This psalm, like others in this final handful in the Psalter, is a song of praise, calling us to rejoice in the creation and the ubiquitous evidence of divine love and care. With sudden shifts of focus, a visionary sweep of the universe, the selected text (verses 1 to 11 in Year B) alternate between … Continue reading Psalm 147, 4 Feb ’18
Tag: vespers
Vespers, 26 Aug 17
Vespers psalm settings by Victoria, Lassus and Rachmaninov have been mentioned several times on this blog - see for example Psalms 103, 104, 112, 116 and 127. Canberra area readers will be interested in an opportunity to hear some of the wonderful Rachmaninov All-Night Vigil ('Vespers') this Saturday. Extracts from the Vespers will be performed in the extraordinary … Continue reading Vespers, 26 Aug 17
Psalm 116, 18 Jun 17
Nutty Numbers ... Here is one of those confusing points of discontinuity between the numbering of the Latin Vulgate Psalter and the modern western translations. 114 and 115 were combined into what is now 116 in our Psalter. This explains why some Ps 116 settings over the years are listed as quoting from Psalms 114 and … Continue reading Psalm 116, 18 Jun 17
Psalm 112, 5 Feb 17
Light rises in darkness when justice rules our lives. During a yacht delivery through the Barrier Reef a while ago, an overnight anchored in a remote cove was a welcome break. A refreshing sleep rocked by the movements of the boat in wind, wave and tide was a perfect precursor to a pre-dawn start. With anchor a-weigh, still dripping … Continue reading Psalm 112, 5 Feb 17
Psalm 127, vespers
This psalm of ascent asserts that 'unless God builds the house, in vain the builders labour.' And without divine protection over a city, the watchmen are wasting their time. The song is clearly worth consideration by anyone undertaking a new project. Then there's a sweet section about the joys of having children, said to be an inspiration … Continue reading Psalm 127, vespers
Psalms in the South 