Psalm 95 Choral-Symphonic Paraphrase by Bob Swift
As we approach mid-November and the Thanksgiving holiday, my thoughts turn to "giving thanks, giving song, giving praise" to God. Let me share a recording of my choral-symphonic "paraphrase" of Psalm 95 "O Come, Let Us Sing Unto the Lord." During my three-month church sabbatical ... January, February, and March of 1996 ... I devoted part of my time to composing this setting of the following text: "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand."
I composed the music for 8-part chorus and full orchestra in about a month. The difficult and time-consuming part was entering the notes into my newly purchased music software. Later in the year, I summoned the forces of my church orchestra and chorus and with only one dress rehearsal premiered the work on Sunday, June 2. At the conclusion of this recording, I include the pastor's words of appreciation.
