SATB choir, unison treble chorus, and organ

Approximate performance time: 6 min.
Year composed: 2016

Program Notes

Out of the depths was written shortly after my family suffered a tremendous loss at the start of 2016. The music is in many ways a eulogy, expressing my thoughts and prayers where words fail. The piece is based on a C drone, which shifts from a C minor sonority to a dramatic C major sonority in the climactic cadence. The opening motive appears in different voices with each subsequent phrase, and serves as a unifying element throughout the work. The unison treble chorus provides an ethereal descant above the textures created by the mixed chorus. The organ serves as a harmonic foundation for the piece, with occasional polyphonic episodes between the different phrases of the work.

Text

Out of the depths I cry unto thee, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy,
and redemption.

– Psalm 130 (KJV adapted)