I Lift Up My Eyes to the Mountain

Psalm 121 appears in Lent of Year A in the Revised Common Lectionary, although this popular psalm is useful at many other points in the cycle. Paul French’s lush, pandiatonic setting moves fairly efficiently through the entire text using an uncited translation. The thick chords, replete with added tones, create a familiar language, and French’s expertise as a conductor shines through in the logic of the part writing. Departing from a stable A-flat major, the music makes a plagal shift beginning at the midpoint, with the second half modulating to D-flat. French uses the addition of G-flats effectively, reinterpreting their implication from flattened seventh to new key area. For choirs large enough to cover the parts, this setting will be a welcome and manageable addition to the repertoire.
Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians
October 2013