009, with the composer conducting. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Due Sonetti de Petrarca are settings of sonnets by Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) (1304-1374), great Italian scholar and poet and one of the earliest humanists. The set was written for the Saint Mary’s University Chamber Singers, who premiered the works on their tour of France in March, 2009, with the composer conducting. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The author of the text of this composition, Norbert Čapek (1870-1942) was the founder of the Unitarian movement in what is now the Czech Republic. Originally destined for the Catholic priesthood, he converted to the Baptist faith; however, his views gradually became more liberal, and he was forced to emigrate to the United States. After […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SAB | 1'57" | English | I Sing of a Maiden (I syng of a mayden) is a Middle English poem or carol of the 15th century celebrating the Annunciation and the Virgin Birth of Jesus. The poem is written from a first person point of view, and contains five quatrains. No evidence of original music is known to exist, though […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I Sing of a Maiden (I syng of a mayden) is a Middle English poem or carol of the 15th century celebrating the Annunciation and the Virgin Birth of Jesus. The poem is written from a first person point of view, and contains five quatrains. No evidence of original music is known to exist, though […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SATB | 4'50" | English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Word painting of a raw, intense poem by Paul Cummings is the essence of this homage to the miracle of music, which begins: Your harmony invades my being; / my body is captured by the embrace / of a melody that leads me out of dark places. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tumbalalayka is a rhythmic, harmonically rich setting of the beloved Yiddish folksong. The voices imitate the strumming of the balalaika in this classic riddle-courtship song—by turns playful and tender. Performed regularly by choirs around the world. It is included on French vocal quartet Quatour Aesthesis’ 2022 CD O Do Not Move. At a glance • WACDA […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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“We Will Shine Like The Sun” is an uptempo piece; this arrangement is for combined SA treble choir & SATB choir with piano accompaniment.. The empowering text inspires imagination with optimistic lyrics that are ideal for young singers. The score includes a driving piano accompaniment, a clapping section, and an optional tambourine part. The rousing […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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“World’s Fair” is a setting of Jenna Goldsmith’s evocative poem, written in four haiku stanzas that correlate not only to the seasons, but also to her ancestors. The score is for 8 voices, and includes finger snaps, hand claps & foot stomps. The work opens joyfully in spring, summer begins as a work song that […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||