Best Psalm Settings/Arrangements For a Congregation New to the Practice?

[JD]

This summer I was blessed with the oppurtunity to introduce a capella psalm singing to our congregation in conjunction with a "Psalms of Summer" sermon series. We sung the Psalm being preached each week.

Each week I searched for a setting I could match to a tune the congregation was already familiar with. For the most part I pulled from The Book of Psalms for Singing or Sing Psalms. The response was mixed (we are a Baptist church - not many members have ever experienced Psalm singing), but it sounds like the elders liked it enough to want to continue the practice as a regular part of our service week to week.

So my question is: what are the best psalm settings (from any psalter) that I might add to our song book? Which are you favorites to sing congregationally? Obviously I will include Psalm 100, but other than no decisions have been made.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jake]

I recommend the Book of Psalms for Worship (2009) for a congregation new to Psalm singing. It's not that different than the Book of Psalms for Singing (1973), but it has the advantage of having modern language editions of each Psalm and using a lot of common hymn tunes. There is an index of them here: https://web.archive.org/web/20201112025327/https://psalter.org/music/BOPFW_Familiar_Tunes_Index.pdf

You can start with using tunes the congregation is already familiar with and mix in additional tunes that are easy to teach.

My church relatively recently switched to a version of this Psalter from another one. Something that has aided in learning the new settings is to use the Psalter extensively in the evening service and use that as a time to practice singing and learning new Psalms/tunes. We only do 3 song settings total in the morning service, but do 4-6 (or even 7!) in the evening service so it helps to familiarize folks with more Psalms.

 

[JD]

I recommend the Book of Psalms for Worship (2009) for a congregation new to Psalm singing. It's not that different than the Book of Psalms for Singing (1973), but it has the advantage of having modern language editions of each Psalm and using a lot of common hymn tunes. There is an index of them here: https://web.archive.org/web/20201112025327/https://psalter.org/music/BOPFW_Familiar_Tunes_Index.pdf

You can start with using tunes the congregation is already familiar with and mix in additional tunes that are easy to teach.

My church relatively recently switched to a version of this Psalter from another one. Something that has aided in learning the new settings is to use the Psalter extensively in the evening service and use that as a time to practice singing and learning new Psalms/tunes. We only do 3 song settings total in the morning service, but do 4-6 (or even 7!) in the evening service so it helps to familiarize folks with more Psalms.

Oh that's my bad. The Book of Psalms for Worship is the one I already have and was using. I guess I was hoping for specific tune/text marriages that sing well or that people are particularly fond of

 

[Rom]

Well, certainly begin with Psalm 23 / Crimond (pretty similar in the 1650 Psalter or the Book of Psalms for Worship as 23B) - everyone loves Psalm 23 and for many Christians it is a joy to sing for the first time. We just sang it in the open air in public evangelism and a sister was drawn to the singing of it when she heard it.

 

[Logan]

Oh that's my bad. The Book of Psalms for Worship is the one I already have and was using. I guess I was hoping for specific tune/text marriages that sing well or that people are particularly fond of

If you haven't already, check out the link Jake posted. It has a list of familiar tunes for the BOPFW and that sounds like exactly what you're looking for.
Psalter.org is also a good resource because you can play all the tunes from the BOPFW.

 

[Jake]

Well, certainly begin with Psalm 23 / Crimond (pretty similar in the 1650 Psalter or the Book of Psalms for Worship as 23B) - everyone loves Psalm 23 and for many Christians it is a joy to sing for the first time. We just sang it in the open air in public evangelism and a sister was drawn to the singing of it when she heard it.

The Queen gets some things right!

(For those who don't know, apparently Psalm 23 from the Scottish Metrical Psalter set to Crimond gained popularity after that setting was used at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II)

 

[Jake]

Oh that's my bad. The Book of Psalms for Worship is the one I already have and was using. I guess I was hoping for specific tune/text marriages that sing well or that people are particularly fond of

One favorite that comes to mind that the tune works particularly well with the Psalm is 32C.

Some general favorites of mine include 1A, 2A, 8B, 22E, 46C, 51A, 104C, 110B, 122A, 148B (the list gets longer the longer I flip through the Psalter )

If your congregation is adventurous with singing some others I would include are: 72E, 98A, 119W, 150A

 

[Northern Crofter]

This link contains a lot of helpful information if you haven't seen it before: https://crownandcovenant.com/pages/faqs-about-psalters

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0467/3627/7653/files/BOPFWFamiliarTunesIndex.pdf?v=1614270935 = familiar hymn tunes in The Book of Psalms for Worship.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0467/3627/7653/files/FamiliarHymnTunes.pdf?v=1614270900 = familiar hymn tunes in The Book of Psalms for Singing.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...Psalter_Familiar_Tunes_Index.pdf?v=1614270951 = familiar hymn tunes in The ARP Psalter.

