[3] Franck was born in Liège but worked in Paris as an organist of various churches, in the end at the Cavaillé-Coll organ of Sainte-Clotilde, where he served from 1858 until his death.

[7] Franck's psalm setting is one of his late works, in symphonic writing, with bold harmonies and chromatism, and an unusual form.

[6] The composition in one movement is set in D major in common time and marked Poco allegretto ma maestoso.

After four measures of more melodious instrumental lines in dotted rhythm, tenors and sopranos imitate the sequence, now on A and stronger.

The motifs of the melodious interlude are picked up by the voices, beginning with the tenors, then with added sopranos, finally all four, to express the fifth and sixth psalm verses, about everything breathing praise the Lord.

[8] In 1996, an organ version of Franck's Psalm 150 was included in a recording Most Sacred Banquet by the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys at Saint Thomas Church in Manhattan, conducted by Gerre Hancock, who also performed sacred music such as Duruflé's Quatre Motets sur des thèmes grégoriens.

[9] It was part of a 1998 album of Festive Christmas Music, performed by the Knabenkantorei Basel conducted by Beat Raaflaub, which also contains carols and other psalm settings.