God be merciful unto us

PSALM 67 (KJV)

S &==s=}= A &==p=z= T &==s=}= B ¯=q=s=}=

8 ( )

Verses 1 & 2, 4, 6 & 7, and most of the doxology, use speech rhythms.
These should be sung using the natural rhythm of the spoken text.

There are some rehearsal suggestions on page 6.

David Basden
Speech rhythms, flowing naturally
%> !
SOPRANO & , . . . . -
God be merciful un - to us, and bless us;

!
%>
ALTO & , . . . . -
God be merciful un - to us, and bless us;

-
%>
& , . . . .
"
TENOR

) God be merciful un - to us, and bless us;

%
%>
, . . . . -
"
BASS

God be merciful un - to us, and bless us;

VERSE 2

-
3

& . . . . . . . - . .
and cause his face to shine up - on us. That thy way may be

& . . . . . . . - . . -
and cause his face to shine up - on us. That thy way may be

& . . . . . . . - . . -
) and cause his face to shine up - on us. That thy way may be

% . . . . . . . - . . -
--

and cause his face to shine up - on us. That thy way may be

Copyright © 2018 David Basden

 Basden :: God be merciful unto us :: p. 2

[\
& .
(4)

. . . . . . . . . . -
known up - on earth, thy sav - ing health a - mong all nations.
[\
& . . . . . . . . . . . -
known up - on earth, thy sav - ing health a - mong all nations.
[
& . . . . . . . . . . . - \
) known up - on earth, thy sav - ing health a - mong all nations.

% . . . [
. . . . . . . . - \
known up - on earth, thy sav - ing health a - mong all nations.
VERSE 3
Moderate tempo, but energetically q = c. 92
[ D
6 < â
&\ .# . . . . - - . .
Let the peo - ple praise thee, cccccccccccccc
5cccccccccc O

[ D < â
&\ .# . . . . . -
Let the peo - ple praise thee,
â.
c

[ D
<

&\ .# . . . - - . .
) Let the peo - ple praise thee, cccccccccccccc
5cccccccccc O

% [\ D < â . -
.# . . . .
Let the peo - ple praise c thee,

9
! E E ! â
& - . . .# . . . . -
God; cccccccc let all the peo - ple praise thee, 33ccccccccc

â ! ! E E !
& . . .# . - . . .# . . .
praise c thee, O God; 5ccccccccc let all the peo-ple
E E . â. -
& - .
"
.
"
.# . .
) God; cccccccc let all the peo - ple praise thee, 33ccccccccc

% â. . .# .
!
- . E E . .# . . .
-- " "
praise c thee, O God; 5ccccccccc let all the peo-ple

Copyright © 2018 David Basden

 Basden :: God be merciful unto us :: p. 3

12
â. . ,
& - -# -# -#
cc praise c thee. ccccccccccccccccc
ccccccccccccc

â â. E â. ! ,
& . . - . . . . . -#
praise thee, praise thee, praise thee.
â. . ,
c 5ccccccc c 33cc 55ccc

- -# -# -#
&
) praise thee.
â â. . .
cc c ccccccccccccccccc
ccccccccccccc

% . . - . E â. . . -#
,
"
praise c thee, 5ccccccc praise c thee, praise 33cc thee. 55ccc

VERSE 4
Speech rhythms
16 %>
! !
& , . . . . . - -
O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for thou shalt

! !
%>
& , . . . . . - -
O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for thou shalt
%> ! -
& , . . . . . -
) O "
let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for thou shalt

% ,
%>
-
. . . . . -
" "
O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for thou shalt

(18)
. . . . â. ! [\
& . . - . . . - -
judge the peo-ple right-eous - ly, and govern the na - tions upon earth.
â [\
& . . . . . . . !
- . . . - -
judge the peo-ple right-eous - ly, and govern the na - tions upon earth.
â ! [\
& . . . . . . . - . . . - -
) judge the peo-ple right-eous - ly, and govern the na - tions upon earth.

% . . . . â ! [\
. . . - . . . - -
--

judge the peo-ple right-eous - ly, and govern the na - tions upon earth.

