Niet aan ons komt de eer toe = Not To Us Comes the Glory, 1967 - 1995

Psalm 115 is best understood in the light of Psalm 114, Israel's response to that dramatic rescue from Egypt and subsequent election as God's people at Sinai. God had proven faithful in word and deed, and those who saw this handed on their memories of a promised made and fulfilled to subsequent generations, so as to inspire in them similar bonds of trust and hope. Israel would forever keep alive that memory, the reality of God-in-their-midst. Psalm 114 formed the historical description for that trust, Psalm 115 celebrates teh fruits of it. From priest too common folk, all are warned to never forget a trustworthy God.

There is all the more reason to trust in a God of the Living when observing the senselessness of Idols which have no mouths and feet made of clay. Moses returned from the mountain top to find his followers had resorted to their pagan ways, building their golden calf out of shere boredom and despair. Where was this god promised by Moses? Where was Moses? Idols command the dead, all who are not in communion with the living God. It is not the dead but we, the living, who speak of God, since none from the dead has ever returned in their silence. We alone, the living, make God happy. Psalm 115 is the song of a covenant people who trust in God and can depend on God remembering those promises made to us whenever we remain faithful to Covenant. Remembrance keeps both God and ourselves happy. Covenant, no static law written on blocks of stone, is a mutual bond of trust written into living hearts (Jer 31:33).

Huijbers generates excitement in this piece by his use of a Bolero rhythm. He provides only one musical formula for each of the three stanzas throughout all four verses. Each stanza follows the same pattern. A cantor sings the first line (alternating between male and female voice) a sectional schola sings the second, and unison choir with assembly the third. While the melody remains constant, the rhythm is determined by the text. In each case, the third line of each stanza is the same throughout all four verses. This is taught to the assembly by having been sung twice in the first stanza. Melodically, each stanza descends by an entire descending octave through incremental steps, rising only on the conclusion of each phrase.

It's dynamic is that of celebrating Covenant within worship, namely proclamation and acclamation, Characteristic of Huijbers’ psalm settings is the use of syncopation. He considered the rhythmic text to be the driving force, which could not be contained within measure (bar) lines. The text enjoys a life which is independent of the music pulse, and the tension between the driving metered musical setting and the free rhythmic dance of the text creates a living, organic piece.

In addition to the keyboard accompaniment (which is also constant throughout), the score also provides for percussion, with the suggestion of playing a bolero rhythm. It is important to obey not only the steady tempo indication (q = 56) but also the volume dynamics (mf-f-ff) for each line. verses. - Tony Barr