Like several Bible songs in the Psalter Hymnal, CLAY has a Jewish flavor. Wright designed the tune to flow without pause from the refrain into each stanza and on to the refrain again in continual motion. Dale Grotenhuis (PHH 4) harmonized the tune in 1986 for the Psalter Hymnal. Here are two performance suggestions: (a) everyone sing the refrain in unison, and one or more soloists or possibly a choir sing the stanzas; (b) everyone sing the refrain in parts, and antiphonal groups alternate on the stanzas. CLAY works well with tambourine, guitar, strings, or possibly hand clapping. The Fisherfolk often perform it with liturgical dance in the style of Hebrew folk dancing.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988