This award-winning cycle of 4 pieces for mixed choir and percussion was composed in 1958, and employs excerpts from 4 psalms (Nos. 28, 30, 43 and 143), sung in Polish. The manner of composition combines traditional principles with serialistic pointillism and sound-color ideas. In the first psalm, the choir is split and sings, recites and whispers the words accompanied by pointillistic writing for percussion, harp and two pianos. The second psalm is contrapuntal and serene. The melodies are built on 12-tone rows. The third psalm is punctuated and declaratory with propulsive rhythm, similar to Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana". In the fourth psalm, the choir sings peaceful atonal melodies in simple counterpoint, accompanied sparingly by pointillistic tones from the instruments. The sound increases only slightly toward the end for a declarative closing. A lovely direct work that points toward many of the practices explored later in the composer's many larger works for choir and orchestra.

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