This edition was prepared by Jennifer Bastable — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Help me, O Lord
Staff Notation • Sacred, Anthems
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Help me, O Lord by Jennifer Bastable — Lyrics
In finem. Psalmus David.
Deus, laudem meam ne tacueris, quia os peccatoris et os dolosi
super me apertum est.
Locuti sunt adversum me lingua dolosa,
et sermonibus odii circumdederunt me: et expugnaverunt me gratis.
Pro eo ut me diligerent, detrahebant mihi; ego autem orabam.
Et posuerunt adversum me mala pro bonis, et odium pro dilectione mea.
Constitue super eum peccatorem, et diabolus stet a dextris ejus.
Cum judicatur, exeat condemnatus; et oratio ejus fiat in peccatum.
Fiant dies ejus pauci, et episcopatum ejus accipiat alter.
Fiant filii ejus orphani, et uxor ejus vidua.
Nutantes transferantur filii ejus et mendicent, et ejiciantur de habitationibus suis.
Scrutetur foenerator omnem substantiam ejus, et diripiant alieni labores ejus.
Non sit illi adjutor, nec sit qui misereatur pupillis ejus.
Fiant nati ejus in interitum; in generatione una deleatur nomen ejus.
In memoriam redeat iniquitas patrum ejus in conspectu Domini,
et peccatum matris ejus non deleatur.
Fiant contra Dominum semper, et dispereat de terra memoria eorum:
pro eo quod non est recordatus facere misericordiam,
et persecutus est hominem inopem et mendicum, et compunctum corde, mortificare.
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About Help me, O Lord
This motet for SSATB choir and bass soloist opens with a powerful sense of supplication. The Latin text, drawn from Psalm 108, expresses profound distress and a plea for divine intervention against enemies. The music reflects the intensity of the words, with moments of dramatic contrast and urgent textual declamation. The composer masterfully navigates between the rich choral textures and the exposed lines of the soloist, building to a climactic expression of faith and reliance on God. The blend of Latin and English text offers a unique devotional experience, inviting reflection on themes of injustice, betrayal, and the ultimate triumph of divine justice. This is a challenging yet deeply rewarding anthem for experienced choirs.
