# Question regarding tunes to Psalms



## Frank Aiken (Jun 20, 2016)

First post. I have been studying up on EP for some time now, and really hope to gain more of an understanding of this. I truly wish that in all I do, I do it for the glory of Christ, and that I not mislead my family nor others in the area of corporate worship.

I say this because I am the "song leader" if you will, for a reformed baptist church, and have been frustrated over the past several years with the songs that come out that most churches sing. My studies have led me to Sovereign Grace, Matt Searles, and even writing my own stuff lined up with scripture. Upon further digging into this topic, I have come across the EP debate. At first I was not sold on it, but as I dig deeper I am wondering if I have had it all wrong. 

Over the next few months my hope is to introduce more psalms than we currently sing (51, 103, 19, 1, 23) and make the shift to this completely, with a few hymns as well. In doing so I have stumbled across the Sing Psalms book from the Scottish Free church and wanted to know what tunes most of you are singing these Psalms to. 

Thank you for your time and advice!


----------



## Jeri Tanner (Jun 20, 2016)

I'm thrilled and thankful to see this from a Baptist! May the Lord encourage and help you along.


----------



## NaphtaliPress (Jun 20, 2016)

Welcome to the PB Frank. Since EP tends to be one of those debates on the board that can get animated (like Baptism) we have a specific subform for it. This is fine where it is as long as we don't stray into the topic of EP 'proper.' If you have not already seen it, see the many, many (many) threads on this in the EP subforum to the worship forum.


----------



## alexandermsmith (Jun 20, 2016)

We use the 1650 Psalter in our church, but many of the tunes used will be the same as used for Sing Psalms.

Some of the most used tunes would be (with the Psalm which is usually sung to that tune in brackets):

Common Metre:
Ayrshire
Babel's Streams (alternatively known as "Dunlap's Creek")
Bangor
Coleshill (Psalm 116)
Covenanters (Psalm 23)
Crimond (Psalm 23- the classic tune for this Psalm)
Dingwall (Psalm 133)
Ericstane
Evan
Gairloch
Martyrdom (Psalm 130)
Martyrs
Morven
Palestrina
St. Kilda (Psalm 51)

Short Metre:
Dennis
Golden Hill
Selma (Psalm 67)

Long Metre:
Finnart
Rockingham

We use more but I can't remember what they're called. Most of these tunes should be in the book (if your book includes tunes), some of them won't be though. But you can find a lot of tunes if you search for google: recordings either on youtube or soundcloud.


----------



## Peairtach (Jun 20, 2016)

Frank Aiken said:


> First post. I have been studying up on EP for some time now, and really hope to gain more of an understanding of this. I truly wish that in all I do, I do it for the glory of Christ, and that I not mislead my family nor others in the area of corporate worship.
> 
> I say this because I am the "song leader" if you will, for a reformed baptist church, and have been frustrated over the past several years with the songs that come out that most churches sing. My studies have led me to Sovereign Grace, Matt Searles, and even writing my own stuff lined up with scripture. Upon further digging into this topic, I have come across the EP debate. At first I was not sold on it, but as I dig deeper I am wondering if I have had it all wrong.
> 
> ...


The number of metres in the Sing Psalms is much more varied than in the Scottish Psalter. Split-leaf staff and sol-fah editions are available with lots of suitable tunes.

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk


----------



## Logan (Jun 20, 2016)

Frank, Very glad to hear you're looking into singing psalms. I never thought about it during my younger days but now that I've been introduced, I often feel sad that many congregations almost actively reject singing them. They really are missing out on some inspired songs.

My family uses Sing Psalms in family worship currently. Do you just have the text version or the split-leaf with music? I can look up what tunes we've settled on for those psalms you've listed but you may be better served by choosing tunes your congregation is familiar with. Being a song leader, I assume you are familiar with the concept of meter, so I would probably pick a tune from your hymnal that is suitable in tone and meter to one of the psalms you've picked. It might be more directly accessible to the congregation if they don't have to learn a new tune right away.

Here's ones I remember from Sing Psalms, I'd have to look up the others:
1. Creator
23. Tarwathie (really like this one)

Also, Connor Quigley has put up some very helpful recordings:
https://soundcloud.com/connorq/sets/sing-psalms


----------



## Frank Aiken (Jun 20, 2016)

NaphtaliPress said:


> Welcome to the PB Frank. Since EP tends to be one of those debates on the board that can get animated (like Baptism) we have a specific subform for it. This is fine where it is as long as we don't stray into the topic of EP 'proper.' If you have not already seen it, see the many, many (many) threads on this in the EP subforum to the worship forum.



Thanks! Yea, not really interested in a debate. I'm actually hoping I can be convinced to go completely EP and then move the congregation into this.


