A Psalm of Praise - Score and Parts - James Curnow

Program NotesOriginally conceived as a brass band tone poem, A Psalm of Praise gained huge popularity when it was first published in 1980. When it first appeared in print, the work was widely performed by Salvation Army bands around the world. It is full of interest and presents plenty of what for many bands will be realistically achievable levels of musical and technical challenge.As with much Salvation Army music, it was inspired by words from scripture, specifically from Psalm 100. Musically, it is based on the well-known hymn tune Praise My Soul the King of Heaven, with motifs and fragments of the tune appearing throughout the work in various guises alongside the original thematic material.James Curnow's skillfully economic use of melodic and rhythmic ideas is demonstrated to perfection in this work, which will be rewarding to rehearse in detail and perform and will provide a useful addition to concert repertoire.