# So this what was the Reformation sounded like... Wow



## Contra_Mundum (Oct 18, 2006)

Let me say it again. Wow.

http://www.yale.edu/music/linesinging/
http://www.gaelicpsalmsinging.com/audio/

All I can say is, that I thought I "got it," that I understood.

But only now do I "get" that quote (which I now forget) regarding something--was it Burns? or Scott?--wrote regarding the glory of worship of a simple gathering of Psalm singers being more redolent of heaven than the pomp of the English or Rome.

This is what was restored to the congregation, to the kirk, after the papists were thrown out. Not just the sacraments. Not just the preached Word. But the psalms from the lips.

I don't know if I'll ever be EP. I am simply not convinced exegetically that the position is inherently superior. Maybe this is because I have always sung and loved the Psalms along with the rest of the hymnody. I've never been without them, so I don't know the hunger. I do know that I will never NOT sing them.

But today, I appreciate just a little more just what it was like to NOT have them, to have to sit in silence while the professionals chanted their Latin dirges (don't mistake me--this is slight hyperbole; I can appreciate good music, even Gregorian chant). And then to get them in your own tongue, and set to music you could sing and feel.

Incredible.

(Someone illegally burned this CD I have, but I believe I *must* purchase one or more of these albums)


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## a mere housewife (Oct 18, 2006)

I know what I want for my birthday.


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## R. Scott Clark (Oct 18, 2006)

Thanks!

I hadn't seen this.

rsc


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## Theoretical (Oct 18, 2006)

That's amazingly beautiful, and I definitely understand how a cappella congregational singing, whether via psalms or hymns, is utterly impressive when compared to instrumentals. I'm still figuring things out in this regard, but these clips are utterly mind-blowing and compelling.


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## CDM (Oct 18, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Contra_Mundum_
> Let me say it again. Wow.
> 
> http://www.yale.edu/music/linesinging/
> ...



:jawdrops:

Absolutely amazing. Incredible. 

Even though I'll never know gaelic, just to know dear saints singing psalms to our great King stirs my heart beyond all measure.

[Edited on 10-18-2006 by mangum]


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 18, 2006)

The Gaelic Psalmody website has been discussed in a couple of other threads here and here. 

I was once blessed to participate in the 1994 International Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church held outside of Dublin, Ireland. There were several hundred others present; the sound of so many voices singing God's praises to the words of the Psalmist is a memory that I will never forget -- truly, a taste of heaven. 

The Psalms are indeed precious and for those who for conscience sake must remain silent in churches which sing only uninspired hymns, as many of us have done, they are all the more so. During and after the Reformation, the Psalms were on the lips of believers everywhere, not only in church, but in the fields and streets as well. George W. Robinson says:



