tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89910154052310047852024-03-15T08:08:18.385-04:00The Genevan PsalterA blog dedicated to the 16th-century Genevan Psalter and other ways of singing the Psalms.David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.comBlogger646125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-57482446145619086972024-03-14T13:47:00.001-04:002024-03-14T13:50:17.218-04:00Psalternatif: Psalms 1 and 2<p>Our friend Roeland Scherff has posted two more videos of performances of the Genevan Psalms. These are the first two Psalms, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMhQYy99GF0&pp=ygU4UHNhbHRlcm5hdGllZiAtIFBzYWxtIDIgKERlIE5pZXV3ZSBQc2FsbWJlcmlqbWluZywgbGl2ZSk%3D" target="_blank">Psalm 1</a> being in a jazz style and <a href="https://youtu.be/3AqgQxB9_ko?si=a1_J1FqjMd1TYAVn" target="_blank">Psalm 2</a> in a rock and roll style:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hMhQYy99GF0" width="320" youtube-src-id="hMhQYy99GF0"></iframe></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3AqgQxB9_ko" width="320" youtube-src-id="3AqgQxB9_ko"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-62566479786547496882024-03-08T08:39:00.002-05:002024-03-08T08:39:47.603-05:00Parker's Psalm 68<p>In addition to <a href="https://genevanpsalter.blogspot.com/2024/03/parkers-psalm-1.html" target="_blank">Psalm 1</a>, The Cardinall's Musick has also posted Archbishop Parker's versification of <a href="https://youtu.be/WtDV6TkC3bM?si=zLTtUzqpdVZnX2nv" target="_blank">Psalm 68</a>. Again, the tenor soloist sings the tune once before the choir joins in.</p><p></p>
<center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="245" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WtDV6TkC3bM?si=WSe3BcquOmqELDFk" title="YouTube video player" width="298"></iframe></center><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>Here is the text of the first stanza:</p><p></p><blockquote>Let God arise in majesty<br />And scattered be his foes.<br />Yea, flee they all his sight in face,<br />To him which hateful goes.<br />As smoke is driv'n and com'th to naught,<br />Repulse their tyranny.<br />At face of fire, as wax doth melt,<br />God's face the bad must fly.</blockquote><p>As Psalm 68 is one of the longer psalms, and because Parker's versification consists of 35 stanzas, I have not tried to repost all of them above. <a href="https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Let_God_arise_(Thomas_Tallis)" target="_blank">However, all 35 can be found here</a>. <br /></p><p></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-35680508278435978622024-03-07T10:28:00.001-05:002024-03-07T10:28:32.714-05:00Parker's Psalm 1<p>Here is Archbishop Parker's rendition of <a href="https://youtu.be/1UKVacarrMA?si=IAYMA4TJ8Nn0Ark4" target="_blank">Psalm 1</a>, set to Thomas Tallis' tune, performed by <a href="http://www.cardinallsmusick.com/" target="_blank">The Cardinall's Musick</a>, under the direction of Andrew Carwood. This particular video was posted not quite two months ago. It is good that the tenor soloist sings the melody first, because it is easy to lose track of the melody in a full choral performance.</p>
<p>
</p><center></center><center></center><center></center><center></center><center></center><center></center><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="245" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1UKVacarrMA?si=VT8B3E29q-Gd4hRJ" title="YouTube video player" width="298"></iframe></center><p></p><p>
