Psalm 23 Psalm 23 was not used for funerals until the 1928 revision of the prayer book. The theme of God as a shepherd was common in ancient Israel and Mesopotamia. For example, King Hammurabi, in the conclusion to his famous legal code, wrote: "I am the shepherd who brings well-being and abundant prosperity; my rule is just... so that the strong might not oppress the weak, and that even the orphan and the widow might be treated with justice." This imagery and language was well known to the community that created the Psalm, and was easily imported into its worship. Psalm
Hear my prayer, O Lord (Purcell) Cambridge. The lyrics of the extant music are the first verse of Psalm 102: "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my crying come unto thee." (). Purcell set it for an a cappella choir consisting of eight voice parts: two soprano parts, two altos, two tenors and two basses (SSAATTBB). The anthem is 34 measures long, and is written in the key of C minor. Some arrangements include a continuo instrumental accompaniment. Musicologist and historian Franklin B. Zimmerman designated the anthem as "Z. 15" in his catalogue of Purcell's works. The duration of performances and recordings of this work