Tehila Kaf-Gimel (Psalm 23)

“The Lord is My Shepherd: Variations on the 23rd Psalm” was an evening of diverse performances all based on the biblical text. One of the performances was the premiere of a new meditation on the psalm by Michael Alec Rose, composer and Associate Professor of Composition at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music. Rose’s composition, entitled “Tehila Kaf-Gimel,” is for piano alone. The piece, which Rose himself performed at the event, is his reflection on the original Hebrew psalm in a wordlessly lyrical way. Rose wanted to capture not only the rhythms and imagery of the Hebrew words but also the feeling of the poem – its pastoral essence, its dark heart, its crescendo of faith, and its limitless consolation to those in anguish or doubt. Since composing “Tehila Kaf-Gimel” for piano, Rose has continued to be inspired by the psalm and has arranged a portion of the piece for string quartet.