Here is Parker's full versified text. Note once again the internal rhymes in the odd-numbered lines, as in his <a href="https://genevanpsalter.blogspot.com/2024/02/parkers-psalm-2.html" target="_blank">Psalm 2 text</a>.</p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p></p><blockquote>Man blest no doubt who walk'th not out<br />In wicked mens affayres,<br />And stond'th no daie in sinners waie<br />Nor sit'th in scorners chayres;<br />But holdth even still in Gods lawe in will,<br />With all his hartes delight,<br />And will him use, on it to muse,<br />To keepe it day and night. </blockquote><p></p><blockquote>He like shall bee the planted tree<br />Nie set the rivers course<br />Which fruth in tyde whose leaves abide<br />All prosperth what he doese.<br />Not so, not so the wicked do,<br />Lyke dust or chaffe they bee<br />Uphoyst by winde, as light by kynde,<br />From face of earth to see.</blockquote><blockquote>Therfore these men: so wicked then,<br />In iudgement shall not stand:<br />Nor sinners bee in companie,<br />Of righteous men of hand.<br />The Lord doth know and will avow,<br />mens wayes that are of God:<br />Where shall decaie the beaten waie,<br />Of wicked men to brode.</blockquote><p></p><p></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-84479134395425647732024-03-04T16:19:00.002-05:002024-03-04T16:19:11.142-05:00The midnight office<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3I5Q231LHqgUsiu9vhBfH3le0Ci7jzfY4x8qgZc6uDIJ_uXW7q3q7R2Yol7nviV9uJVfAX7mnr_jpewv83CPpNbkXqdLzFG5tWHEZVCXmPXN3TplNl0b8h92lVta-tV5Dy66gPF34PpvuyeqQh8b0Ndr1jOCeOiyPUiJD1FHRfWJrxnYPKjvSo51ZDgM8/s1920/midnight%20office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3I5Q231LHqgUsiu9vhBfH3le0Ci7jzfY4x8qgZc6uDIJ_uXW7q3q7R2Yol7nviV9uJVfAX7mnr_jpewv83CPpNbkXqdLzFG5tWHEZVCXmPXN3TplNl0b8h92lVta-tV5Dy66gPF34PpvuyeqQh8b0Ndr1jOCeOiyPUiJD1FHRfWJrxnYPKjvSo51ZDgM8/s320/midnight%20office.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The March issue of <i>Christian Courier</i> carries my most recent column, <a href="https://www.christiancourier.ca/the-midnight-office/" target="_blank">The Midnight Office</a>, continuing from last month's piece on <a href="https://www.christiancourier.ca/daily-prayer/" target="_blank">daily prayer</a>. An excerpt:<p></p><p data-block-type="core"></p><blockquote><p data-block-type="core">Last month I recounted my youthful discovery
of the discipline of daily prayer, also known as the daily office.
According to this pattern, whose origins almost certainly extend back to
God’s people of the old covenant, the entire day is divided up into
approximately three-hour intervals punctuated by the several prayer
offices. The number varies between five and seven, and sometimes more.</p>
<p data-block-type="core">However, one of these offices puzzled me,
because it occurred in the middle of the night when I assumed most
normal people would be sleeping. If we are sleeping an average of eight
hours per night, wouldn’t rising to pray in the middle of this period be
a huge disruption? Perhaps that’s why the daily office was relegated to
the monks, who were accustomed to cultivating heroic disciplines for
the sake of their Saviour.</p><p data-block-type="core">More than ten years ago, I learned something that solved the puzzle.</p></blockquote><p data-block-type="core"></p><a href="https://www.christiancourier.ca/the-midnight-office/" target="_blank">Read the entire article here</a>. David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-88426555753614503312024-02-29T17:06:00.001-05:002024-02-29T17:06:41.079-05:00Psalternatief: Psalm 1<p>Now this is delightful. I've often thought that the melodies of the Genevan Psalter, especially those in the Dorian and Phrygian modes, could easily lend themselves to jazz or blues treatment. Well, this one is in the Ionian mode (equivalent to our major scale), but our friends at <a href="https://psalternatief.nl/" target="_blank">Psalternatief</a> in the Netherlands have posted what appears to be an improvised jazz arrangement for Psalm 1, and it works very nicely indeed. <i>Gefeliciteerd, onze vrienden!