# A question about Psalter history



## N. Eshelman (Jul 26, 2008)

I have been reading the Book of Psalms with Music from 1950, and have a question. In the preface it states:

The two committees desire to express their appreciation of the work of the compilers of previous [Psalter] editions: the Keys Psalter, the 1889 edition, the 1911 edition, and the editions of 1919 and 1929. They have all been used in the selection of tunes included in the present Psalter and have done much to lighten the task of deciding what is most likely to prove acceptable to the Church.

My question is actually a couple:

* Is the Keys Psalter an Americanized edition of the Psalms of David in Meter from 1650? What year was this published?
* Were the 1889 and the 1911 editions improvements on the Keys Psalter, or were they totally new editions?
* Are 1919 and 1929 connected to each other as the grammar of the preface reads, or were these two new editions?

I would appreciate any help in further reading on the history of the Psalters in the RPCNA. Does anyone know of anywhere that I can read further (besides the Minutes of Synod) on the history of Psalter revision in the RP Church?

Thanks!


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jul 27, 2008)

That's a good question. I took a look at the intro to the 1950 edition and spent a little time going through some of the synod minutes online, but the information I gathered is a little disorganized so, I'm afraid, it's not much help. Henry Alexander Glass has a helpful book on the history of Psalter editions but it was published in 1888 so it predates the timeframe you are interested in. William J. Chamberlin's 1991 _Catalogue of English Bible Translations_, pp. 321, 328, refers to:



> 1889 Anonymous The Keys Psalter, 1889. [Authorized by the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America mentioned in their "Book of Psalms", 1950.]
> 
> 1889 Cask, C.E. The Book of Psalms Rendered in Metre, 1889.
> 
> 1919 Anonymous The Book of Psalms. 1919. 1929? [Authorized by the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America; mentioned in their 'Book of Psalms', 1950.]



Google Books references the 1911 RPCNA psalter as being 376 pages but does not provide a preview.

I would think someone at RPTS library might be of some assistance.


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