Psalm in April (1996)

Psalm in April is written in memoryof my father, William Iverson Horne. He chose the 27thPsalm to be read at his funeral. I divided the Psalm into four sections, according to the nature of the text: confidence in God as our source of courage; confidence in God as a stronghold in time of evil; a prayer “that we may dwell in the house of the Lord”; and a prayer that, in the end, we may see God face to face. Before the last section I inserted a short interlude for piano alone—a sort of tender nocturne during which the singer is asked to look away and think on someone he loves. No musical monument that I could ever write in memory of my father could expressadequatelymy great love and admiration for him. His inner strength, honesty, integrity, and good heartedness inspire me to this day. I am forever in his debt

1. “The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation”—The 27^th Psalm opens with a proclamation of faith and a dismissal of fear.
2. “When Evildoers Came Upon Me”—The 27^th Psalm continues with an acknowledgement of the problem of evil, and an assurance that those who are evil will stumble and fall.
3. “One thing have I asked of the Lord”—The 27^th Psalm continues with a petition—a prayer that “I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” This is a prayer to be given the strength of character to live righteously, in honesty and faith.
4. Intermezzo—During this very slow and solemn movement for piano alone, placed between the third and fourth songs of the cycle, the singer is instructed to “look away, and think on someone he loves.”
5. “Hearken to My Voice, O Lord”—The 27^th Psalm concludes with an extended prayer that the faithful petitioner will be granted to see the Lord “face to face,” in the words of St. Paul, and granted the faith to wait patiently for the Lord.