Copyright © 2018 David Basden

 Basden :: God be merciful unto us :: p. 4
VERSE 5
Moderate tempo
[ D
20 <
. â. - - . .
&\ .# . .
Let the peo - ple praise thee, cccccccccccccc
5cccccccccc O
[ D < â
&\ .# . . . . . -
Let the peo - ple praise thee,
â
c

[ D <
&\ .# . . . . - - . .
) Let the peo - ple praise thee, cccccccccccccc
5cccccccccc O

% [\ D < â . -
.# . . . .
Let the peo - ple praise c thee,

23
E E . â. -
& - . . .# . .
cresc. poco a poco

" "
God; let all the peo-ple praise thee,
â
3333ccccccc 33ccccccccc

! ! E E !
cresc. poco a poco
.
& . . .# . - . . .# . .
praise 555 thee, O God; 333ccccccccc let all the peo-ple
! E E !
cresc. poco a poco
. â. -
& - . . .# . .
) God; 3333ccccccc let all the peo-ple praise thee, 33ccccccccc

% â. .#
! E E . .# . . .
cresc. poco a poco
. . - .
" "
praise 555 thee, O God; 333ccccccccc let all the peo-ple

26
- â. . -# -# -#
&
cc praise 555 thee. ccccccccccccccccc
ccccccccccccc

â â. â E â.
& . . - . . . . . . . . -
"
praise 555 thee, ccccccc praise 555 thee, praise 555 thee, praise cccc thee.
â . -# -# -#
& - .
) praise thee.
â â. . . â. . . E â.
cc 555 ccccccccccccccccc
ccccccccccccc

% . . - . . . -
-- "
praise 555 thee, ccccccc praise 555 thee, praise 555 thee, praise cccc thee.

Copyright © 2018 David Basden

 Basden :: God be merciful unto us :: p. 5
VERSE 6
Speech rhythms, resolutely
- - - .
30
- -
più >
& " .
Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God,
più >
- !
& - - . - - .
Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God,

-
più > !
& - - . - - .
) Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God,

% .
più >
- - - . - -
"
Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God,

VERSE 7
33 dim poco a poco

& . - . . - , . -
" .
shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

!
dim poco a poco
& . - . . - , . . -
shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
! dim poco a poco
.
& . - . . - , . -
) shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

% . - . . -
dim poco a poco

" , . . -
shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

DOXOLOGY
36 }
! ! poco cresc.
& , . . . - . . . . . -
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Ho - ly Ghost;

! !
} poco cresc.
& , . . . - . . . . . -
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Ho - ly Ghost;
!
. . . . -
} poco cresc.
& , . . . - .
) "
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Ho - ly Ghost;

%
} poco cresc.
, . . . - . . . . . -
-- " "
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Ho - ly Ghost;

Copyright © 2018 David Basden

 Basden :: God be merciful unto us :: p. 6

! [\
39

& . . -
dim. e rall. poco a poco
- . - . . . -
"
As it was in the be - ginning, is now, and ev - er shall be,

!
dim. e rall. poco a poco
! [\
& . . - - . - . . . -
As it was in the be - ginning, is now, and ev - er shall be,
! ! [
& . . -
dim. e rall. poco a poco
- . - . . . - \
) As it was in the be - ginning, is now, and ev - er shall be,

% . . -
dim. e rall. poco a poco
[
- . - . . . - \
" "
As it was in the be - ginning, is now, and ev - er shall be,

h k = c. 42
|
Slowly, in 1 Very slowly
[
42 {
! D
&\
rall. riten.

.# . . -# -# - -# -#
|
world with - out end. 5cccccccccccccccc A - men.
[ {
! D
&\ !
rall. riten.

.# . . -# .# . . . - -# -#
[
world with - out end, world with - out 555 end.
D
A -
|
men.

& \ .# .! .
{ rall. riten.

-# -# - . . . . -#
) world with - out
|#
end. 5cccccccccccccccc A - men.

% [\ . # . . ! D
{ rall. riten.
-# .# -
" . . . - -# -#
world with - out end, world with - out 555 end. A - men.

Duration: approximately 2:15

Sydney, Australia
July 2018

SUGGESTIONS FOR REHEARSING SPEECH RHYTHMS

The text should always guide the rhythm.

• Say the text in unison. Note which syllables are naturally accented.
Ensure that the emphases don’t stop the sentence from flowing naturally.

• Now sing the text on one pitch using those rhythms

• Everyone sing the soprano line in unison/octaves.
• Now sing the passage in four parts.

I’d strongly advise against counting the speech rhythm quaver (eighth note) passages as “1 & 2 & 3 &” (etc).
-- This is likely to introduce a stiffness to the phrasing which is quite unsuitable.

Copyright © 2018 David Basden