Psalm 51:15 reads, “Adonai, s’fatai tiftach, u’fi yagid t’hilatecha.” God, open my lips, and my mouth will speak your praise.
Many Jews know these words because they are recited at the beginning of the Amidah, one of the centerpieces of Jewish prayer. They act as a kind of gateway that the worshipper passes through in order to more fully embody the words that follow. They set the intention.
There are many musical settings of these words. The setting shared here, from HG&P and The Davis Academy’s Menschology, is meant to convey the simple beauty of these words. If you listen closely you’ll notice that the many voices eventually become one by the end of the piece. That’s intentional.
As a purely anecdotal aside this is one of the few pieces that I’ve composed on piano rather than guitar. Though I can’t pinpoint exactly how, I think that deeply informed the composition.
You can listen to Adonai S’fatai Tiftach on CD Baby, Soundcloud or Spotify.