This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Gratitude
Staff Notation • Sacred, Anthems
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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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Gratitude by William Billings — Lyrics
I love the Lord because He hath heard the voice of my prayer,
And He hath inclined His ear unto me.
Therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
The snares of death came about me,
And the pains of Hell got hold upon me,
I called to the Lord in my trouble,
And He heard the voice of my complaint.
When I was in misery He delivered me.
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About Gratitude
William Billings' anthem, Gratitude, sets a passage from the Psalms and the New Testament, expressing profound thanks for divine deliverance and mercy. The text speaks of overcoming the snares of death and hell through prayer, and rejoices in God's graciousness, slow to anger and abundant in forgiveness. The SATB voicing allows for rich harmonic expression of these deeply felt emotions, suitable for occasions of thanksgiving and reflection. The concluding words from the New Testament offer a blessing of peace, making it a fitting anthem for services of dedication or as a closing piece for a concert. Its direct devotional language and soaring melodic lines reflect the spirit of early American sacred music.
