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.
Download Links:
- PDF of the music piece (SATB +piano for chorus, solo for verses)
- MuseScore file used to construct the music piece
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!
Alexander said:
Thanks Lionel. Pati sa Story behind the song… ngayon ko lang napansin ito. Mas ma-appreciate mo talaga ang song if you know the story behind it.
God Bless
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Shiela said:
Hi Bro. Lionel. Pwede po magrequest? I’ve been looking sa tuno ng Psalm 93 for Christ the King Year B. Hoping po you have a musical piece for this. We needed it this coming November 25, 2012. Thanks po & God bless
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lionelvaldellon said:
Hi SHiela,
Unfortunately I don’t have music for that psalm yet. And I’m unsure if I’ll ever be able to get back to writing these psalms. So sorry.
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Shiela said:
Hi Bro. Lionel,
Salamat na lang po, hopefully you can be able to make music sheets for more psalms… Anyway, I found what I’m looking for with the help of our Parish Priest. I am also grateful to you for sharing your gift to us . We’ve been using most of your psalms last year… Thanks once again & more blessing.
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