Few things comfort us more than music. Our anxieties, when enveloped in the moving strains of a song, seem far less severe. Most of us have piles of music that bring harmony to our hearts and satisfaction to our souls when we are hurting.

The therapeutic value of music is nothing new. The Bible’s earliest genealogical table includes “those who play the lyre and pipe” (Genesis 4:21). So it was with David, the youthful king-elect, who was more than a faithful shepherd and a man of valour. He was first known as a skilful musician, a talent that brought him face-to-face with his predecessor, King Saul.