The Lord Is My Shepherd: Score

Goodall writes string music that feels inevitable rather than constructed. The melodic line sits naturally in the instruments while the harmonic support creates genuine depth, so your section doesn't just play the notes but inhabits the spiritual character of the text.

The piece unfolds with quiet certainty, the kind of calm that comes from faith rather than resignation. Goodall's orchestration lets silence matter as much as sound, creating intimate moments even within a full string section.

String orchestras seeking sacred repertoire with real musical substance. This works equally well for high school ensembles with solid fundamentals and professional or community orchestras programming a concert with liturgical content.

• Shape the melody phrase by phrase rather than measure by measure; let the text breathing patterns guide your bow control and dynamic architecture
• Balance the string choir so sustained harmony doesn't overshadow the essential line; the second violins and violas carry the work's emotional weight
• Approach vibrato as a selective tool for moments of genuine intensity; restraint in quieter passages strengthens the contrast when it arrives

Pair this with instrumental works from other traditions to explore how different cultures set the same text, or open a concert with it to establish a reflective mood before moving into other repertoire. It also works as a processional or closing piece for school ceremonies.

• Shaping long melodic lines across multiple phrases
• Voice leading in four-part string harmony
• Balancing sustained accompaniment without obscuring primary material
• Reading and responding to text-based expression marks