Psalm Roar London

psalms for learning

Here you will find the Psalms that we plan to sing on 27th January 2024. These resources will help you familiarise yourself with the tunes. The more you learn now, the more enthusiastic psalm-singing we can enjoy when we get together!

Here is a suggested goal: aim to be able to hum the tune (the main melody for unison psalms, your part for four-part psalms) without looking at the music.

Even if you are not musical, listening to the resources below will help you make the most of the day.

It is unlikely we will be able to sing all of these on the day.

Below you will find a few links to www.psalter.org. This is a brilliant resource from Crown and Covenant and we are very grateful for permission to use some of their psalms at Psalm Roar. You can use the website for free and access the clever Parts Player to learn the different parts. If you subscribe (which is very cheap; give it a try for $1!) you can also access sheet music, the words and choir recordings.

PSALMS FOR UNISON SINGING

For these Psalms we will all sing the same tune together, i.e. unison.

psalm 27

Set to the familiar tune “All My Days I Will Sing This Song Of Gladness”, by Stuart Townend. We’ll be starting with this.

LORD my God, you’re my light and my salvation; I’ll not fear, you’re the stronghold of my life.

When evil men draw near devouring me, You lift your voice and they stumble and fall.

Facing vast armies, terrors surrounding me,

I will feel no dread, ever confident,

I just ask one thing of God:

Enter his temple, gaze on his glorious face

He will shelter me, hide and cover me,

And he’ll lift me high on a rock.

Now my head is exalted high in victory, I’ll draw near, bringing gifts with shouts of joy;

O hear me, LORD my God – I cry aloud, Be gracious to me and answer my prayer.

I come to seek you, my heart will seek your face,

Do not turn from me, hide your face from me,

Or in anger turn me back;

For you have helped me, O LORD forsake me not,

Others turn from me, they’ve abandoned me,

But the LORD will welcome me home.

Teach me, LORD – in your ways direct and lead me, Guide my steps in the paths of truth and life;

Do not abandon me to violent men – Accusers breathing out hatred and lies.

LORD I shall see you, gaze on your righteousness,

Look upon your face, contemplate your grace,

Standing where your people live.

See now the LORD comes; stand firm and wait for him,

Let your hands be strong, let your heart be firm,

Lift your heads and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 2

This is a tune from the Genevan Psalter, with words updated by Douglas Wilson. Sheet music here (PDF file on external link). It can be sung in four-parts but we will sing it in unison. This is a pacy psalm!

psalm 24

A royal psalm. To the tune ‘Trumpet Voluntary’. Words by Christopher Idle. On the day, we will be led by a trumpet.

Psalm 124

Set to the lively tune from Genevan 124. Video below the lyrics.

Let Israel now say in thankfulness,

That if the LORD had not our right maintained

And if the LORD had not with us remained

When cruel men against us rose to strive

We’d surely have been swallowed up alive.

Yea, when their wrath against us fiercely rose

Then would the tide o’er us have spread its wave;

The raging stream would have become our grave;

The surging flood in proudly swelling roll,

Most surely would have overwhelmed us all.

Blest be the LORD who made us not their prey

As from the fowler’s net a bird may flee,

So from their broken snare did we go free,

Our only help is in God’s holy Name;

He made the earth and all the heavenly frame.

Sheet music can be found on Cantus(Psalms) (christkirk.com).

Psalm 45

Words by Matt Searles. Tune ‘Thaxted’.

This is a Genevan Tune. There was a time when you could be arrested in France for simply whistling this tune! We are meant to sing this as if we are marching swiftly towards battle.

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, O all you nations;
all you peoples, sing his praise.
For his love is great towards us;
his commitment lasts always.
He is faithful now and ever.
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Psalms for four-part singing

If you have never sung in four-parts, do not be worried. We will sit in groups according to the part that we sing, so that those around us are all singing the same tune. You may find (like me, the first time) that you have misjudged what part you sing; I thought I was Tenor but quickly realised I should sing Bass. If that is you, just move group.

• Soprano - female higher voice, plus children

• Alto - female lower voice

• Tenor - male higher voice

• Bass - male lower voice

The four parts give you “SATB”. Music arrangements for choirs are often described as SATB.