</i> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lGqrXYEwL4c" width="320" youtube-src-id="lGqrXYEwL4c"></iframe></div><br />David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-87845040076760322172024-02-26T10:48:00.001-05:002024-02-26T10:48:53.090-05:00Parker's Psalm 2<p>Earlier in the month, I posted about <a href="https://genevanpsalter.blogspot.com/2024/02/matthew-parkers-psalter-1567.html" target="_blank">Archbishop Matthew's Parker largely forgotten metrical psalter of 1567</a>, which included nine tunes by the incomparable English Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis. Here is a recording of most of Psalm 2 as set to Tallis' <span style="font-size: x-small;">THIRD MODE MELODY</span><span style="font-size: small;"> or </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">THIRD PSALM TUNE</span>. The <a href="https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Why_fumeth_in_sight_(Thomas_Tallis)" target="_blank">full text</a> in pre-standard spelling follows the video. Note the internal rhymes in lines 1 and 3.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8bPFAKxb9IQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="8bPFAKxb9IQ"></iframe></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><blockquote style="margin-left: 120px; text-align: left;">PSALM II</blockquote><p></p><p></p><blockquote>1. Why fum'th in sight: the Gentils spite,<br />In fury raging stout?<br />Why tak'th in hond: the people fond,<br />Uayne thinges to bring about?<br /><br />2. The kinges arise: the lordes deuise,<br />in counsayles mett therto:<br />Agaynst the Lord: with false accord,<br />against his Christ they go.<br /><br />3. Let vs they say: breake downe their ray,<br />of all their bondes and cordes:<br />We will renounce: that they pronounce,<br />their loores as stately lordes.<br /><br />4. But God of might: in heauen so bright,<br />Shall laugh them all to scorne:<br />The Lord on hie: shall them defie,<br />they shall be once forlorne.<br /><br />[5. Then shall his ire: speake all in fire,<br />to them agayne therfore:<br />He shall with threate: their malice beate,<br />in his displeasure sore.<br /><br />6. Yet am I set: a king so great,<br />on Sion hill full fast:<br />Though me they kill: yet will that hill,<br />my lawe and worde outcast.<br /><br />7. Gods wordes decreed: I (Christ) wil sprede<br />for God thus sayd to me/e:<br />My sonne I say: thou art, this day,<br />I haue begotten the/e.<br /><br />8. Aske thou of me/e: I will geue the/e,<br />to rule all Gentils londes:<br />Thou shalt possesse: in suernesse,<br />the world how wide it stondes.]<br /><br />9. With iron rod: as mighty God,<br />all rebels shalt thou bruse:<br />And breake them all: in pieces small,<br />as sherdes the potters vse.<br /><br />10. Be wise therfore: ye kinges the more,<br />Receyue ye wisdomes lore:<br />Ye iudges strong: of right and wrong,<br />aduise you now before.<br /><br />11. The Lorde in feare: your seruice beare,<br />with dread to him reioyce:<br />Let rages be: resist not ye,<br />him serue with ioyfull voyce.<br /><br />12. The sonne kisse ye: lest wroth he be,<br />lose not the way of rest:<br />For when his ire: is set on fire,<br />who trust in hym be blest. </blockquote><p></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-85580205255211350932024-02-20T16:19:00.002-05:002024-02-20T16:19:59.767-05:00Daily prayer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D0t7eAQrJOV6avXCRKA96s_oZUBfnxUz4IyOnFRUc40oiVuWQQINKkrcfNK0D6AkfweLG_W2eayKcIYTgKifIdH58VjYJH9PstZhfRhf955Id0P5LY20XNTGgSSbSAMWi0C716lteGwwUlQjEXBMBXv3uALYVzeVyH2EWK2RoP7ziYpZbrVkP9xYVP9T/s3264/Daily%20Office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-D0t7eAQrJOV6avXCRKA96s_oZUBfnxUz4IyOnFRUc40oiVuWQQINKkrcfNK0D6AkfweLG_W2eayKcIYTgKifIdH58VjYJH9PstZhfRhf955Id0P5LY20XNTGgSSbSAMWi0C716lteGwwUlQjEXBMBXv3uALYVzeVyH2EWK2RoP7ziYpZbrVkP9xYVP9T/s320/Daily%20Office.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My latest contribution to <i>Christian Courier</i> is titled, <a href="https://www.christiancourier.ca/daily-prayer/" target="_blank">Daily Prayer</a>, subtitled, "Devotions as daily practice taken from ancient patterns." Here is an excerpt:<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p>When I was in my early twenties, I visited the bookstore of Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and purchased a copy of <em>The Daily Office</em>,
