Psalm 115, Not unto us, O Lord, choir and orchestra
“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”
MP3 format with embedded lyrics (biblical text). Song duration is 6:54.
$1.29
Details
London Voices and the London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Paul Ayres
Music by David Albracht
Choir & Orchestra Arrangement by Paul Ayres
Assistance provided by Terry Edwards
and Ben Parry, co-directors of London Voices
Recording and Mixing Engineering by Lewis Jones
Protools Engineered by Jason
Mastered by Simon Gibson
Recorded in Studio 1, Abbey Road
Album cover: James, Jennylynd. Make a Joyful Noise. 2015. Painting. Acrylic on Canvas
Printed Sheet Music is available via JW Pepper.
Description Composed for full orchestra and choir, Psalm 115, Not unto us, O Lord, is the longest in duration of the three songs recorded at Abbey Road on May 15th, 2018, at nearly 7 minutes. The time signature at the beginning is 3/4, then changes to 6/8 for verses 3-8, then back to 3/4 for the remainder of the song. There is a key change at verse 12, The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us. The finale is reminiscent of Hallelujah choruses. Indeed, the closing phrase of Psalm 115 is translated “Hallelujah” in multiple Bible translations. The King James Version renders this as “Praise the Lord.”
C.H. Spurgeon's Comments on Psalm 115
SUBJECT. In the former psalm the past wonders which God had wrought were recounted to his honour, and in the present psalm he is entreated to glorify himself again, because the heathen were presuming upon the absence of miracles, were altogether denying the miracles of former ages, and insulting the people of God with the question, “Where is now their God?” It grieved the heart of the godly that Jehovah should be thus dishonoured, and treating their own condition of reproach as unworthy of notice, they beseech the Lord at least to vindicate his own name. The Psalmist is evidently indignant that the worshippers of foolish idols should be able to put such a taunting question to the people who worshipped the only living and true God; and having spent his indignation in sarcasm upon the images and their makers, he proceeds to exhort the house of Israel to trust in God and bless his name. As those who were dead and gone could no longer sing psalms unto the Lord among the sons of men, he exhorts the faithful who were then living to take care that God is not robbed of his praise, and then he closes with an exulting Hallelujah. Should not living men extol the living God?
DIVISION. For the better expounding of it, the psalm may be divided into an entreaty of God to vindicate his own honour, verses 1, 2; a contemptuous description of the false gods and their worshippers, 3-8; an exhortation to the faithful to trust in God and to expect great blessings from him, 9-15; an explanation of God’s relationship to their present condition of things, verse 16; and a reminder, that, not the dead, but the living, must continually praise God here below.