The 23rd Psalm is such a poetic passage of scripture; it’s no wonder that this text has been the inspiration for so many beautiful songs.
I was a 7th grader attending Cimarron Middle School in Edmond when I first had the opportunity to audition for an All-State choir. Terrified and not knowing exactly what to expect, I spent weeks and weeks studying and practicing the audition music. My goal in trying out was to make it past the first round, so needless to say I was ecstatic when I saw my name on the list of students who had made the choir!
But the preparation didn’t end there. Once auditions were over, I still was tasked with learning five additional pieces of music that would be performed at a concert at the end of All-State weekend. Before the first rehearsal, all of the choir members were required to demonstrate their knowledge of these pieces by singing through them in front of a panel of music teachers from around the state. Determined to not be sent home, I practiced the new songs just as hard as I had the audition music. I knew the pitch of every note, precisely how long each note was held and how the lyrics matched up with these notes. I was ready!
One of these songs was “Psalm 23” by Dr. Z. Randall Stroope, who happened to be the All-State clinician that particular year, and later down the road was my choir director at OSU. In this piece, Stroope intertwines the text of the 23rd Psalm with the word “lauda”, which means “praise”. The famous passage is broken up and pieced back together in a way that feels very reflective. For example, “Green pastures, still waters: the Lord provides. Lauda!” is one of my favorite lines in the piece.
I came into that weekend prepared to sing a series of notes and rhythms set to a text, but what I learned was that there’s so much more to music than that. It’s so hard to put into words, but there’s undoubtedly something about singing a beautiful text such as this that brings another dimension into the meaning of the passage. Even today when I read the 23rd Psalm, I hear the tune of Stroope’s piece and it makes me think about what it means to give thanks and truly praise God for the promises laid out for us in this incredible scripture.
Morgan Jones, Director of Small Group Ministry
