This piece emerged from the idea that the heart’s posture to sing praises and worship the Lord is a grace, not just an act of our own. Psalm 51 is a pure expression of this. The piece opens with a “short long” idea in the piano which morphs into a recurring gesture in the choir, which to me feels expressive of the longing and pining present in many of the Psalms. The role of the piano in this piece is not accompanimental, but that of an additional character, often interjecting and contrasting the blossoming choral textures.
