Cissy Houston, The Lord is My Shepherd | Music Lifts 🎶 🏋

In the 64^th edition of Music Lifts (2023), we’re uplifted by Cissy Houston performing, “The Lord is My Shepherd.”

Welcome to Music Lifts 🎶 🏋, a column that seeks to highlight songs that encourage, inspire, and uplift the spirit; songs that exude fortitude, positivity, and resolve, even in the face of adversity.  Featured songs aren’t genre-specific; songs may or may not be faith-based. The goal is for these songs to make you feel better – be LIFTED to new heights!  So, for the 64^th edition of Music Lifts 🎶 🏋 (2023), we highlight “The Lord is My Shepherd” as performed by Cissy Houston.

“The Lord is my shepherd / I shall not want / He maketh me, to lie down / In green pastures.” One of many gems from The Preacher’s Wife original soundtrack album is “The Lord Is My Shepherd”. “The Lord is My Shepherd” is a traditional song, based upon the text of my personal favorite psalm, Psalm 23.  While Whitney Houston performs much of The Preacher’s Wife’s songs, it is her mother, Cissy Houston, who takes the reins on “The Lord is My Shepherd.” Cissy gets a mighty assist, courtesy of Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir.  The choir superbly backs the elder Houston, taking the listeners right to church!

As strong as the choir is, Cissy Houston is elite too.  Her voice is pure and beautiful.  While Cissy often found herself in a background role, never achieving the career of her daughter, her instrument shines too.  She amazes, highlighting key lyrics of the Psalm and riffing (“I wanna thank you for comforting me / Every day”). She sings with incredible control, yet also bring expression and nuance to the table. Among the best moments is her outro, which provides a sensational music lift: “Wonderful counselor / Prince of peace / Mighty good shepherd / I love the Lord.” Of course, the arrangement provides a big lift too – piano, organ, bass, and drums, combined with choir! Yes sir! If you didn’t already know, you find out that the Lord is, indeed, a mighty, good shepherd.

🎙 Whitney Houston • 💿 The Preacher’s Wife • 🏷 Arista • 📅 1996

Cissy Houston, The Lord is My Shepherd: Music Lifts 🎶 🏋 No. 64 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Arista; Hamid Tajik, Qamar Rehman, vansh mehta, Viridiana Rivera via Pexels