Ship of Fools: Metrical Psalters

Thread: Metrical Psalters Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Demas (# 24) on :

Howdy people,

This came up in a conversation I was having so I thought I would ask here...

Do any of you have experience with exclusive or non-exclusive (inclusive?) use of metrical psalters? Did you use them a-cappella or with accompaniment?

I'm familiar with the version of Psalm 23 which comes from the old Scottish Psalter, (I think?) and various miscellaneous others like the Old Hundredth but I presume that nowadays there are modern language metrical psalters. Or am I wrong?

When you did use them, did you use excerpts, or did the whole congregation on occasion cheerfully sing about dashing babies against hard things? (Ps 137)

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

People in England tend to assume metrical psalms are a Scottish thing, but from the Reformation until the mid-nineteenth century, they were the normal way people sang psalms. Try the following websites.

Soundcloud page of Connor Quigley

The West Gallery Music Association - some more exciting ways of singing them.

PsalmsandPsimilar which has downloadable versions of psalms with tunes, advice and a link to Soundcloud samples of the tunes. It can also be accessed from the Bristol Diocesan website.

Music for the Church of God . This has a large collection of traditional metrical psalters with tune suggestions. I think the tune links may no longer work as the original creator of the site died and it was archived.

There is always hymnary.org which has plenty of useful resources hidden inside it.

There was also a book called Psalm Praise, a bit like Youth Praise, produced 40+ years ago, but it didn't really catch on.

People who use metrical versions tend to sing a few verses, or a selection. They tend not to sing about dashing babies against stones. As far back as 1929 the Scottish stable door Psalter marked some psalms as recommended. That carries the implication that the others are either less recommended or not recommended.

Posted by Albertus (# 13356) on :

The recently departed Canon Gwynn ap Gwilym published a splendid Welsh metrical psalter, with new translations from the Hebrew(this is where being both a Hebraist and a chaired Bard came in handy), a few years ago . Unfortunately I don't think it has ever been used as widely as it might have been.

Posted by Jengie jon (# 273) on :

Well, I am URC so psalms in a variety of forms featured, they are just part of the hymnody these days.

Of course, Psalm 24 (Scots Psalter) and Psalm 122 (Watts version) are part of the tradition.

You can find inclusive language metrical psalms at Psalter for Christian Worship and I also have Psalms for All Seasons.

Jengie

Posted by Nick Tamen (# 15164) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Jengie jon:
You can find inclusive language metrical psalms at Psalter for Christian Worship and I also have Psalms for All Seasons.

I was going to recommend both of those as well.

Also, it's not a psalter, but the new hymnal of the PC(USA), Glory to God, has a number of inclusive language metrical psalms. (I can't vouch for how easily any of them could reproduced for one-time use.)

Posted by dyfrig (# 15) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Albertus:
The recently departed Canon Gwynn ap Gwilym published a splendid Welsh metrical psalter, with new translations from the Hebrew(this is where being both a Hebraist and a chaired Bard came in handy), a few years ago . Unfortunately I don't think it has ever been used as widely as it might have been.

Both his and Edmwnd Prys' 1620s collections are available via the YouVersion app.

Posted by Metapelagius (# 9453) on :

From the Free CoS here.

We have inter alia used the version of Ps 23 in this - it fits the traditional tune Tarwathie very effectively.

Posted by Oblatus (# 6278) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Metapelagius:
From the Free CoS here.

We have inter alia used the version of Ps 23 in this - it fits the traditional tune Tarwathie very effectively.

At some point I decided I had to have a copy of this (the red hardcover with the split pages) and I have to say it's quite well done; the modern metrical setting is less tortured and Yoda-like than the old ones. I also have an earlier draft copy of it with sol-fa notation and spiral binding. Neato.

Posted by Demas (# 24) on :

Sorry for the drive by posting [Frown]

and thanks for the links.

I especially liked the Free CoS versions.

Are these arrangements you have personal experience with? Do you sing them generally with organ or a cappella?

The older stuff available through YouVersion have some very strange attempts at rhyme from my accent's perspective!

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