This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Doomsday
Staff Notation • Sacred, Hymns
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Doomsday by Philo Sherman — Lyrics
Psalmus Asaph. Deus deorum Dominus locutus est, et vocavit terram a solis ortu usque
ad occasum.
Ex Sion species decoris ejus:
Deus manifeste veniet: Deus noster, et non silebit. Ignis in conspectu ejus exardescet;
et in circuitu ejus tempestas valida.
Advocabit caelum desursum, et terram, discernere populum suum.
Congregate illi sanctos ejus, qui ordinant testamentum ejus super sacrificia.
Et annuntiabunt caeli justitiam eius, quoniam Deus judex est.
Audi, populus meus, et loquar; Israël, et testificabor tibi:
Deus, Deus tuus ego sum.
Non in sacrificiis tuis arguam te; et holocausta autem tua
in conspectu meo sunt semper.
Non accipiam de domo tua vitulis, neque de gregibus tuis hircos;
quoniam meae sunt omnes ferae silvarum, jumenta in montibus, et boves.
Cognovi omnia volatilia caeli, et pulchritudo agri mecum est.
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About Doomsday
The music opens with a sense of grandeur, setting the stage for a powerful declaration. This setting of Psalm 49 (50) from the Latin Vulgate, with its English translation, presents a majestic vision of God's ultimate judgment. The text speaks of God calling the earth from east to west, with fire and storm accompanying His arrival from Zion. The composer's setting for SATB choir with treble and tenor soloists captures the dramatic pronouncements of divine justice and the solemn gathering of the faithful. The interplay between the voices underscores the weight of the psalm's message, moving from a powerful invocation to a direct address from God, asserting His authority and the nature of His judgment, which transcends mere ritual sacrifice.
