PSALM 66

Composer: Jakub Szafrański

Notes from the composer:

The piece written to the text of PSALM 66 contains two main musical motives. The first is a homophonic, sixteenth note shout of joy, “Jubilate Deo” – Shout with joy to God. The second motive follows the rules of a fugue and a constant counterpoint to the words “Psalmum dicite nomini ejus date gloriam laudi ejus.” – “Sing ye a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise.” These two motives are intertwined throughout the composition, being transformed to various variants such as diminutions, augmentations, strettas and other typical polyphonic techniques. The narrative is muted for a moment in the middle, aleatoric, quieter part, only to turn into an accelerating drive towards an end full of praise singing.