A quick word about the musical “Psalm Offering.” The Psalms in the Bible were always meant to be sung prayer. The Psalm Offering is an instrumental prayer. I always intended that the Psalm Offerings be musical prayer for the piano. The one to whom the Psalm Offering is dedicated, is the one for whom the “prayer” is being offered when it is played.
The Christmas Psalm Offerings were written as Christmas Presents for the music ministers at St. Hubert Catholic Community when I was director of liturgy and music at the parish (essentially, 1986 through 1997, at which I was director of pastoral ministry until the Archbishop reassigned me to St. Stephen’s in South Minneapolis). In the world of music composition, this set of Psalm Offerings could be considered “program music”, that is, music that tells a story.
In this first Psalm Offering, dedicated to Ken Smith, the first theme heard is the “Annunciation” whereupon Mary was visited by Gabriel, and agreed to be the Mother of the Messiah. The second theme heard is Mary’s Visitation to her cousin, Elizabeth. The third theme, slow and more somber, is the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the Roman Census. The last theme, a variation of the second theme and a combining of the first and second themes, is the birth of the Messiah.
