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Use: General
Required Resources: SATB choir
Language: English
The text for this elegant motet comes from the beautifully poetic King James translation of the Bible.
It begins:
I lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
This is based quite literally on a four-measure Italian ground, repeated nine times throughout the eight verses.
The ground and the beginning of each psalm verse do not always align, adding variety to the structure, as do the diverse rhythms and melodic patterns.
The final verse encompasses two iterations of the ground, ending with the words "for evermore" on the dominant C Major chord.
Vocal ranges are supremely comfortable, making this a pleasantly quick anthem to learn.
Although suitable for a cappella singing, the distinct early Baroque flavor of the music could easily be enhanced by adding a cello to the bass line and perhaps some light organ chords as continuo.
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