Justin Appel

Dear Friends in Christ,

This morning’s readings from the lectionary include the first few sections of Psalm 119.

This Psalm has received quite a lot of attention from composers of motets and anthems, but perhaps one of the most well-known to English speakers is Beati quorum via by Charles Villiers Stanford. This short, a cappella setting involves only the first verse of the psalm

Beati quorum via integra est,
qui ambulant in lege Domine.

Blessed are those who are undefiled in the way:
and walk in the law of the Lord.

Rather than reproduce that famous Stanford motet here, I would like to draw attention to a beautiful new setting by the young English composer Owain Park. This motet incorporates a fresh and florid musical vocabulary that describes well a sort of restful and pleasant ‘way’. Especially memorable is the way the choir outlines this way as a ‘walking’ (listen to the phrase ‘qui ambulant’) that is particularly lovely and directional — moving toward a blissful iteration of ‘in lege Domine’. So far, I am finding new things to think about as I continue to listen to the work, and trust you will too.

Yours in Christ,
Justin

(Click the link below to listen to Beati quorum via, sung by the Trinity College Choir.)