Chichester Psalms is an extended choral composition in three movements by Leonard Bernstein for boy treble or countertenor, choir and orchestra. The text was arranged by the composer from the Book of Psalms in the original Hebrew. Part 1 uses Psalms 100 and 108, Part 2 uses 2 and 23, and Part 3 uses 131 and 133. The concert, in May 2025, included other works, including a new commission 'A Psalm for Chichester' by Joanna Marsh, written to completement the Chichester Psalms. To coincide with this event, the Bernstein in Chichester society commissioned a plaque to celebrate the connection between Bernstein and Chichester. The plaque, by stone carver Rob Jolly, was unveiled by Patricia Routledge on 17 May 2025.

Text and music

Bernstein made his own selection from the psalms, and decided to retain the original Hebrew for an ecumenical message, focused on the "brotherhood of Man". This was to reinforce the liturgical meaning of the passage sung, perhaps to suggest that Psalm 23, a "Psalm of David" from the Hebrew Bible, was to be heard as if sung by the boy David himself.

References

  • Chichester Psalms bernstein.classical.org
  • Andrew McGregor: Bernstein Chichester Psalms Review BBC 2003
  • Susan Lewis: Why The Unusual Chichester Psalms is Quintessential Leonard Bernstein wrti.org May 25, 2018
  • Michael Slon: "Three Windows into Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Psalms" The Choral Journal, December 2018