The Singing Presbyterians

I

 was reared in the Presbyterian faith. One of my favorite memories is the singing of hymns and working on harmony. Fifty years ago I sang in our little church choir and thoroughly enjoyed the musical experience, an experience that has been a part of my collective memory for many years and helped form what little good character I possess. I love participating in group singing in four-part harmony and I love praising God in song.

We also studied the Holy Bible. At some point, I was made to realize that the Psalms were actually songs; songs that David sang in praise to God. Of course as I read the Psalms, I saw quickly that the western concept of rhythm and rhyme just are not there in the Authorized Version of the Bible. I was then told that when they were written (in Hebrew) that they indeed did have those two qualities originally. I thought upon the quandary of having 150 beautiful songs in the Bible that sounded clunky when you tried to sing them.

I have always wished that some gifted poet would transform a few of them into modern form for the purpose of singing while keeping the spiritual message intact. Surely someone could do that.

Fifty years later I have learned that indeed someone did do that and the first church to use a hymnbook composed entirely of Psalms, recreated in the King’s English, with perfect rhythm and rhyme, preserved with the original message intact, was the Church of Scotland (the Presbyterians). How about that.

http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/Psalter0.htm

First conceived in 1564 for use by John Knox’s congregations, the Psalter went through a few revisions and additions before its final evolution into the Scottish Psalter of 1650. The Presbyterian Church of Scotland used this hymnal solely until 1929. The Psalms are beautifully and artfully done. One example is transcribed below.

Psalm 147: Scottish Psalter 1650

1    Praise ye the Lord; for it is good

          praise to our God to sing:

     For it is pleasant, and to praise

          it is a comely thing.

2    God doth build up Jerusalem;

          and he it is alone

     That the dispers'd of Israel

          doth gather into one.

3    Those that are broken in their heart,

          and grieved in their minds,

     He healeth, and their painful wounds

          he tenderly up-binds.

4    He counts the number of the stars;

          he names them ev'ry one.

5    Great is our Lord, and of great pow'r;

          his wisdom search can none.

6    The Lord lifts up the meek; and casts

          the wicked to the ground.

7    Sing to the Lord, and give him thanks;

          on harp his praises sound;

8    Who covereth the heav'n with clouds,

          who for the earth below

     Prepareth rain, who maketh grass

          upon the mountains grow.

9    He gives the beast his food, he feeds

          the ravens young that cry.

10   His pleasure not in horses' strength,

          nor in man's legs, doth lie.

11   But in all those that do him fear

          the Lord doth pleasure take;

     In those that to his mercy do

          by hope themselves betake.

12   The Lord praise, O Jerusalem;

          Sion, thy God confess:

13   For thy gates' bars he maketh strong;

          thy sons in thee doth bless.

14   He in thy borders maketh peace;

          with fine wheat filleth thee.

15   He sends forth his command on earth,

          his word runs speedily.

16   Hoar-frost, like ashes, scatt'reth he;

          like wool he snow doth give:

17   Like morsels casteth forth his ice;

          who in its cold can live?

18   He sendeth forth his mighty word,

          and melteth them again;

     His wind he makes to blow, and then

          the waters flow amain.

19   The doctrine of his holy word

          to Jacob he doth show;

     His statutes and his judgments he

          gives Israel to know.

20   To any nation never he

          such favour did afford;

     For they his judgments have not known.

          O do ye praise the Lord.

Each Psalm is written in equal beauty and faithfulfness to the Scriptures. One wonders why every English-speaking church in Christendom would not be using such a remarkable resource.