edited by Herbert Lindemann and published by Concordia in 1965. A small
volume, it nevertheless runs to nearly 700 pages and includes liturgies
for morning and evening prayer organized according to the church
calendar. This ancient practice, usually associated with monastic
communities, was unfamiliar to me, but it transformed my prayer life. . . .</p><p>What impressed me most about the daily office was the generous use of the Psalms.</p></blockquote><p></p><p><a href="https://www.christiancourier.ca/daily-prayer/" target="_blank">Read the rest of the article here</a>. <br /></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-4357466022204023052024-02-08T10:52:00.007-05:002024-02-08T16:54:47.707-05:00Matthew Parker's Psalter (1567)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHFk5_9_ElsrJ1IWI20r83zb9Lbt7LpK6Dg-ZxinmyTy1VLnMDitKCsiDPzOE6AuIIP2wmueuK6dCJqyz2qgCIAQMLkeqQEeUR7aa2Q-gpGKa69E5Rasdk9sNmKXU-ZIrivQOvjfioCHiHpce9BJcwC0xPmwgnl_Sww186_0sXUcdIzuq3-f_v3YSIxGQ/s389/Archbishop_Matthew_Parker.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHFk5_9_ElsrJ1IWI20r83zb9Lbt7LpK6Dg-ZxinmyTy1VLnMDitKCsiDPzOE6AuIIP2wmueuK6dCJqyz2qgCIAQMLkeqQEeUR7aa2Q-gpGKa69E5Rasdk9sNmKXU-ZIrivQOvjfioCHiHpce9BJcwC0xPmwgnl_Sww186_0sXUcdIzuq3-f_v3YSIxGQ/s320/Archbishop_Matthew_Parker.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>Archbishop Matthew Parker (1504-1575) played a minor role in the development of English metrical psalmody during the Reformation era. He managed to survive Queen Mary's brief reign (1553-1558) and reluctantly accepted appointment by Queen Elizabeth to the See of Canterbury. While occupying this office, Parker presided over the convocation that developed the <a href="https://www.anglicanism.info/articles-of-religion" target="_blank">Thirty-Nine Articles</a>, the principal confession of the Reformed English church.<p></p><p>In 1567, he published a <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/whortran00park" target="_blank">Whole Psalter translated into English metre, which contayneth an hundreth and fifty Psalmes</a></i>. The texts were set to eight tunes composed by the renowned Thomas Tallis (1505-1585). On the fate of Parker's texts, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Metrical-Psalmody-in-Print-and-Practice-English-Singing-Psalms-and-Scottish/Duguid/p/book/9781138269712?gclid=CjwKCAiAlJKuBhAdEiwAnZb7lRFVHJX8CQoASb8JIbnan36TGR6uXlfitofp02fwBu-X3Y38maJsxxoCCegQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Timothy Duguid</a> writes:</p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p></p><blockquote>For many reasons, Parker's [collection] should have
eclipsed the Sternhold and Hopkins versions. First, Parker's eventual
position as Archbishop of Canterbury should have conferred authoritative
status on his psalms. More than that, his versifications were arguably
superior in both poetic beauty and translational accuracy than the
Sternhold and Hopkins psalters. By providing collects and arguments for
each psalm, his psalter was also better suited to the liturgy of the
English national church. It was musically much simpler than the
Sternhold and Hopkins psalters, employing eight tunes—by no less a
composer than Thomas Tallis—which could fit all 150 of Parker's psalm
versifications. Despite the advantages of Parker's psalter, one
significant factor ensured that it would remain in relative obscurity:
the simple fact that he was neither Sternhold nor Hopkins, whose names
