By Palestrina (+1594) a motet for four voices of Ps 41/42 for the blessing of water at the Easter Vigil, published in 1604.
Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum,
ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus.
Sitivit anima mea ad Deum fortem vivum:
quando veniam et apparebo ante faciem Dei?
Fuerunt mihi lacrymae meae panes die ac nocte,
dum dicitur mihi quotidie:
Ubi est Deus tuus?
Speaking of lean performances… keeping it simple… on the radio when I was born…
All day I’ve faced a barren waste
Without the taste of water, cool water
Old Dan and I with throats burned dry
And souls that cry for water
Cool, clear water
The nights are cool and I’m a fool
Each star’s a pool of water, cool water
And with the dawn I’ll wake and yawn
And carry on to water
Cool, clear water
Keep a-movin’, Dan, don’t you listen to him, Dan
He’s a devil, not a man
And he spreads the burnin’ sand with water
Dan, can you see that big, green tree?
Where the water’s runnin’ free
And it’s waitin’ there for you and me?
Water, cool, clear water
The shadows sway and seem to say
“Tonight we pray for water, cool water”
And way up there He’ll hear our prayer
And show us where there’s water
Cool, clear water
Keep a-movin’, Dan, don’t you listen to him, Dan
He’s a devil, not a man
And he spreads the burnin’ sand with water
Dan, can you see that big, green tree?
Where the water’s runnin’ free
And it’s waitin’ there for you and me?
Water, cool, clear water
Cool, clear water
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HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL. The ballad of Padadin.
Every episode had a moral.
Miss those shows.
it seems like Marty Robbins was on the radio every Sunday morning when i was a boy. whenever i hear “A White Sport Coat” i remember the uncomfortable shoes i wore to church – and nowhere else – in those days.
Perfect.
Thank you!
Voces8 is phenomenal. They have a video of Civitas Sancti Tui by Byrd. It could be argued as a proof of God. I’ve heard it said that Philip Neri saw Palestrina enter heaven in an ecstasy. Sicut cervus was sung at our wedding during communion. How timeless it is, beautiful then, beautiful now and beautiful in the future!
Palestrina!!! The best of the best. He sooths my soul.
This 1959 Marty Robbins’ song (Big Iron) was the one my brothers and sisters would play ‘cowboy’ to and I still love it. Fewer cowboys today alas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NuX79Ud8zI
Singing Sicut Cervus takes me to a whole different world for away and lets me escape from the sorrows and sufferings of this life.