A New Song

Description

Craig Courtney sets words from Psalm 33 for SATB choir and piano with optional flute or violin. Text including “the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord” is then painted by floating instrumental quotes of LASST UNS ERFREUEN, before the anthem closes with an a cappella prayer for God's blessing.

Composer Note
The compositional process of each piece I write is unique. I often hit road bumps that require time and effort to overcome. In the case of A New Song, the refrain which opens that octavo came easily. My goal was to make it expansive and allow it to take its time to unfold. Likewise, the verses which contain the bulk of the Psalm text came without a lot of effort. But as it neared completion, I felt that something was lacking – a unifying element that would tie the piece together. It felt like cooking a stew and realizing that a spice was missing — one that eluded you. It took some time for me to discover that the flute or violin could play phrases from All Creatures of Our God and King, providing musical “comments” to the choir (which never actually sings the hymn), adding another dimension of meaning and historical grounding.

— Craig Courtney