Omnes gentes plaudite manibus
“O clap your hands”
Both the Introit and the Alleluia for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity include the first verse of Psalm 47, which contains many references to elements of music: clapping, singing, melody, a merry noise, and the sound of a trump(et).
Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus; jubilate Deo in voce exsultationis.
O clap your hands together, all ye people: O sing unto God with the voice of melody.
That proliferation of musical allusions may account for the large number of settings of this Psalm to music. Below are a selection of motets based on this text, illustrating a wide variety of styles.
Christopher Tye, Omnes gentes plaudite manibus
Giovanni Gabrieli, Omnes gentes plaudite manibus
Jacob Handl, Omnes gentes plaudite manibus
Orlando Gibbons, O clap your hands
Ralph Vaughan Williams, O clap your hands
Philip Moore, O clap your hands
Marek Raczyński, Omnes gentes plaudite manibus
Christopher Tye, Omnes gentes plaudite manibus
A setting by Christopher Tye (c.1505 to before 1573) of Psalm 47, Omnes gentes plaudite manibus (“O clap your hands, all people”), presents an early post-Reformation anthem by one of the most influential English composers of his day. The score is available here. It is sung in the recording below by the Choir of New College, Oxford, conducted by Edward Higginbottom.
Giovanni Gabrieli, Omnes gentes plaudite manibus
As one of the superstars of the Venetian School of composition — centered in the ceremonial and liturgy at the Cathedral San Marco — Giovanni Gabrieli (1553–1612) created a large body of elaborate pieces with multiple choirs, alternating with instruments and soloists. Such is the case in his 16-voice setting of Omnes gentes plaudite manibus (“O clap your hands, all people”), which includes most of the verses from Psalm 47. The score is available here. Below this work is sung by the Gabrieli Consort and Choir, conducted by Paul McCreesh.
Jacob Handl, Omnes gentes plaudite manibus
Born in 1550 in Carniola (now Ribnica), part of present-day Slovenia, Handl publisged his music under the name Jacobus Gallus.. Both German Handl and Latin gallus mean “rooster”) A Cistercian monk, Handl travelled in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, and went to Melk Abbey in Lower Austria. He was a member of the Viennese court chapel in 1574, and was choirmaster to the bishop of Olomouc, Moravia between 1579 and 1585. Our choir has sung three of his motets. His setting of Omnes gentes plaudite manibus is sung here by the early music ensemble Sonus Borealis.
Orlando Gibbons, O clap your hands
First performed in 1622 at a ceremony in Oxford when Gibbons and his friend William Heyther received the degree of Doctor of Music, one source states that Gibbons wrote O clap your hands as a qualifying exercise for the degree. The anthem is composed for 8 parts, and uses most of the verses from Psalm 47. It is sung in the performance below by the Oxford Camerata, conducted by Jeremy Summerly.
Ralph Vaughan Williams, O clap your hands
In 1920, Ralph Vaughan Williams composed an anthem based on verses 1, 2, and 5–8 of Psalm 47. It is scored for a four-part choir, organ, brass, and percussion. The anthem is sung here by the Christ Church Cathedral Choir, directed by Stephen Darlington.
Philip Moore, O clap your hands
In 2016, the Archbishop of Canterbury awarded organist and composer Philip Moore (b. 1943) the Cranmer Award for Worship “for his contribution to the English choral tradition as a composer, arranger and performer.” In 2018, Moore was commissioned by the ensemble The King’s Six to compose an anthem to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Moore used the text from Psalm 47 for the occasion.
Marek Raczyński, Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus
Born in 1982, Marek Raczyński studied at the Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. Most of his compositions are based on liturgical texts, including his animated setting of Omnes gentes plaudite manibus, which is sung here by the Polish National Youth Choir, conducted by Agnieszka Franków-Żelazny.