Let Us Go to the Holy Land

This setting of Psalm 122 is a ritual song of gathering. It incorporates the three stages of the rite. First is the call to worship, ‘I rejoiced when I heard them say….’ Next comes the arrival in Jerusalem, with hymns about the Holy City which enshrines the Law. Finally, intercessory prayers follow for peace, since the root word of the name of the city, Salem, means shalom, peace. The music setting conveys the impetuous energy and urgency of the gathering. We are here because we need to be, and the music draws us through the three component elements of the dramatic ritual. Performed by Trisha Watts.