Moses The Musical Lawgiver

I’ll save the big update related to my work on the Bible and music for a bit later in this post. But first, let me start with music. And before I can share music I must confess that I somehow missed that 2021 is the 50th anniversary of Jesus Christ Superstar even though I talked about the rock opera in my class there is a delightful article featuring extensive interview with New Testament scholar Mark Goodacre that digs into the detail.

Now, let the music play…

Ben Witherington made me aware of this music from the movie Moses the Lawgiver:

I discuss film scores quite a bit in my course on the Bible and music. I also recently discovered Aharon Harlap’s exploration of the story of Jephtha’s daughter.

There is a lot of other music related to the Bible by Harlap. He has also explored the story of the Akedah, the binding of Isaac.

Here are Three Psalms by Harlap:

Sticking with the Psalms but shifting to another composer, listen to Psalm 6 by Tamás Beischer-Matyó, whose settings of two other Psalms I have shared here on my blog before:

The above, as well as Sungji Hong’s setting of Psalm 57, are mentioned or discussed in my textbook on The Bible and Music, the draft of which is complete and has been submitted to the publisher to undergo peer review, so that’s the big new update! I’m really happy with how it has turned out. Also mentioned in the book are are David Hurd’s settings of Psalms 51 and Psalm 100:

You can learn more about Dr. David Hurd’s life and music through interviews available online such as this one:

Here is Cesar Franck’s setting of Psalm 150:

Richard Elfyn Jones’ setting of Psalm 46:

Richard Elfyn Jones · Psalm 46

Musaf Service for Rosh Ha-Shanah courtesy of the Milken Archive.

http://www.sarahblakelarose.com/2020/10/29/a-lament-for-music/

Episcopal Cafe had a piece about Hildegard of Bingen, most famous down the ages as a religious leader but today increasingly known as a composer.

https://www.episcopalcafe.com/hildegard-of-bingen/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hildegard-of-bingen

Commonweal has an article on Bernstein’s Mass

Bob Cornwall reviews Psobriety: A Journey of Recovery Through the Psalms

https://www.episcopalcafe.com/all-things-rite-musical-a-late-stage-pandemic-chat/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=all-things-rite-musical-a-late-stage-pandemic-chat

G. F. Handel composed music about ancient Egypt in the Ptolemaic period, and thus not unrelated to the Bible. Handel’s reception of Ptolemaic Egypt is the focus of a new online exhibit (HT AWOL).