Psalm 78:57-73 chanted in the Sarum Use by Sarah James

Themes: An enumeration of the principal effects of the goodness of God to his people, their rebellions and punishment, their feigned repentance, God's compassion towards them, their backsliding, and forgetfulness of his mercy, the plagues which he brought upon the Egyptians, the deliverance of his own people and their repeated ingratitude and disobedience, their punishment, God's wrath against their adversaries, his rejection of the tribes of Israel but his choice of the tribe of Judah, and of David to be king over his people. The title, Maschil of Asaph; or, according to the margin, A Psalm for Asaph to give instruction; contains nothing particular. The Arabic has, "A sermon from Asaph to the people." The psalm was probably not written by David, but after the separation of the ten tribes of Israel, and after the days of Rehoboam, and before the Babylonian captivity, for the temple was still standing. Calmet supposes that it was written in the days of Asa, who had gained, by the aid of the Syrians, a great victory over the Israelites; and brought back to the pure worship of God many out of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon. See 2 Chronicles 15 and 2 Chronicles 16:1-14. (From the Adam Clarke Commentary, 1831)

In Judaism: This psalm is recited on the third through sixth days of Passover in some traditions. Verse 36-37 are found in the Foundation of Repentance recited on the eve of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Verse 38 (V'hu Rachum) begins a paragraph by the same name in Pesukei Dezimra (a group of praises that may be recited daily during Jewish morning services). It is also the seventeenth verse of Yehi Kivod (another prayer) in Pesukei Dezimra, and the opening and closing verses of the morning prayer recited on Mondays and Thursdays. Verse 54 is part of Pirkei Avot, which is a compilation of ethical teachings and maxims from Rabbinic tradition. (Wikipedia)

In Christianity: Verse 2 is quoted so as to explain Jesus’ method of teaching, in Matthew 13:35: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
Jesus quoted verse 24 when he was asked for the sign of his authority: “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.” (see John 6:31-36). (Wikipedia)

Nine hundred years ago, the Cathedral of Salisbury, England developed a unique form of chant and liturgy known as the “Use of Salisbury,” or “Sarum Use.” Differences from the Roman rite are both melodic (more florid in the Sarum) and textual (Elizabethan English rather than Latin). The best repository of Sarum Use tones is the St. Dunstan's Plainsong Psalter, from which Sarah has sung this psalm. Additional resources on Sarum Use plainsong at https://canticasacra.org.

The video begins with “The Sacrifice of Elijah Before the Priests of Baal,” a painting (ca. 1621-22) by Domenico Fetti, and continues with “David dictating the Psalms,” which is a codex binding plate of ivory. Both works are in the public domain in their country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.