Composed By: Yehezkel Braun

Title: Three Hallel Psalms (Sh’losha Pirkey Hallel)

sample page one and page two

Purchase sheet music at Transcontinental

purchase CD here and here (version with instruments)

Voicing: SATB

Language: Hebrew (or English)

Difficulty: moderately difficult

Country: Israel

Solos: soprano solo in the second movement

Instruments: none

Lyrics: Psalms 111, 112, 113

Year Published: 1995

Timing: 9:10 (three movements 3:15 + 3:15 + 2:40)

Tempo: three movements: moderate, slow, and fast

First Line: first movement: Odeh Adonai Bekhol Levav (I sing unto God with all my heart)

First Line: second movement: Halleluyah, Ashrey Ish Yarey et Adonai (Blessed be he (she) who knows the power of God)

First Line: third movement: Halleluyah, hallelu avdey Adonai (Praise the Lord, ye servants of God)

description: Three Hallel Psalms (or “Three Psalms of Praise”) was commissioned for the 11th Zmiriyah (International Choral Festival) that took place in Israel in June of 1979. The three-movement work is beautifully constructed, using modal melodies in a mostly contrapuntal style.

In 1984 Braun wrote a setting of the liturgical Hallel (Psalms 113-118) for choir and soloist and orchestra. The first movement of this work is a revision of his earlier setting of Psalm 113, the third movement of “Three Hallel Psalms.” This setting Psalm 113 with orchestra (or a cappella) can be performed alone.

For a detailed analysis, please see Joshua Jacobson’s DMA thesis, Choral Compositions in the Eastern Mediterranean Style, College Conservatory of Music, 1984.