> In the Psalms all these " mighty contenders for the faith " found an unfailing refuge for their spirits, the constant compassionater of their sufferings, and an ever-ready champion of their cause. However men like Wyclif, Luther, Erasmus, and Calvin might differ in doctrinal tenet, however bitterly, at times, the battle of controversy might rage between them, " in the green pastures " and " beside the still waters " bitterness was forgotten, strife was hushed, and, in a common love for David, they met as brothers, hand to hand, thought to thought, heart to heart. So, too, in accounting for the progress of the Reformation and the rapid spread of the Reformed doctrines, much credit must be given to the agency of the Psalter. Previous to the fifteenth century there were no books, and he was deemed fortunate above others who chanced to possess a manuscript of any kind. The direct consequence of this was that those who had any knowledge of the Psalter whatever must have acquired this knowledge through hearing it read or sung, and upon the memory they were compelled to depend for whatever use they might make of it. But the coming of the printing press, about the middle of the fifteenth century, put the versified Psalter, expurgated of Romish error, and in their own vernacular, into the hands of the common people, and thus gave it a new and larger lease of life and influence. With the Psalter in the keeping of the people themselves, where they could read and sing it for themselves, a very striking revival in its practice became immediately apparent. *A veritable tidal-wave of Psalm-singing began to sweep over the Christian world. In France, which may be taken as representative of other continental countries, the versifications of Marot and Beza created a perfect frenzy of Psalm-singing throughout the entire realm. It became a popular rage. Never did the expulsive force of a new affection find apter illustration than in the resistless manner with which the Psalms supplanted the questionable ballads and songs of the day. This passion for David confined itself to no particular class or community; but the traders in towns and cities, the boatmen on the rivers, and the vinedressers and laborers in the fields were all alike infected with the universal contagion. It leaped the barriers of class distinction, and, defying the conventions that separate royalty from the rabble, caught the fancy of king and courtier, of queen and lady-in-waiting. Many of the Catholic clergy joined the ranks of the enthusiasts, while the Catholic masses might be seen everywhere " with a Psalm-book in their hands." In the homes of the Protestants grace at meals was offered by singing a Psalm; such singing by the entire family was a regular part of the morning and evening worship, and became " one of the chief ingredients in the happiness of social life." Thus, in France, during the Reformation era, was repeated, with accentuation, the history of the Psalms in the days of Jerome and Chrysostom.*
> 
> With scarcely less enthusiasm the Psalter in verse was received and employed in the Netherlands, in Switzerland and Germany, in the Slavonic provinces and the Scandinavian kingdoms of the North.
> 
> ...



Richard Baxter reports that:



> "To the praise of my gracious Master.. . the church at Kidderminster became so full on the Lord's Day that we had to build galleries to contain all the people. Our weekday meetings also were always full. On the Lord's Day all disorder became quite banished out of the town. *As you passed along the streets on the Sabbath morning, you might hear a hundred households singing psalms at their family worship.* In a word, when I came to Kidderminster, there was only about one family in a whole street that worshipped God and called upon His name. When I left, there were some streets where not a family did not do so. And though we had 600 communicants, there were not twelve in whose salvation I had not perfect confidence."



And S. Vanderploeg tells us of the French Huguenots who came to North America singing the psalms of Marot.

Speaking of the French Huguenot colony in Florida that was massacred in 1565:



> In the ensuing battle Ribaut was killed and most of the French colony slaughtered. Laudonnière was one of the few who escaped to get back to France. The hoped-for "promised land" turned out to be yet another desert. Even though the colony had been destroyed, the memory of the French, especially their songs, lingered for a long time. *"Europeans, cruising along the coast or landing upon the shore, would be saluted (by the Indians) with some snatch of French Psalm uncouthly rendered by Indian voices."
> 
> Nicholas Le Challeux (1579) writes that the Indians "yet retain such happy memories that when someone lands on their shore the most endearing greeting that they know how to offer is 'Du fond de ma pensée' (Ps. 130), or 'Bienheureux est qui conqués' (Ps. 138), which they say as if to ask the watchword, 'Are you French or not?' " *



and speaking of the French Huguenots who came to Canada:



> Although the French settlements in Canada were commercial, there is historical evidence of psalm-singing on and off the shores of Canada. *"Many of the ships that visited the fishing banks or cruised along the shores of the St. Lawrence, were owned by Huguenot merchants and manned by Huguenot sailors, whose loud voices were often heard, to the indignation of all good Catholics, as they joined lustily in singing Clement Marot's psalms."*
> 
> The Reformed worship services on board the ships were held publicly. *The prayers and the singing of the psalms, done in the forecastle, were loud enough to drown out the chanting of the priest as he was saying mass in another part of the ship.* This practice brought Guillaume de Caen, who had received the trade monopoly of New France in 1622, into difficulties with his stockholders and the new viceroy, Duc de Ventadour. His Lordship "was dissatisfied with Sieur de Caen, owing to the report which had reached him that he had caused the prayers of their so-called religion to be said publicly within the river St. Lawrence, and had desired the Catholics to attend them, a thing which His Lordship had forbidden him to do."