Don't discount the 1650 Scottish metrical psalter - learn 5 tunes and you can sing just about any selection! It is where the text and tunes for many of the most popular psalms such as 23 and 100 originated.

 

[Wonderkins]

I introduced our church to psalm singing the first Sunday of 2022. We do one every Sunday. The reception has been great.

We're using the blue book of psalms for worship. I have the list that northern crofter (sorry can't see your signature) downloaded for reference. Last Sunday we did 107d, which is set to There Is A Fountain.

I basically just go through the list looking for the tunes I know and do them. I don't think my church is ready to purchase a bunch of the psalter, so I just make slides and tell the congregation ahead of time so they have the tune in mind.

I also paid the $10 for the app. Which was money well spent. Probably my favorite app.

 

[Logan]

The Queen gets some things right!

(For those who don't know, apparently Psalm 23 from the Scottish Metrical Psalter set to Crimond gained popularity after that setting was used at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II)

I checked with one of my old RPCNA psalters. It looks like the setting was not in the 1929 psalter but was introduced in the 1950. Seeing that this pre-dates the coronation by about three years, maybe the RPCNA was actually a trend-setter here, for the first time in her history

 

[Scottish Presbyterian]

I think it was the Queen's wedding in 1947, rather than her coronation in 1953, at which the Psalm was sung (possibly both right enough).

 

[PeterR]

I think it was the Queen's wedding in 1947, rather than her coronation in 1953, at which the Psalm was sung (possibly both right enough).

Neil, would it by then have been the normal tune for the psalm in Scotland? It's hard to imagine that the tune is only 150 years old. I wonder what tune was "normal" for Psalm 23 previously. I'm assuming Psalm 23 was always popular, taught to children, etc and therefore would have had a tune very widely assoicated with it? Wiltshire (circa 1795) is also associated the psalm - do we know whether it was the previous favourite?

 

[Stephen L Smith]

I think it was the Queen's wedding in 1947, rather than her coronation in 1953, at which the Psalm was sung (possibly both right enough).

Neil, my country, like yours, sings 'God save our gracious Queen'. But as a fellow Scot, we do need to keep tabs on the English. We do not want them to sing:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the Queen.

 

[83r17h]

So my question is: what are the best psalm settings (from any psalter) that I might add to our song book?

From Sing Psalms I really like 103 to the tune of "Before the Throne of God above" and 119 (9) to the melody Trewen.

 

[Grant Van Leuven]

For easy to adapt to most any Psalm and tune (often Amazing Grace if we don't know one), the Scottish Psalter (or the Comprehensive Psalter version we use) is really great. By most Psalms set for Common Meter, it's meant to help anyone be able to sing with a lot of pretty simple melodies or a melody one knows to use for just about any Psalm, and a closer translation to the Hebrew by my understanding.

However, we find the RPCNA Psalters the most "singable" if you have a musical background. We love to break them out for family worship sometimes for a refreshing and especially enjoyable composition to sing, and they have some nice travel sizes. They are beautiful melodies and fun to sing, but would be tough for a non singing/musical family.

You can hear my eldest children singing four part harmonies of Psalm 23 with me at the end of this recent radio program introducing a series of messages on Psalm 23 (it's not perfect but I think encourages trying it out with a favorite Psalm); also includes a recorded performance (not worship) song by yours truly, an autobiography, on being a Dumb Stupid Sheep: https://omny.fm/shows/puritan-reformed-presbyterian-church/mans-chief-end-08-29-22

Repetition is the key too, and sometimes simply choosing short ones like Psalm 117 or Psalm 134 to build familiarity and seek to memorize. Psalm 67 too.

Psalm 100 (to the Old 100th) is a standard, especially as the tune is well known due to the "Doxology" that uses its tune. I'll try and get back and share some personal favorites from the various Psalters due to match of tune and words.

 

[Scottish Presbyterian]

Neil, would it by then have been the normal tune for the psalm in Scotland? It's hard to imagine that the tune is only 150 years old. I wonder what tune was "normal" for Psalm 23 previously. I'm assuming Psalm 23 was always popular, taught to children, etc and therefore would have had a tune very widely assoicated with it? Wiltshire (circa 1795) is also associated the psalm - do we know whether it was the previous favourite?

I really don't know the history of tunes commonly sung to the Psalm. A personal favourite is Moravia, which dates back to the 16th century - it's a beautiful tune and very easy to learn, which makes it ideal for teaching very young children as they are learning Psalm 23.

 

[Scottish Presbyterian]

Neil, my country, like yours, sings 'God save our gracious Queen'. But as a fellow Scot, we do need to keep tabs on the English. We do not want them to sing:

Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush,
and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the Queen.