One of the great joys of singing in parts is the beauty of the harmonies. Singing in parts is a way of honouring our male-female distinctiveness, without forcing all men or all women to be identical.

If this is new to you, click HERE for a PDF (one side of A4) which will give a basic introduction to help you.

psalm 93

This is a lively four-part psalm. Recordings and sheet music to follow shortly.

The LORD is King, His throne endures

majestic in His height.

The LORD is robed in majesty

and armed with strength and might.

The world is founded firm and sure

Removed it cannot be.

Your throne is strong, and You are God

From all eternity.

The seas, O LORD, have lifted up,

They lifted up their voice.

The seas have lifted up their waves

And made a mighty noise.

The LORD, enthroned on high, is strong

More powerful is He

than thunder of the ocean’s waves

or breakers of the sea.

Your royal statutes, LORD, stand firm,

unchanging is Your word.

And holiness adorns Your house

for endless days, O LORD.

Psalm 70

Psalm 70 is “through-composed” - the tune is written to fit the words. Most of it is sung in unison, but for a few lines (in bold below) we split into four-parts. The first video teaches the main tune. The second video is an opportunity to hear it with the four-part section.

Sheet music available at this link (PDF file).

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord!
Let them be ashamed and confounded
Who seek my life;
Let them be turned back and confused
Who desire my hurt.
Let them be turned back because of their shame,
Who say, “Aha, aha!”

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified!”

But I am poor and needy;
Make haste to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.

This tune “Lyngham” is often used with O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing. We may learn four-parts for all of each verse, or perhaps only for the repeated final line. The video uses a tune “Desert” which has minor variations from “Lyngham”. But it does give an indication of the strength and pace with which we will sing this psalm! Learn parts with sheet music (for subscribers) from this page at psalter.org

The video is very shaky but gives an indication of how this can be sung. The four parts are easy to learn. For copyright reasons we cannot give you the sheet music but you can use this page at psalter.org to learn the parts or use the music files below.

Psalm 119:169-176

Before Thee let my cry come near,
O LORD; true to Thy word, teach me.
Before Thee let my pleading come;
True to Thy promise, rescue me.

Since Thou Thy statutes teachest me,
O let my lips Thy praise confess.
Yea, of Thy word my tongue would sing,
For Thy commands are righteousness.

Be ready with Thy hand to help,
Because Thy precepts are my choice.
I've longed for Thy salvation, LORD,
And in Thy holy law rejoice.

O Let Thine ordinances help;
My soul shall live and praise Thee yet.
A straying sheep, Thy servant, seek,
For Thy commands I ne'er forget.

You could visit this link at www.psalter.org to use their excellent resources to learn your parts. Here is an image of the sheet music which is NOT for sharing. Note that Tenor and Bass repeat the last line of each verse.

Psalm 148

Sheet music from this link (PDF file). Music recording at this link (MP3 file). Or find this psalm here at psalter.org although we are using slightly different words.

From heav'n O praise the LORD;
Ye heights, His glory raise.
All angels, praise accord;
Let all His host give praise.
Praise Him on high, Sun, moon, and star,
Sun, moon, and star,
Ye heav'ns afar, And cloudy sky.

Yea, let them glorious make
Jehovah's matchless name;
For when the word He spake
They into being came.
And from that place Where fixed they be,
Where fixed they be,
By his decree They cannot pass.

Psalms for chanting

We will have a go at chanting one or two psalms. The advantage of chanting is that we can sing the actual words of the Bible rather than a paraphrase of a psalm.

Psalm 12

This chant, from The Theopolis Institute, is simple to learn. It is not exactly Anglican Chant - I believe these form of chants are common in Lutheran psalters. Use only the top melody line - we will not be singing in harmony. Theopolis have produced a video to help you learn how to chant which you can find here.

Psalm 67

Watch the video to learn how to sing Anglican Chant.

Then you could give Psalm 67 a try - especially if you print off the PDF file and practice with a piano keyboard. We are probably not going to sing this in four-part harmony, but the main melody (and an octave lower for those who prefer that).