We are truly blessed to join with God's people through the ages who have sung the same words to praise of the same God. 

Psalm 9:



> 11 O sing ye praises to the Lord,
> that dwells in Zion hill;
> And all the nations among
> his deeds record ye still.



Psalm 67:



> 3 Let people praise thee, Lord;
> let people all thee praise.
> 4 O let the nations be glad,
> in songs their voices raise:
> ...



Psalm 68:



> To God sing, to his name sing praise;
> extol him with your voice,
> That rides on heav'n, by his name Jah,
> before his face rejoice.


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## caddy (Oct 18, 2006)

That is truly amazing !!!!!!




> _Originally posted by Contra_Mundum_
> Let me say it again. Wow.
> 
> http://www.yale.edu/music/linesinging/
> ...


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## AdamM (Oct 18, 2006)

Thank you for the links!

Ditto to the incredibles and wows.


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## youthevang (Oct 18, 2006)

Wow, thank you Rev. Buchanan. The sound of their voices together in acapella reminds me of my old church from back home. I am definitely putting it on the list.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 18, 2006)

For those who are interested, check out this video: _Festival of Psalms_.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 18, 2006)

Bruce -- I'm not sure if some of this may relate to the Burns or Scott quote that you had in mind. If not, I hope you can find it -- inquiring minds would love to know!

Robert Burns, _The Cotter's Saturday Night_:



> They chant their artless notes in simple guise,
> They tune their hearts, by far the noblest aim;
> Perhaps Dundee's wild-warbling measures rise;
> Or plaintive Martyrs, worthy of the name;
> ...



Walter Scott's _Journal_, June 1827:



> June 26.—...I have a letter from a member of the Commission of the Psalmody of the Kirk, zealous and pressing. I shall answer him, I think. [538] One from Sir James Stuart, [539] on fire with Corfe Castle, with a drawing of King Edward, occupying one page, as he hurries down the steep, mortally wounded by the assassin. Singular power of speaking at once to the eye and the ear. Dined at home. After dinner sorted papers. Rather idle.
> [538]The answer is printed in the Scott Centenary Catalogue by David Laing, from which the following extracts are given:—
> "The expression of the old metrical translation, though homely, is plain, forcible, and intelligible, and very often possesses a rude sort of majesty, which perhaps would be ill-exchanged for mere elegance." "They are the very words and accents of our early Reformers—sung by them in woe and gratitude, in the fields, in the churches, and on the scaffold."


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## Augusta (Oct 18, 2006)

This is awesome! You know whenever bands suddenly stop all music and sing a capella it always sounded so neat. This is like that x10 it gave me chills.


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## Augusta (Oct 18, 2006)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> For those who are interested, check out this video: _Festival of Psalms_.



Andrew are the Psalms sung in the above video in English??


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 18, 2006)

> _Originally posted by Augusta_
> 
> 
> > _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> ...



Aye!


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## crhoades (Oct 18, 2006)

