For some reason, the Revised Common Lectionary omits the first eight verses from Psalm 9, which only occurs once in the three-year cycle (12th Ordinary/Proper 7, Year B). By virtue of this partial coverage, I did not prioritize it for inclusion in Year D. Since Psalm 9 and 10, however, are considered to have been a single unit originally, and since Psalm 10 is omitted from RCL and included in Year D, I decided to include Psalm 9 among the Revenant Psalms, where it will be the first track on Vol. V (presently a work in progress).
Those first eight verses do not seem to me any less hopeful or more strident than the remainder of the psalm. Both sections complain about the wicked and praise the Lord. But since I wanted to ensure all eight verses gained a hearing, they are all sung together here in short order over the course of four musical verses. After that, the remainder of the psalm unfolds in single musical verses consisting of roughly two textual verses each. But the affirmation in v. 8 should not be lost, neither in the wordy burst of so many verses sung together nor by way of the failure of both RCL and Year D to include it: "With justice he judges every sphere and his righteous judgments will all be fair" (my para.)
The arrangement is, once again, all guitar, with just a few unobtrusive keyboard pads to lend a further sense of mystery. The Mellotron flute and my favorite patch (Blue Carpet) put me in mind, as always, of the Breeze in the Trees. These trace the melody very simply (or propose one that the vocals never quite manage to follow) along with an organ that hopefully takes us to church.
It is a sobering psalm, to be sure, as are all the Revenant Psalms, ... as are all (!) the psalms, come to think of it. But, as the Good Lord well knows, if there was ever a time to sober up, that time is now. "Today!"
Soli Deo gloria.
