This striking, verbatim setting of Psalm 22 employs a steady drone beneath a sinuous melody set in a mode often associated with Klezmer music and known in Western theory as the “Phrygian dominant” mode. This distinctive sonority underscores the plaintive character of the text. The rhythm is freely chant-like, shaped to follow the natural speech patterns of the words and inspired by Jewish cantillation. Written for cantor and assembly, this setting invites deeper, more contemplative participation in the Palm Sunday Psalm.