> As in music the pluck is used to strike the string, so the human soul may in music become like a stringed instrument completely devoted to the Spirit, so that in all one’s members and emotions one is thoroughly responsive to the will of God. The harmonious reading of the Psalms is a figure and type of such undisturbed and calm equanimity of our thoughts. For just as we discover the ideas of the soul and communicate them through the words we put forth, so also the Lord, wishing the melody of the words to be a symbol of the spiritual harmony in a soul, has provided that the odes may be chanted tunefully, and the Psalms recited with song. The desire of the soul is this—to be beautifully disposed, as it is written: “Is anyone among you cheerful? Let him sing praise” (Jas. 5:13). In this way that which is disturbing and rough and disorderly in it is smoothed away, and that which causes grief is healed when we sing psalms.…
> 
> The melody of the phrases is brought forth from the soul’s good order and from the concord with the Spirit. The singers who sing not only with words, but also with understanding may greatly benefit not only themselves but those who hear them. Blessed David, making music in this way for Saul, was himself well pleasing to God. He drove away from Saul the troubled and frenzied disposition, making his soul calm. Similarly, liturgists who are able to sing in this way are summoning the souls of the people into tranquility, and calling them into harmonious accord with those who form the heavenly chorus. Psalms are not recited with melodies merely to make pleasant sounds. Rather, this is a sure sign of the harmony of the soul’s reflections. Indeed, the melodic psalmody is a symbol of the mind’s well-ordered and undisturbed condition. The praising of God in well-tuned cymbals and harp and ten-stringed instrument was again a figure and sign of the parts of the body coming into natural concord like harp strings. When this happens, the thoughts of the soul become like cymbals. Body and soul then live and move and have their being in unity together through this grand sound, as if through the command of the Spirit, so, as it is written, one overcomes the dying of the body through life in the Spirit. One who sings praise beautifully brings rhythm to the soul. By this means one leads the soul from disproportion to proportion. The result is that the encouraged soul loses fear, thinks on good things, and embraces the future. Gaining composure by the singing of praises, the soul transcends the life of passions, and joyfully beholds according to the mind of Christ the most excellent thoughts.



(Athanasius, A Letter To Marcellinus, Ancient Christian Writers. Edited by J. Quasten, J. C. Plumpe, and W. Burghardt. 44 vols. New York: Paulist Press, 1946–1985. 10, pp. 124–126)*
Oden, T. C. (1989). Ministry Through Word and Sacrament (102). New York: Crossroad. 



> After the prophecies about the Savior and the nations, he who recites the Psalms is uttering the rest as his own words, and each sings them as if they were written concerning him, and he accepts them and recites them not as if another were speaking, nor as if speaking about someone else. But he handles them as if he is speaking about himself. And the things spoken are such that he lifts them up to God as himself acting and speaking them from himself.



(Athanasius, A Letter to Marcellinus, ACW 10, sec. 11, p. 110)
Oden, T. C. (1989). Ministry Through Word and Sacrament (105). New York: Crossroad.


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## Anton Bruckner (Oct 23, 2006)

those song samples renders all criticisms and the urge to criticize futile and powerless.

Wow. The glory of God.


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## ChristopherPaul (Oct 24, 2006)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> For those who are interested, check out this video: _Festival of Psalms_.



This is choir lead?

Is the Gaelic version that Bruce posted a choir or a congregation?


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## tewilder (Oct 24, 2006)

There is just one point of doubt that I would raise. The article says this:

"He asserts that Scottish settlers in America passed on their forms of worship and religious musical traditions to their slaves, with remnants of this tradition still heard among isolated congregations on both sides of the Atlantic."

But many Covenanters were sold into slavery in the Caribbean and even the south. So a master to slave transmission shouldn't be assumed as the only one.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 24, 2006)

ChristopherPaul said:


> This is choir lead?



It's a choir-congregation combo. It's been a couple of years since I last saw it, but as I recall there are scenes of the choir and congregation, interspersed with many scenes of beautiful Scotland.

You can read a little more about their choir here and hear some of their psalm-singing here.



> Is the Gaelic version that Bruce posted a choir or a congregation?



The website indicates that it is a recording of a congregation:



> Salm was recorded in Back Free Church on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, over two evenings in Oct of 2003, with a congregation of approx. 350 on night one, and 500 on night two, these being led by 25 different precentors, the singing was spontaneous and totally unrehearsed and was brilliantly captured for us by the combined recording talents of Calum Malcolm, ably assisted by Philip Hobbs.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 24, 2006)

Some additional psalmody resources that may be of interest:

_Wachtend Aan De Stromen_ (DVD performance of Dutch psalms and hymns)

Genevan Psalms of Claude Goudimel (CD)

_Sing to the Lord_: _The Children of Asaph_ sing the Psalms of David on the tunes of John Calvin (CD or cassette)

