This piece is a setting for voice (solo voice or unison voices) and organ of the first four verses of Psalm 86. The piece’s melody is loosely based on the tune designated for this psalm in the Genevan Psalter, a collection of metrical psalms composed primarily by the 16th-century musician Louis Bourgeois under the guidance of Protestant Reformation theologian John Calvin. Sections of the melody here directly quote the original (with some rhythmic changes), while other sections are new. The original melody can be found through the link below the following paragraph.
The piece’s text is a poetic rendering by W. van der Kamp of the first four verses of the Psalm 86, and it comes from the 1984 edition of the Book of Praise of the Canadian Reformed Churches. The text is under copyright, and is distributed through this podcast with the kind permission of the Standing Committee for the Publication of the Book of Praise. The full text by Mr. van der Kamp (which goes through the whole psalm) along with the original melody can be found beginning on page 220 of the document accessible through the “the Psalms” link at the top of the following webpage:
http://www.canrc.org/resources/bop/index.html
For more information about the text’s copyright, please consult the following link:
http://www.canrc.org/resources/bop/copy/index.html