Exaudi Domine
“Hearken unto my voice, O Lord”

The Introit for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity is taken from the middle of Psalm 27. Here are verses 8-10 from that Psalm:

Exaudi, Domine, vocem meam, qua clamavi ad te;
Hearken unto my voice, O Lord, when I cry unto thee:
miserere mei, et exaudi me.
have mercy upon me, and hear me.
Tibi dixit cor meum: Exquisivit te facies mea;
My heart hath talked of thee, Seek ye my face:
faciem tuam, Domine, requiram.
Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
Ne avertas faciem tuam a me; ne declines in ira a servo tuo.
O hide not thou thy face from me: nor cast thy servant away in displeasure.

One of the many settings of this text is by Lorenzo Perosi (1872–1956), who served for many years as director of music at the Sistine Chapel. His version of Exaudi Domine is scored for tenor solo and a unison choir, and is sung here by Vittorio Grigolo, joined by the boys voices of Pueri Cantores della Cappella Musicale Pontificia detta Sistina, conducted by Fabio Cerroni.

Another little-known Italian composer of sacred music who has set these verses from Psalm 27 (Psalm 26 in the Vulgate) is Pietro Allori (1925-1985). A priest and choir master, Allori was born and died on the the isle of Sardinia. His rare absences from the island included time spent studying music in Florence and Milan. His meditative setting of Exaudi, Domine is sung here by an ensemble conducted by Mariano Garau, one of Allori’s students.