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Taken from Psalm 122, this is the Responsorial Psalm for the Solemnity of Christ the King, Cycle C (Nov 21, 2010). It is a pilgrim’s song of joy upon entering Jerusalem.

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Story Behind the Song:
If you read the footnotes for Psalm 122, it says this is a song of ascents — meaning they would sing this psalm as they ascended the steps toward the temple in Jerusalem. This pilgrimage was mandated by the Mosaic Law for all Hebrews in the Old Testament and was supposed to be done three times a year.

Using that as a starting point, I structured the notes in the response as a series of four phrases, each one composed of three notes — symbolizing that ascent toward the temple in Jerusalem.

Usage Notes:
Sing response twice at the start and twice at the end. Everywhere else, sing only once.

For guitarists, you may choose to simplify the chords of the chorus to:
2/4 |   E |    C#m |   A |   B7 |   Esus4 |    E ||

Parting Notes:
I hope you’re able to use this in your parish. If you do, I’d love to get your feedback. Were people able to sing along with it right away? Did your cantor have a hard time with the verses? Did your musicians understand the notation or chords? Leave a comment so I know how to improve the future songs. God bless!