This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Babylonian Captivity
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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2 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
SATB · Barry Johnston
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Babylonian Captivity by Elkanah Dare — Lyrics
Psalmus David, Jeremiae. Super flumina Babylonis illic sedimus et flevimus, dum recordaremur Sion.
In salicibus in medio ejus suspendimus organa nostra:
quia illic interrogaverunt nos, qui captivos duxerunt nos, verba cantionum; et qui abduxerunt nos: Hymnum cantate nobis de canticis Sion.
Quomodo cantabimus canticum Domini in terra aliena?
Si oblitus fuero tui, Jerusalem, oblivioni detur dextera mea.
Adhaereat lingua mea faucibus meis, si non meminero tui; si non proposuero Jerusalem in principio laetitiae meae.
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About Babylonian Captivity
Elkanah Dare's setting of Babylonian Captivity for SATB choir offers a profound musical reflection on the sorrow of exile. The text, a paraphrase of Psalm 137, vividly portrays the lament of the Israelites by the rivers of Babylon, their instruments silenced, and their longing for Jerusalem. The work moves between Latin and English, allowing for a dual expression of this ancient grief and hope. Its sacred nature and hymn-like qualities make it a powerful choice for choirs seeking to explore themes of remembrance and spiritual longing. The SATB voicing provides rich harmonic possibilities to convey the depth of emotion inherent in the text.
