I love it when someone says to me, “You’ve got to listen to this song.” It’s how I’ve “discovered” songs that I still sing, or listen to, or use in worship.
It’s in this spirit that I continue my thread on hymns in The Book of Praise that “you’ve got to listen to.” Today I suggest a few more psalm paraphrases that merit attention. It’s worth noting that the Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids is working very hard these days to get people singing the psalms again, by holding conferences and sponsoring psalm searches. Redeemer University College is also promoting psalm singing, as a web article by David T. Koyzis shows.
It was one of the goals of both our Book of Praise and Book of Psalms task forces, and it is why we enjoy such a variety in psalm settings.
“Lift up the gates eternal,” (#112) is a well-known setting which uses an Israeli folk melody. If you have a flute player, it is wonderful to intersperse the sung verses with instrumental meditations. It is effective to have a soloist sing the verses, and the whole congregation sing the chorus. Similar in structure is “It is good to give thanks to you, Lord,” from the Wild Goose Worship Resource Group (WGWRG). A simple way to dramatize this one is to vary the soloists on the verses, or have the whole choir (or a group of soloists) alternate with individual voices. Everyone then joins the refrain.
“The steadfast love of the Lord” (#20) would be great in a worship service which also includes “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” It is a paraphrase of Lamentations 3, and another good one to feature solos on verses, and all singers in the chorus. Or even have the first part of the chorus sung by a small group. Then all can sing the words “They are new every morning…” It makes a great introit.
“I waited, I waited on you, Lord” (#24), a paraphrase of Psalm 40 from the Iona community would also make a good introit. It’s a short prayer that could be repeated in the manner of the Taizé community.
“Peoples, clap your hands” (#31) is perhaps the most rhythmically engaging of the Genevan psalter tunes in the Book of Praise. Each line is rhythmically identical and has a lovely syncopation in the middle of each line. Those who know the history of Genevan psalm tunes will (correctly) say that the long notes are not really intended as syncopations, but rather musical representations of Latin poetic metres. but I don’t care. If singing them as what Queen Liz the First haughtily called “Genevan jigs” will enliven congregational song, then jig to your heart’s content. If I think the choir (or congregation) will have trouble with the rhythm, I have them clap it before they sing it.
“I rest in God alone” (#36) is a paraphrase of Psalm 62 in the musical tradition of British pop ballads, Elton John’s territory. I would suggest that you not play the written piano part literally, but embellish it in the pop piano style. When we do it at Trafalgar Presbyterian in Oakville, we extend the music in several ways. We make the first ending four bars long instead of two, we repeat the last part of the hymn which begins with “my trust and all of my heart”, and once again play all four measures of the now-extended first ending before finishing with the second ending.
Another selection in the same tradition is “O Lord, the refuge of each generation” (#56.) We do a similar extending of the endings. This paraphrase has a cumulative power (like that of #14 “Safe in your hands”) and having a soloist sing verse one, the choir sing verse two, and the congregation join for the final two verses is not only a good way to exploit its emotional and thematic power, but also an excellent way to teach it.
The harmony of “Bless the Lord, O my soul” (#68) was described by one of the Book of Praise task force members as “delightfully cheesy.” Not words I would use, but I know what they meant, and this psalm selection needs to be presented with a full enjoyment of its lounge harmonies. We have used it for Jazz Vespers services, with a soloist singing the verses, and the congregation joining for the refrain, with instrumentalists taking solo verses. It works wonderfully.
