This edition was prepared by Malcolm Lowe — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire
Staff Notation • Sacred, Anthems
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Hear my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire by Thomas Tomkins — 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, and consider my desire
Opening with a direct plea to God, "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire," this sacred anthem by Thomas Tomkins sets words drawn from Psalm 143. The text expresses profound distress and a plea for divine mercy in the face of persecution, recalling ancient troubles and the soul’s weariness. Tomkins masterfully crafts this setting for SAB voices, weaving together Latin and English to underscore the intense spiritual and emotional weight of the psalm. The composer's skillful handling of the text conveys a deep sense of supplication, vulnerability, and an urgent appeal for divine justice and intervention, creating a powerful devotional experience.
