Psalm 130 for mixed chorus, piano, clarinet, two violins and cello

Psalm 130 was originally composed for male double quartet and piano in 1983 when Gideon Gee-Bum Kim was 19 years old, a freshman in the Composition Department of Seoul National University. Kim wrote this piece for his school concert in one night during the summer of 1983 with an interesting memory: “I still remember that night clearly. The lights suddenly went out while I was composing on the piano, so I had to complete the work under very dim candle light".

After a successful premiere by his colleagues in the vocal department, the piece was immediately arranged for mixed chorus and piano in the same year. In 1991, Kim revised the piece with a couple of harmonic and rhythmic changes. Then 1991 version has been continuously performed in various church worships and concerts in Korea, United States and Canada. In 2015, Kim arranged it again for mixed chorus, piano, 2 violins, cello and clarinet for the Toronto Messiaen Ensemble’s “Psalm” project.

Psalm 130 has a strong influence of the rhythmic patterns of traditional Korean music and the harmony of the Spiritual music. This work is considered to be Kim’s “Opus No. 1”.

(Korean Transliteration)

¹ YeoHoWaYeo NaiGa KiPeunDeSeo, ChuKke BuRuJiJeonNaiDa

² ChuYe NaiSoRiReul DeuReuShiMyeo NaEui KanGuHaNeun SoRiE KuiReul KiURiSoSeo.

³ YeoHoWaYeo ChuKkeSeo ChoiAGeul KamChal HaShilJjinDai ChuYeo NuGa SeoRiIKka

⁴ KeuReoNa SaYuHaShiMi ChuKke ISseuMeun ChuReul KyeonOiKe HaShiMiNiDa

⁵ NaGot NaiYeongHoNi YeoHoWaReul KiDaRiMyeo NaiGa Keu MalSseuMeul BaRaNaIDa

⁶ PaSuKkuNi AChiMeul KiDaRimBoDa Nai YeongHoNi ChuReul Deo KiDaRiNaNi ChaMeuRo PaSuKkuNe AChiMeul KiDaRimBoDa DeoHaNaIDa

⁷ IsraelA YeoHoWaReul BaRalJjiEoDa YeoHoWaKkeNeun InJaHaShimKwa PungSeongHan KuSoGi ISseuMiRa

⁸ CheoGa IsraeLeul Keu MoDeun ChoiAkEoSeo KuSok HaShiRiRoDa

(English Translation)

¹ (A Song of degrees.) Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.

² Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

³ If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

⁴ But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

⁵ I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

⁶ My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

⁷ Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

⁸ And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

King James Version