God on us thy mercy show (SSAATTBB Choir)

I found this paraphrase of Psalm 67, by Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke, whilst reading through a book of Renaissance women poets. I was immediately struck by the often unusual word structure, for example in the line ‘God the Nations praise Thee shall’ and the interesting challenge this would present if set to music. I was also very taken with the outward simplicity of the poem, which, on closer reading, is also rich in meaning.
The piece has a simple ternary form structure. The focal point of the piece is the two lines which first appear at the start of the second verse of the poem. These lines frame the middle section of the piece and are also used at the climax of the work. Throughout the piece I aimed to reflect the ambiguities of the text, and to draw upon the deeper meaning of the words, within the music.