This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Hear my prayer, O Lord
Staff Notation • Sacred, Motets
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Hear my prayer, O Lord by John Mundy — Lyrics
Psalmus David, quando persequebatur eum Absalom filius ejus.
Domine, exaudi orationem meam; auribus percipe obsecrationem meam in veritate tua; exaudi me in tua justitia.
Et non intres in judicium cum servo tuo, quia non justificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis vivens.
Quia persecutus est inimicus animam meam; humiliavit in terra vitam meam; collocavit me in obscures, sicut mortuos saeculi.
Et anxiatus est super me spiritus meus; in me turbatum est cor meum.
Memor fui dierum antiquorum; meditatus sum in omnibus operibus tuis:
in factis manuum tuarum meditabar.
Expandi manus meas ad te; anima mea sicut terra sine aqua tibi. [diapsalma]
Velociter exaudi me, Domine; defecit spiritus meus. Non avertas faciem tuam a me, et similis ero descendentibus in lacum.
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About Hear my prayer, O Lord
This setting of Hear my prayer, O Lord for treble, bass and tenor voices opens with a sense of supplication. The text, from Psalm 143, is a prayer for deliverance from enemies, acknowledging human frailty before God. The composer John Mundy sets the Latin text with a directness that suits the plea for divine attention. The motet, a sacred work, moves through the verses expressing anxiety and dependence on God's mercy. The interplay between the STB voices creates a rich yet focused texture, guiding the listener through the psalmist's heartfelt lament and ultimately towards a plea for swift intervention. This is a powerful example of Renaissance motet writing.
