Out of the Deep….

In the second movement of his Requiem, John Rutter captures Psalm 130 perfectly (in my opinion). In the beginning, you can feel the despair in the cello and the voices. The low pitches, the dissonant chords, the conflicting harmonies all bring together the desperation of being so far from God. Yet, as the Psalm recognizes that God is forgiving and the psalmist places his hope in God, the spirit of the music lightens, the notes are more pleasantly harmonious and pace quickens. Rutter brings us back to reality, though, and ends the piece back in the depths asking God to hear us.

Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord:

Lord, hear my voice.

O let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint.

If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss O Lord, who may abide it?

For there is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared.

I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for him in his word is my trust.

My soil fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch,

I say, before the morning watch.

O Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy

and with him is plenteous redemption.

And he shall redeem Israel from all his sins.

by Matt McLeod