_Six Genevan Psalms for Four-Part Choir S.A.T.B. and Congregation_ (cassette)

Psalms for Organ & String Quintet (CD)

_Nabij U is het Woord_ - More than 1000 voices singing the old Dutch Psalms in Kampen with Willem Hendrik Zwart at the Organ (Vol. 2) (CD)

_Psalmsing tot Gods Eer_: 42 Genevan Psalms sung in Afrikaans by the Ode Ensemble (CD)

_Be Thou Exalted Lord_: Psalms from the Blue (1959 Edition) Psalter Hymnal - Includes one of each of the 150 Psalms, sung by the Dordt College Chorale and Choir (6 CD's)


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## polemic_turtle (Oct 24, 2006)

I prefer English acappella, because besides the man leading, I cannot distinguish the words from one another and thus it sounds like an ocean of sound rising and falling. I know it must be a great experience to be there, but my laptop speakers aren't doing it justice.

One of the distinctives about my denomination is that we don't have any instruments; I wish we sang Psalms, but at least we're acappella. There is nothing like a Camp or church meeting with lots of people singing very loudly without anything competing or impeding. Personal preference: I prefer it that way.

P.S. I downloaded quite a few of Psalm4u.com 's audio clips months ago and memorized them. I LOVE singing them and when I read through the Psalms, I saw a few of them.

"The loving-kindness of the Lord, forever I will sing! 
Thy faithfulness, through every age, my mouth in song shall bring!"


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Oct 24, 2006)

Wow, that sounds alot like our church on the Lord's Day. 

JK.

But we are working on it!


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## MW (Oct 24, 2006)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Some additional psalmody resources that may be of interest:



Andrew, have you come across the RP Ireland CDs? A friend has them, and I am interested in purchasing some, but haven't found where they may be obtained.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Oct 25, 2006)

armourbearer said:


> Andrew, have you come across the RP Ireland CDs? A friend has them, and I am interested in purchasing some, but haven't found where they may be obtained.



Rev. Winzer, 

They are available at Crown & Covenant. I got these recordings on cassette in 1994 at the RP Synod in Ireland and have enjoyed listening to them over the years more than any other psalm recordings that I have heard since.


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## LadyFlynt (Oct 25, 2006)

It won't load :cry:


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## jaybird0827 (Oct 25, 2006)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Rev. Winzer,
> 
> They are available at Crown & Covenant. I got these recordings on cassette in 1994 at the RP Synod in Ireland and have enjoyed listening to them over the years more than any other psalm recordings that I have heard since.


 
 They are very well done. The director of that group also authored the Precentor's Manual that I have.


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## MW (Oct 25, 2006)

Thanks muchly, Andrew.


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## QueenEsther (Oct 25, 2006)

The page wouldn't come up, poo.

Psalms are nice. The other day in church I got to sing Psalm 118:24, it was great.


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## WrittenFromUtopia (Oct 26, 2006)

FYI, everyone, you can download/purchase these albums on iTunes if you have it. I just did so. These are done in a different manner than in the RPCNA, but it is very beautiful nonetheless.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 31, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> For those who are interested, check out this video: _Festival of Psalms_.



There is an updated link to the _Festival of Psalms_ video here.


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## toddpedlar (Jan 31, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> Rev. Winzer,
> 
> They are available at Crown & Covenant. I got these recordings on cassette in 1994 at the RP Synod in Ireland and have enjoyed listening to them over the years more than any other psalm recordings that I have heard since.



Good night, Andrew, do you have money to eat? It's hard to 
come up with something you haven't bought!


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Feb 1, 2007)

toddpedlar said:


> Good night, Andrew, do you have money to eat? It's hard to
> come up with something you haven't bought!



Far from it, brother, far from it. You should see my lengthy wish list. 

“When I get a little money I buy books [and tapes]; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.” -- Erasmus


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