Psalm 22:20-32 chanted in the Sarum Use by Sarah James.

Themes: This Psalm was composed either while David was fleeing from Saul, or from his son Absalom. It was a time of great anxiety and heartache.

In Judaism: the persona of the psalm is a royal figure, either King David or Queen Esther. The psalm can also be interpreted more broadly in reference to the Jewish people and their distress and exile. For instance, the phrase "But I am a worm" (Hebrew: ואנכי תולעת) refers to Israel, similarly to Isaiah 41 "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I help thee, saith the LORD, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel." Commenting on Esther 5:1, Rabbi Levi is quoted saying that, as Esther passed through the hall of idols on the way to the throne room to plead with the king, she felt the Shekhinah (divine presence) leaving her, at which point she quoted Psalm 22:1 saying "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me."

In Christianity: Psalm 22 is a “Messianic psalm” that foretells the manner of Jesus' crucifixion: that he would be nailed to a cross and, per the Levitical requirement for a sacrifice, none of his bones would be broken. In the Roman Rite, prior to the implementation of the Mass of Paul VI, Psalm 22 was sung at the Stripping of the Altar on Maundy Thursday to signify the stripping of Christ's garments before crucifixion (this is still practiced in the Anglican communion). After Vatican II this use of the psalm was suppressed in the mass, but retained In the middle hours (Terce, Sext, or None) of the Divine Office on Fridays.

Nine hundred years ago, the Cathedral of Salisbury, England developed a unique form of chant and liturgy known as the “Use of Salisbury,” or “Sarum Use.” Differences from the Roman rite are both melodic (more florid in the Sarum) and textual (Elizabethan English rather than Latin). The best repository of Sarum Use tones is the St. Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter, from which Sarah has sung this psalm. Additional resources on Sarum Use plainsong at https://canticasacra.org.

The sketch is Michelangelo’s “The Three Crosses.”