Psalm
A new musical
Book, music, and lyrics by Orlando G. Morales
Two best friends and members of a storied church choir struggle to reconcile a wounded friendship while a baffling and faith-testing "miracle" polarizes their tightly-knit community.
I grew up playing piano in church. And often, despite my best efforts, long Sunday services were also opportunities for my young mind to wander. To be honest, they still kind of are.
Psalm is a piece that is inspired by my most vivid adolescent church daydreams—in particular, the one when the entire congregation is praying quietly but is interrupted when the old piano in front of me suddenly starts to play by itself. In Psalm, I give this scenario to a contemporary congregation and its gospel choir—and the story is recounted by two young members. What happens when, after praying for miracles and signs our entire lives, we finally get one? And what happens when the miracle is entirely unintelligible—without any recognizable melody, harmony, or rhythm? Psalm is a meditation on friendship and faith in a world full of noise.
Members of the Shades of Praise Gospel Choir of Saint Therese Parish, Seattle, Washington.
Psalm was developed, in part, at the Village Theatre through the Village Originals Residency Program.
Demos…
Trey and David have been best friends since childhood. They are both members of the church choir and have stolen away from an evening rehearsal to share a joint on the church's back stoop.
David (who openly identifies as gay), is admonishing his best friend for being late to rehearsal again. Trey argues that his tardiness is for a good reason... a girl named Leesa. Trey recounts the recent episode while the choir continues to rehearse inside.
Performed by Shaunyce Omar & Charles Simmons; with Lauren Dupree, Sarah Russell, Alexandria Henderson, and Michael Allen
Performed by Shaunyce Omar;
with Charles Simmons, Lauren Dupree, Sarah Russell, Alexandria Henderson, and Michael Allen
When a small church's piano inexplicably begins to play by itself, the congregation becomes divided.
The "music" that it plays offers no recognizable harmony, melody, or rhythm—just dissonance and seeming chaos. It is disconcerting and ominous and plays continuously.
Some parishioners are frightened, others consider it miraculous. One faction, led by Mr. Charles, believes that the piano is possessed by evil and should be removed from the church—citing how its cacophony is already keeping the people from their worship. The other faction, led by Mrs. Walker asserts that it is a proper sign from God whose meaning is yet to be revealed.