1 KINGS: Songs
SAMUEL THE PRIEST
This setting of a verse announcing the death of Samuel is by the American Colonial composer, William Billings:
Samuel the priest gave up the ghost and all Israel mourned, mourned, mourned, and all Israel mourned, mourned, mourned, and all Israel mourned.SAMUEL THE PRIEST
This setting of a verse announcing the death of Samuel is by the American Colonial composer, William Billings:
DAVID'S LAMENT FOR JONATHAN
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle. O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thy high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother. Jonathan, very pleasant hast thou been unto me. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. How are the mighty fallen and the weapons of war perished.DAVID'S LAMENTATION
This famous lament by King David after the death of his rebellious son, Absalom, is noteworthy for its simplicity. Contrast this "speech" with the previous lament, which was obviously formal and public. This sounds like it was "overheard" by the court historian, since David's lament is barely coherent, as one would speak in true grief, not a public statement of grief:And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
KING DAVID'S LAMENT FOR ABSALOM
By the American Colonial composer, William Billings. This song became part of the Sacred Harp songbook. Sacred Harp songs used rough counterpoint. The "sacred harp" is the human voice (God's harp). Some Sacred Harp music was used in the film, Cold Mountain:David the king was grieved and moved. He went to his chamber, his chamber, and wept. And as he went he wept, and said, "O my son! O my son! Would to God I had died, would to God I had died, would to God I had died for thee, O Absalom my son, my son! And as he went he wept, and said, "O my son! O my son! Would to God I had died, would to God I had died, would to God I had died for thee, O Absalom my son, my son!
NATHAN AND DAVID
And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; and it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house.PSALM 51
Psalm 51 is the famous "miserere" psalm (two other psalms begin with this word, meaning "Have mercy (Lord)," but this is the psalm everyone means. It became the basis of the first part of the Mass, the Kyrie. Supposedly King David sang this after Nathan accused him of adultery and murder. Part of the Sacred Harp collection, this psalm was most famously set to music in Allegri's Miserere, which the Vatican valued so highly it forbade anyone entering the church with a writing instrument, to prevent a copy being made. One composer, however, heard it in church only once and memorized the melody, then wrote it down at home. On a second visit, he corrected minor errors. Thanks to Mozart, the whole Christian world heard this setting.Show pity, Lord. O Lord forgive. Let a repenting rebel live; are not thy mercies large and free? May not a sinner trust in Thee? Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord, whose hope still hovering round, Thy word would light on some sweet promise there. Some sure support against despair.
DAVID DANCED BEFORE THE LORD WITH ALL HIS MIGHT
This is part of a jazz setting of the Mass by Duke Ellington:COME LIFE, SHAKER LIFE
The Shaker community in America is famous for its simple lifestyle. But this includes dancing. In fact, the Shakers (like the Quakers) got their name from the movements they made in worship. They were not ashamed, but proud to "be a David" and "show Michal" how to worship God:Come life, Shaker life. Come life eternal. Shake, shake out of me all that is carnal. (2) I'll take nimble steps. I'll be a David: I'll show Michal twice how he behaved.
SIMPLE GIFTS
This lyric celebrates dance as a form of worship, as it was for King David. The Shaker song has become world famous, partly due to Aaron Copland's famous setting of it in his ballet, Appalachian Spring, one of the most popular concert compositions in American music:'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free, 'tis the gift to come down where we ought to be; and when we find ourselves in the place just right 'twill be in the valley of love nd delight. When true simplicity is gained, to bow and to bend we shant be ashamed to turn, turn will be our delight 'til by turning, turning we come round right.
THE LAST WORDS OF DAVID (2 Samuel 23:4)
This is a 1949 setting by American composer, Randall Thompson, of King David's last words (though he speaks more "last words" in 1 Kings 2). He that ruleth over man must be just, (must be just, must be just) ruling in the fear of God (ruling in the fear of God, the fear of God), and he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth; even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining, after rain (after rain, after rain). Alleluia.
DAVID'S LAST WORDS (1 Kings 2)
These words pose a problem. We already heard David's last words, but now he speaks again, in 1 Kings. Moreover, the feelings expressed here contradict what we know of David in the two books of Samuel, where he appears as a compassionate and forgiving man. It's probable David never spoke these words, but they were attributed to him to justify his son, Solomon's bloodbath to keep power. Supposedly these verses inspired the final scene in THE GODFATHER, where Michael Corleone, on his father's hint, has his enemies killed during the baptism of his grandchild.
Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.ZAKOK THE PRIEST
This choral piece (1 Kings), by Handel, has been played for centuries during the coronation ceremonies of British monarchs:
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king. And all the people rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced, and all the people rejoiced, rejoiced, redjoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced, and all the people rejoiced, rejoiced, rejoiced and said, God save the king, Long live the king, God save the king. May the king live forever. Amen, Amen, etc. Alleluia. This choral piece (1 Kings), by Handel, has been played for centuries during the coronation ceremonies of British monarchs:
SOLOMON'S ARIA (from Handel's SOLOMON)
One of many moving arias in Handel's oratorios:
What though I trace each herb and flower that drink the morning dew, did I not own Jehovah's power, how vain were all I knew. One of many moving arias in Handel's oratorios:
SOLOMON'S JUDGMENT
Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.CHING-A-RING-CHAW
Aaron Copland published two sets of Five Old American Songs, which included "Shall We Gather at the River" and the Shaker song, "Simple Gifts" (also used in his ballet, "Appalachian Spring"). This song refers to the Promised Land as an ideal place supposedly after death. Despite the reference to "milk and honey," the song relies more on images from the Christian book of Revelation. Hopefully, the music in Heaven is as much fun as this:
Ching-a-ring-a-ring ching ching, ho-a-ding-a-ding kum larkee. Brothers gather round, listen to this story, 'bout the Promised Land, and the promised glory. You don't need to fear, if you have no money. You don't need none there, to buy you milk and honey. There you'll ride in style, coach with four white horses. There the evening meal has one, two, three, four courses. Ching-a-ring-a-ring ching ching, ho-a-ding-a-ding kum larkee. Nights we all will dance to the harp and fiddle, waltz and jig and prance, "Cast off down the middle." When the morning comes, all in grand and splendor, stand out in the sun and hear the holy thunder. Brothers hear me out, the Promised Land's a-coming, dance and sing and shout, I hear them harps a-strumming. Ching-a-ring-a-ring ching ching, ho-a-ding-a-ding kum larkee. Aaron Copland published two sets of Five Old American Songs, which included "Shall We Gather at the River" and the Shaker song, "Simple Gifts" (also used in his ballet, "Appalachian Spring"). This song refers to the Promised Land as an ideal place supposedly after death. Despite the reference to "milk and honey," the song relies more on images from the Christian book of Revelation. Hopefully, the music in Heaven is as much fun as this:
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