Scored for chorus, organ and orchestra, Elgar's Give Unto the Lord is a setting of the text of the 29th Psalm. Bearing a dedication to Sir George Martin, MVO, Mus D, the work was composed, on commission, for the festival celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Sons of the Clergy at St. Paul's Cathedral. It was on this occasion, held in the cathedral, on 30 April 1914, that the work was premiered. Only about eight minutes in length, Give Unto the Lord is characterized by an exuberant, joyful mood, one that is ideal for the circumstances for which it was intended.

Beginning in the key of E flat major, the same key as The Kingdom, Give Unto the Lord possess some of the same power and intensity, as well as a similar noble quality. Elgar's setting follows closely with the character of the text, becoming increasingly primitivistic as God smashes the cedars, shakes the desert and twists the oaks. Elgar's key scheme parallels this destruction, moving from E flat through B minor, D minor and C minor before returning to B minor for the intimate setting of "in his temple". It is here that Elgar provides a brief glimpse of the "Worship the Lord" music from the opening. A return to E flat major is accompanied by a more substantial recapitulation of the opening material. The final verse of the psalm begins with all of the confidence of one who believes that "the Lord shall give His people the blessing of peace", but the power of this confidence modulates to a more introverted, prayerful mood, as the choir repeats its quite plea for peace.



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