Over the Waves of Words (Psalm 8)
David Ashley White

Composer David Ashley White
Text Psalm 8, para. Richard Leach
Voicing
SATB, keyboard
Topics Creation, Praise and Adoration
Length
2' 50" Price $1.95 (U.S.)
Released 07/07
Catalog no. 410-812 Difficulty Mod. difficult

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Description
This anthem texts offers ocean waves as an image of human speaking, and a rainbow in the spray of a breaking wave as an image of God's holy name. Richard Leach's text is an original paraphrase of Psalm 8, comparing the word of God to images from the natural world (waves, rainbows). David Ashley White's music is marked "flowing urgently," and builds from moderate beginnings to a majestic finish. The music's haunting sound draws on the contrast between the major and minor modes.

Text
Over the waves of words rising and rushing,
crashing and foaming like rough seas at play,
your name, O Lord our God, holy, unspoken,
arcs like a rainbow that shines in the spray.

God, rain from the praises
of children and babies,
you raise a shelter to still every foe,
welcoming us into lifegiving quiet
gathered before you, we sing what we know.

Sun, moon, and stars give you praise
with their silence,
angels adore you with rainbows of sound.
Yet you esteem us who chatter and babble,
over the bird, beast and fish we are crowned,
lifted up high that yoru praise may resound:
Allleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

--Psalm 8, para. Richard Leach
Text © 1996 Selah Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. www.selahpub.com



 

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