Psalm 98

Psalm 98, one of the oldest known sacred poems, was probably sung in services at the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. It is one of the “Royal Psalms” (numbers 93 and 95-99), which describe and address God as a sovereign ruler. On the broadest level, Psalm 98 anticipates the dawn of the coming Messianic Era, when universal peace and abundance will envelop the Earth. More immediately, it exhorts us to praise God with voices raised in song. As Rabbi Jeffrey Sirkman said, “When we sing a new song unto God, we renew ourselves, and we renew the hope of growing into ourselves, and growing toward God; singing out to God brings salvation.” I began writing my setting of this Psalm 98 in May of 2005, and finished it four months later. Interpreting the opening words—“Sing a new song unto God” (Shiru Ladonai Shir Chadash)—quite literally, I strove to make my setting as novel and startling (chadash) as possible. The piece, in which complex harmonies and rhythms abound, is dedicated to Joshana Erenberg.