Northern Spire
the music of Philip Spaeth
Lord, It Is Good
Ostinato Refrain for Cantor, SATB Choir, Assembly, and Keyboard Accompaniment
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premiered 2009
The Church of St. Peter
Saratoga Springs, NY​
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Text based on Psalm 73
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Built entirely on a four-measure ostinato, or repeating, refrain
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About Lord, It Is Good:
Lord, It Is Good (2009) is a meditative liturgical piece, built entirely on a four-measure ostinato Refrain which repeats the text, "Lord, it is good for us to be with you, to put our hope in you, O God," paraphrased from Psalm 73. The simple, repeating melody makes for easy learning and participation by the Assembly, while the SATB choral parts and superimposed verses (also based on Psalm 73) sung by the Cantor provide added depth and complexity. The combination of all these elements makes for a very flexible piece of music that can adapt to any liturgical, musical, or pastoral situation. Some possible performance suggestions are made in the score.
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Click the title page image above to view a sample score.
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Performance History
Performed regularly at various celebrations since 2009
The Church of St. Peter, Saratoga Springs, NY
Philip Spaeth, Music Director