Jubilate Deo

This Jubilate Deo is one of many of my own liturgical compositions. I like to write these pieces. Now this is not because I am a catholic because I’m not. I wrote liturgical music because the tradition of liturgical composition is long, storied, and tried and true. It is a beautiful art form/genre. And I’m attracted to beautiful art forms and beautiful genres wherever they may be found. This psalm Jubilate Deo is the offertory which follows the gospel account of the child Jesus in the temple and its texts is also heard as the verse of the Alleluia which follows the gradual Benedictus Dominos. 

The tradition of Jubilate Deo is that the music should stand at the highest point of joy and grandeur. And I hope that my interpretation my presentation says as much. I think joy and grandeur is the epitome of human feeling. And music can easily typify joy and grandeur. It is not something abstract to me. And it is not necessarily something altogether undemanding of me either. The trick is not to be so headstrong about the words but instead to be heartfelt about the music. Sometimes music can be much more powerful an influence on providence than the province of words.

The instrumentation of this setting calls for winds, percussion, piano, harp, two women’s choruses and full strings. It is a work for chamber orchestra and chorus. I make use of the Latin texts. I love setting Latin texts because I can use word painting whenever the opportunity presents itself. A final note, I do not pretend to wear a devout or saintly costume when I write liturgical music with Latin texts. I give it my genuine all. The music is honest, heartfelt and sincere. The texts deserves nothing less.