----------



## Frank Aiken (Jun 20, 2016)

Logan said:


> Frank, Very glad to hear you're looking into singing psalms. I never thought about it during my younger days but now that I've been introduced, I often feel sad that many congregations almost actively reject singing them.
> 
> Being a song leader, I assume you are familiar with the concept of meter, so I would probably pick a tune from your hymnal that is suitable in tone and meter to one of the psalms you've picked. It might be more directly accessible to the congregation if they don't have to learn a new tune right away.



We sang Psalm 103 from the Sing Psalms book yesterday to the tune of "Before the Throne of God Above". They picked up on it right away and sang out beautifully. We even backed off the microphones after the first two verses and they kept singing!

I also found a few other tunes to use with these songs, like Joy to the World for 96 and Let us Love and Sing and Wonder for 19.


----------



## Dekybo (Jun 20, 2016)

I too have purchased the Sing Psalms and am trying to introduce them to our hymn-only congregation. The split book is difficult. We are trying to find a way to combine both words and notes onto one paper for the people.


----------



## JP Wallace (Jun 20, 2016)

Dekybo said:


> I too have purchased the Sing Psalms and am trying to introduce them to our hymn-only congregation. The split book is difficult. We are trying to find a way to combine both words and notes onto one paper for the people.



The RPCNA Psalter 'The Book of Psalms for Worship' does that very thing, but I'd say persevere with the split lead you will get used to it quite quickly I think and it will be useful.




Frank Aiken said:


> Over the next few months my hope is to introduce more psalms than we currently sing (51, 103, 19, 1, 23) and make the shift to this completely, with a few hymns as well. In doing so I have stumbled across the Sing Psalms book from the Scottish Free church and wanted to know what tunes most of you are singing these Psalms to.



Conor Quigley's site would have been my recommendation too (see Logan's post above) also here and here


----------



## jwithnell (Jun 20, 2016)

I was impressed by the newer psalter published by the ARP. With its arrangements of words like a traditional hymnal, I found it easy to follow along with the alto even when the arrangement was not familiar to me. I'm considering getting copies for family worship.


----------



## johnny (Jun 20, 2016)

Hi Frank 

Reverend Ruddell (who is a member here) has all the psalm tunes from the red split psalter listed in midi files on his website as well as the divisions for all the psalms in the Scottish Metrical Psalter.

http://www.christcovenantrpc.org/audio/psalm-singing/

On another note,
I am the Precentor at our little church and am currently working on a way to divide midi files into Quadraphonic sound so I can teach the congregation the tunes in four part harmony after church. I should have this working in the next week or so and will post my progress here. (In case anyone else wants to try this system out)


----------



## johnny (Jun 20, 2016)

Dekybo said:


> I too have purchased the Sing Psalms and am trying to introduce them to our hymn-only congregation. The split book is difficult. We are trying to find a way to combine both words and notes onto one paper for the people.



I know how to do this 

I do this every week for our church, I use a program called Noteworthy Composer to import the midi files of the psalm tunes and paste the lyrics directly onto the music and then make PDF's which can be then be printed or simply read from an iPad. This works great and if you like I can send you NWC templates and examples and how to achieve this, You would need to learn the music program but it's not too hard.


----------



## Dekybo (Jun 20, 2016)

johnny said:


> I know how to do this
> 
> I do this every week for our church, I use a program called Noteworthy Composer to import the midi files of the psalm tunes and paste the lyrics directly onto the music and then make PDF's which can be then be printed or simply read from an iPad. This works great and if you like I can send you NWC templates and examples and how to achieve this, You would need to learn the music program but it's not too hard.



I would greatly appreciate it thanks.


----------



## Logan (Jun 20, 2016)

jwithnell said:


> I was impressed by the newer psalter published by the ARP.



Minor point, but I think it's actually published by the RPCNA (Crown and Covenant) for the ARP, being a trimmed down version of the Book of Psalms for Worship (which JP Wallace mentioned above).

I did look up the tunes we've used for those psalms in Sing Psalms

1. Creator
19. Croft's 136th
23. Tarwathie (really like this one)
51. Ottawa


----------



## jwithnell (Jun 20, 2016)

Quite right; It does have all verses of the psalms.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


----------



## Frank Aiken (Jun 21, 2016)

Logan said:


> jwithnell said:
> 
> 
> > I was impressed by the newer psalter published by the ARP.
> ...



Where can I go to find these tunes? All of them are, sadly, unfamiliar to me....


----------



## Logan (Jun 21, 2016)

Earlier I'd asked f you had the split leaf or were just using the text. These tunes are in the split leaf so if you don't have that then probably not so helpful 

So I'd recommend just using tunes from your hymnal fit to the meter.


----------



## Edward (Jun 21, 2016)

Frank Aiken said:


> Where can I go to find these tunes? All of them are, sadly, unfamiliar to me....



Do you use this site: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/tun/tun-c.htm

It shows common hymns that use a particular tune (and then links to a midi file of the tune)


----------

