Psalm for the feast of the Transfiguration

[JW]

Does anyone know a good rousing psalm for the Transfiguration, Ps.96 (Response is "The Lord is king, most high above the earth")? We have a silver anniversary of ordination to priesthood to celebrate.

[promusica]

A great setting of this psalm is by Rory Cooney. The clip on the OCP website - http://www.ocp.org/compositions/16340 - is a bit folky, if that's your preference, but we've done this psalm with full organ, choir, and solo in a more "classical" style and it has a suitable regal feel.

[Alan]

JW, I have just PMd one of my settings to you, along with this note:

Here's one of mine, based on my festal tone setting of Psalm 66 in Psalm Songs volume 2, page78. I have added verse 8 of the psalm to avoid the very awkward three-line stanza at the end.
My congregation doesn't have a problem with low B flats, but you could transpose it up a semitone (if yours doesn't have a problem with high D sharps!).
If you do have a 4-part choir, the verses sound good chanted in harmony. Failing that, a cantor is fine, of course.
Above all, sing it con belto.

For copyright reasons (the text), I won't post it here, but anyone who wants it is welcome to PM me.

[JW]

Thanks to all those who have responded, both on the forum and by PM. People here have been extremely helpful.

Hopefully I'll be running through some of the options with the psalmist next Sunday.

[Howard Baker]

You might consider the attached, composed just this year by Colin Brumby, the Australian composer. You are free to copy and use it as you will - no copyright issues. It's not especially 'rousing' but has a response which would be easy for the congregation to sing.

PSALM 96 (Transfiguration of the Lord, Years A,B,C)).pdf

[johnquinn39]

Does anyone know a good rousing psalm for the Transfiguration, Ps.96 (Response is "The Lord is king, most high above the earth")? We have a silver anniversary of ordination to priesthood to celebrate.

Yes.

Have you tried Bevenot's in the McCrimmon book. The response ends on a crashing 'wrong-note' chord.

[Terry Quinn]

I can recommend one from the GB-Smith "Responsorial Psalm Book for Sundays & Feast Days" (Collins). It is for the 7th Sun of Easter C. Music: Paul Johnstone. The words of verse 2 will need to be adapted but otherwise it is a straight sing. This setting gives a range of options and is just that little bit different and triumphal.

[Southern Comfort]

There's also a very serviceable setting in Psallite.

[Peter]

Many years ago I fitted the words of this Psalm to a polonaise for chorus and orchestra by Glinka for a concert in Portsmouth. As the original title of the piece was "Great is our God" it was not as inappropriate as it may sound. If you're using it as the Responsorial Psalm it would unfortunately not be suitable as the text needed a bit of tweaking to fit, more so as it goes on, but it's certainly rousing! You're welcome to PM me if interested.

[musicus]

You might consider the attached, composed just this year by Colin Brumby, the Australian composer. You are free to copy and use it as you will - no copyright issues. It's not especially 'rousing' but has a response which would be easy for the congregation to sing.

PSALM 96 (Transfiguration of the Lord, Years A,B,C)).pdf

But there are copyright issues: the text is the Grail's. Please do not post copyrighted material on our server (a link to elsewhere is another matter).

[Howard Baker]

Oops, yes. Sorry! I meant in relation to the music.

[Southern Comfort]

You might consider the attached, composed just this year by Colin Brumby, the Australian composer. You are free to copy and use it as you will - no copyright issues. It's not especially 'rousing' but has a response which would be easy for the congregation to sing.

PSALM 96 (Transfiguration of the Lord, Years A,B,C)).pdf

A late return to this thread, as the feast is imminent. This setting uses the ICEL response (that's what they use in Australia) instead of the response using the words of the Grail psalm itself, which is what is used in GB. If you don't mind your people singing "the most high over all the earth" when they will be hearing "most high above all the earth" in line 2 of stanza 3, all well and good. But that response is not approved for use in this country, and it's easy to see why the ICEL responses will eventually be phased out. They don't relate to any known translation.