This edition was prepared by Douglas Walczak — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
How dear are Thy counsels
Staff Notation • Sacred, Anthems
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3 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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How dear are Thy counsels by William Crotch — Lyrics
In finem, Psalmus David. Domine, probasti me, et cognovisti me;
tu cognovisti sessionem meam et resurrectionem meam.
Intellexisti cogitationes meas de longe;
semitam meam et funiculum meum investigasti:
et omnes vias meas praevidisti,
quia non est sermo in lingua mea.
Ecce, Domine, tu cognovisti omnia, novissima et antiqua.
Tu formasti me, et posuisti super me manum tuam.
Mirabilis facta est scientia tua ex me; confortata est, et non potero ad eam.
Quo ibo a spiritu tuo? et quo a facie tua fugiam?
Si ascendero in caelum, tu illic es; si descendero in infernum, ades.
Si sumpsero pennas meas diluculo, et habitavero in extremis maris,
etenim illuc manus tua deducet me, et tenebit me dextera tua.
Et dixi: Forsitan tenebrae conculcabunt me; et nox illuminatio mea in deliciis meis.
Quia tenebrae non obscurabuntur a te, et nox sicut dies illuminabitur:
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About How dear are Thy counsels
William Crotch's sacred anthem, How dear are Thy counsels, is set for SATB choir. The text, drawn from Psalm 139, meditates on the all-encompassing knowledge and presence of God. Its Latin verses, sung here in English translation, explore themes of divine omniscience and omnipresence, from one's innermost thoughts to the furthest reaches of creation. Crotch's setting likely reflects the profound theological sentiments of the original psalm, offering a reflective and devotional musical experience suitable for church services.