On the contrary, the reference is not to all Scots, but only to the Jacobites - those who were harbouring and supporting the Romanist pretender to the British crown. Good Protestant Scots fought on the side of the British sovereign, and the Jacobite side included some English and Irish, though it was probably predominantly Scottish.

Anyway, the prayer was answered and the rebels were crushed, and Britain remains a Protestant nation even now, if only in name these days, sadly.

 

[aaronsk]

Ill just note my 4.5 year old can sing Psalm 23 from the 1650 psalter to New Britain (Amazing Grace tune). He is starting to learn others to the same tune. That seems about as introductory as it can get.

 

[Stephen L Smith]

On the contrary, the reference is not to all Scots, but only to the Jacobites - those who were harbouring and supporting the Romanist pretender to the British crown. Good Protestant Scots fought on the side of the British sovereign, and the Jacobite side included some English and Irish, though it was probably predominantly Scottish.

Anyway, the prayer was answered and the rebels were crushed, and Britain remains a Protestant nation even now, if only in name these days, sadly.

Brother, my comment was 'tongue in cheek'. Yes I greatly admire the Covenanters and their goal to make Britain a Protestant nation.

 

[PeterR]

I really don't know the history of tunes commonly sung to the Psalm. A personal favourite is Moravia, which dates back to the 16th century - it's a beautiful tune and very easy to learn, which makes it ideal for teaching very young children as they are learning Psalm 23.

Seems the tune was still in the course of becoming popular as late as 1912. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b05tkzn5

 

[Logan]

In the old Keys Psalter of 1864, (which was one of the first if not the first to put the words and music on the same page) they used "Brown".
In 1911, the RPCNA published their own psalter revision because they couldn't in good conscience continue on the 1912 Psalter committee. They used "Belmont" as the tune setting. This was retained in the 1920 psalter as well.
In 1929 they changed the setting to "Evan" for the C.M. selection, and had "Dominus Regit Me" and "Resignation" as 11.11.11.11 meters.
The 1950 kept "Evan" and introduced "Crimond" as an alternate C.M. tune.

 

[therussellhome]

Not what you are looking for but useful for introducing psalm singing to congregations (and families) used to contemporary Christian music

My Soul Among Lions

Psalms Go Folk

mysoulamonglions.com

 

[Jie-Huli]

I think it was the Queen's wedding in 1947, rather than her coronation in 1953, at which the Psalm was sung (possibly both right enough).

As an addendum on this, I have just read in the Daily Telegraph that Psalm 23 (to Crimond) will also be sung today at the thanksgiving service for Her late Majesty being held in St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh:

Link below (although I am not sure whether one can view the full text without a subscription).

Hymn from Queen Elizabeth's wedding to be sung at service giving thanks for her reign

The Lord is My Shepherd, from Psalm 23, will be heard at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Jes_Car]

I apologize if this was already recommended but when we started learning psalm singing as a family someone recommended to us a fairly new album called Psalmody Sessions, here is a Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Psalmody-Sessions-Already-Not-Yet/dp/B083WPQQ3R

It is also available on all streaming platforms and music services. Now that we are more practiced psalm singers I would say that these are some of the easiest and most loved psalms to sing. Here is a list of all the psalms covered on the album:

19
23
37
63
67
70
71
95
100
119
130

I also highly recommend the 1650 app and psalter.

 

[Dan1]

This summer I was blessed with the oppurtunity to introduce a capella psalm singing to our congregation in conjunction with a "Psalms of Summer" sermon series. We sung the Psalm being preached each week.

Each week I searched for a setting I could match to a tune the congregation was already familiar with. For the most part I pulled from The Book of Psalms for Singing or Sing Psalms. The response was mixed (we are a Baptist church - not many members have ever experienced Psalm singing), but it sounds like the elders liked it enough to want to continue the practice as a regular part of our service week to week.

So my question is: what are the best psalm settings (from any psalter) that I might add to our song book? Which are you favorites to sing congregationally? Obviously I will include Psalm 100, but other than no decisions have been made.

Thanks in advance!

I would recommend you check out the Trinity Psalter Hymnal, recently put out by the OPC/URC as a joint effort.

 

[JD]

I apologize if this was already recommended but when we started learning psalm singing as a family someone recommended to us a fairly new album called Psalmody Sessions, here is a Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Psalmody-Sessions-Already-Not-Yet/dp/B083WPQQ3R

It is also available on all streaming platforms and music services. Now that we are more practiced psalm singers I would say that these are some of the easiest and most loved psalms to sing. Here is a list of all the psalms covered on the album:

19
23
37
63
67
70
71
95
100
119
130

I also highly recommend the 1650 app and psalter.

Thank you for this!

 

[C4MERON]

Psalm 23 is most often associated with Crimond but, alternatively, St Columba is another favourite. I was singing it to Bishopthorpe earlier and it sounded pretty good.