How long wilt thou forget me, Lord? (Thomas Clark)

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• CPDL #23110:  Sibelius 3

Editor: Edmund Gooch (submitted 2011-02-07).   Score information: A4, 3 pages, 41 kB   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: The original order of staves in the source is 2d. - 1st. - [Instrumental bass] in the introductory symphony, and Tenor - [Alto] - Treble - [Bass] - [Instrumental bass] in the remainder of the piece. The intermediate and concluding symphonies are printed in the source with the 2nd part given on the tenor stave: this has been given on the Alto stave in the present edition, and is given at the same octave here as in the source (it has not been transposed by an octave in transcription).

The alto part is notated in the treble clef at the upper octave in the source.

The second, third and fourth stanzas of the text are printed after the music in the source, and have here been underlaid editorially.

General Information

Title: How long wilt thou forget me, Lord?
Composer: Thomas Clark
Lyricists: Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady (from A new version of the psalms of David)

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB

Genre: Sacred, Hymn   Meter: 86. 86 (C.M.)

Language: English
Instruments: Instrumental introduction and interludes for two treble instruments and one bass instrument: sung sections for SATB with figured instrumental bass.
Published: 1805

Description: A setting of a text derived (with some modifications) from Psalm 13 in the metrical New Version, to a tune by Thomas Clark, from pages 2-3 of his collection A Set of Psalm Tunes with Symphonies and an Instrumental Bass (London, [1805]): Hymn Tune Index tune number 10914.

Four stanzas of text are given by Clark: although the setting is headed 'PSALM XIII. New ver: 1.2.3.4.', these are not the first four stanzas of Psalm 13 in the New Version (which correspond to the first four verses of the psalm). Rather, Clark's first stanza derives from the first and second stanzas of the New Version, combined into a single four-line stanza, and his second, third and fourth stanzas are the third, fifth and sixth stanzas respectively of the New Version text.

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Original text and translations

English text

How long wilt thou forget me, Lord,
O when wilt thou return?
How long shall grief oppress my soul,
Must I for ever mourn?

O hear, and to my longing eyes
Restore thy wonted light;
And suddenly, or I shall sleep
In everlasting night.

Since I have always plac'd my trust
Beneath thy mercy's wing,
Thy saving health shall come, and then
My heart with joy will sing.

Then shall my song with praise inspir'd
To thee, my God, ascend,
Who to thy servant in distress
Such bounty did extend.