History
Historically, the core of this text comes from Psalm 57. Biblical tradition attributes the writing of this poem to King David while he was running for his life from King Saul. Hidden away in the dark, cramped quarters of a desert cave, David wrote words of absolute trust. Rather than panicking about his physical danger, the poet focused on the cosmic majesty of God. The lines “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!” serve as a recurring, triumphant chorus in the ancient song. Later in Hebrew history, these same lines were so deeply loved that they were copied and combined with other verses to create Psalm 108, solidifying them as a core anthem of communal worship.
Over the centuries, these verses have inspired countless musicians. The imagery of waking up the musical instruments (“O harp and lyre!”) and using song to literally “awake the dawn” made it a perfect fit for musical adaptation. In the late 20th century, the text found widespread fame in modern worship through Brent Chambers’ popular 1977 scripture chorus. Today, it continues to transition seamlessly between ancient liturgy, contemporary worship, and the classical concert stage.
Michael John Trotta’s Choral Setting
Michael John Trotta’s 2025 arrangement reimagines this historic text for the modern classical stage. Commissioned in loving memory of Rick McKnight, the piece was specially designed for the
Voices of the Valley choir to perform for their high-profile debut at
Carnegie Hall.
Trotta chooses to set this piece for an SATB choir (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass) that sings completely unaccompanied (a cappella). This choice forces the human voice to provide all the texture, drama, and rhythm without a piano or orchestra to back them up.
The piece begins with a massive burst of energy. Marked “Majestically” at a tempo of around 66 beats per minute, the choir enters with a booming forte (loud) statement of the main theme. Trotta uses crisp rhythms and blocked, powerful chords to echo the sheer scale of the “heavens” and the “earth” described in the lyrics.
However, Trotta keeps the piece dynamic by shifting the emotional tone. In measure four, the music suddenly drops to a much softer mezzo-piano (moderately soft) dynamic as the choir sings, “My heart is steadfast”. The meter constantly shifts—moving from 4/4 to 2/4 and 3/4 time signature. This creates a fluid, speech-like rhythm that feels like a natural heartbeat.
Later, during the verse about the harp, lyre, and dawn, Trotta shifts the gears of the choir into a poco piu mosso (a little more motion) section. The voices dance around each other with brighter energy, building up to an explosive, fortissimo(very loud) finale on page six. Here, Trotta introduces temporary accidental sharps and natural notes that add intense harmonic color right before the voices resolve into a unified, ringing final chord. It is a masterful blend of ancient praise and thrilling, modern choral technique.
