Composer: Joy DeCoursey-PorterDetailsFormat: Mixed Choir - 4 voicesVoicing: SATBIncidental Divisi: S, A, T, BSolo Requirements: AAccompaniment: keyboardInstrumentation: pianoNotation: standardPerformance Length: 4:26 Study Scores & Audio FilesStudy Score & Audio Order Printed ScoresOrder site / Alternate source of score: MusicSpoke Texts & TranslationsLanguage(s): LatinText Source: Psalm 51Text: 3 Miserere mei Deus secundum magnam misericordiam tuam et secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam 4 Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea et a peccato meo munda me 5 Quoniam iniquitatem meam ego cognosco et peccatum meum contra me est semper 9 Asparges me hysopo et mundabor lavabis me et super nivem dealbabor 10 Auditui meo dabis gaudium et laetitiam exultabunt ossa humiliata 12 Cor mundum crea in me Deus et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis 17 Domine labia mea aperies et os meum adnuntiabit laudem tuam Translation: 3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity. 4 Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 5 For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me. 9 Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. 10 To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice. 12 Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within me. 17 O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise. Programming AidsPerformance Difficulty: moderateSeasonal Usage: Memorial ServicesSpringLentDescriptive Terms: hopepraiselamentationforgivenessAllow Excerpts: Composition is a single movementComposer’s Notes: This Psalm reflects King David's loss of his young son as a consequence for his sin with Bathsheba and her husband. David's grief begins it's lament with a rich alto solo and minimal piano. As David begins to find hope in the midst of grief, the tenors join, then sopranos. As the choir builds, so does David's hope within his sorrow. The building of textures within the voices and piano accompaniment reflects David's emergence from sorrow into hope and praise of Jehovah God. The piece ends where it begins, with one last alto solo, expressing David's deep need for God, and his desire for forgiveness and a clean heart. A video performance by the Kirkland Choral Society may be found here. Additional InformationDate of Completion: May, 2015Date of First Performance: Sunday, December 6, 2015Premier Performance Data: Kirkland Choral Society (Glenn Gregg, cond), Bastyr Chapel, Kirkland WAAdditional Performances: April 22, 2017: Cascadian Chorale (Gary Cannon, cond), Bellevue, WA.
