top of page

THE MUSIC OF ENCRYPTED

Peter loves to sing and uses music to win Nana to the Faith.  While mucking out his stall, he sings two well known anthems which are based on the 23rd Psalm, "The Lord is my Shepherd":

  • "The King of Love My Shepherd Is"--the words were written by Henry Baker in 1868 and in its most popular version these words are set to a traditional Irish tune ("St. Columba").  A wonderful rendition of this tune has been recorded by the Choir of the King's School which is available at the iTunes Store--https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-king-of-love-my-shepherd-is/315290442?i=315290482

  • the second tune is known popularly as "Brother James' Air" and was written by James Leith Macbeth Bain who lived Scotland in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.  A wonderful version of this hymn again can be found on iTunes sung by the Choristers of St. Paul's Cathedral--https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-lords-my-shepherd-brother-james-air/691253491?i=691253818

  • "O Magnum Mysterium", the words of this Latin hymn were used as part of the Holy Matins of Christmas and describe the Lord's humble birth in a stable surrounded by animals.  These words have been set to music by many composers, including Tomas Luis de Victoria, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and most recently by the American composers Morten Lauridsen.  This last version is one of my favorite Christmas hymns and can be found in the iTunes Store at https://music.apple.com/us/album/o-magnum-mysterium/567891432?i=567891470

​

Although it is not alluded to in the book, another wonderful singing of the 23rd Psalm is found in John Rutter's Requiem.  Sir Stephen Cleobury has produced a wonderful recording of this piece which includes "The Lord is My Shepherd", again available at the iTunes Store--https://music.apple.com/us/album/requiem-vi-the-lord-is-my-shepherd-christopher-hooker-oboe/691552984?i=691554619

​

A final piece of music which in my mind is associated with the book although not mentioned in it, is Wagner's Tristan und Isolde which might be thought of as Isolde's theme song--especially the orchestral Prelude and Liebestod.  If you don't know this piece, you are in for a sonic rapture.  It has been recorded far too many times to catalog here, but James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra have produced a wonderful recording--https://music.apple.com/us/album/tristan-und-isolde-prelude-and-liebestod/1452567957?i=1452568144.  This music is not Christian; the opera re-tells the story of an Irish Princess (Isolde) whose union with her lover, Tristan, can only be consummated in death.

bottom of page