had become synonymous with English metrical psalmody. Theirs were the
psalms that martyrs sang as they were burned at the stake during Mary's
reign; theirs were the words that sustained others in exile. The
strength of this pedigree would prove insurmountable for Parker's or any
other psalm versifications in England until the eighteenth century [Duguid, 119].</blockquote><p>Here are the Tallis Scholars performing Tallis' <a href="https://youtu.be/4ZvTlJNv7rQ?si=KsaF1_XvWHkPCn1w" target="_blank">Nine Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter</a>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4ZvTlJNv7rQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="4ZvTlJNv7rQ"></iframe></div><p></p><p></p><blockquote>1. Psalm 1: Man blest no doubt<br />2. Psalm 68: Let God arise in majesty<br />3. Psalm 2: Why fum'th in sight (<span style="font-size: x-small;">THIRD MODE MELODY</span>)<br />4. Psalm 95: O come in one to praise the Lord<br />5. Psalm 42: E'en like the hunted hind<br />6. Psalm 5: Expend, O Lord, my plaint<br />7. Psalm 52: Why brag'st in malice high<br />8. Psalm 67: God grant with grace (<span style="font-size: x-small;">TALLIS' CANON</span>)<br />9. <i>Veni Creator</i>: Come Holy Ghost, eternal God (<span style="font-size: x-small;">TALLIS' ORDINAL</span>)</blockquote>The third tune in the collection is especially well known because the 20th-century English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams used it as the basis of his transcendently beautiful <a href="https://youtu.be/e6pEIHtffqQ?si=2LXkL_1UBYic5PpB" target="_blank">Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis</a> (1910), about which I wrote <a href="https://genevanpsalter.blogspot.com/2010/01/tallis-haunting-tune.html" target="_blank">here</a> on the centenary of its first performance. In 1971 American composer Fisher Tull based his <i><a href="https://youtu.be/DCc9z3fzl90?si=ngSFMVAnt_YofBv5" target="_blank">Sketches on a Tudor Psalm</a></i> on the same melody. (Do listen to both! They are amazing pieces in their own ways. While Vaughan Williams' piece is for strings, Tull's is for brass and woodwinds, giving each a quite different feel. Vaughan Williams' treatment is pastoral and rooted in a remote pre-industrial past, while Tull's is agitated and energetic.)<br /><p></p><p>Although Parker's texts failed to catch on over the long term, at least three of Tallis' tunes have found their way into our standard hymnals.<br /></p><p></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-9821523144469305432024-02-06T09:48:00.000-05:002024-02-06T09:48:18.284-05:00Psalm 141, auf Deutsch<p>Our new friend Detlef Korsen has just posted a video of <a href="https://youtu.be/V7vLQPXIgv0?si=oSpdMlqctJIQBj1s" target="_blank">Genevan Psalm 141</a>, which he sings while accompanying himself on guitar. <i>Danke sehr, unser Freund. Sehr schön!</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/V7vLQPXIgv0" width="320" youtube-src-id="V7vLQPXIgv0"></iframe></div><p>Incidentally, <a href="https://genevanpsalter.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-genevan-psalters-debt-to-gregorian.html" target="_blank">as I have pointed out before</a>, the proper Genevan melody for this Psalm appears to borrow from the ancient hymn, <i><a href="https://youtu.be/UqYgWMdkhSg?si=OuJ1K_b1uUkW2NpH" target="_blank">Conditor Alme Siderum</a></i>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UqYgWMdkhSg" width="320" youtube-src-id="UqYgWMdkhSg"></iframe></div>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-40621203446368346932024-01-31T10:09:00.004-05:002024-01-31T15:03:05.200-05:00Psalm 85: Anatomy of the Soul<p>Our friend Brian Wright is at it again. He has just posted his own rendition of <a href="https://youtu.be/F9pczCjrZUg?si=FCHC215b4L-E6DkR" target="_blank">Psalm 85</a>. The text is from <span class="yt-core-attributed-string yt-core-attributed-string--white-space-pre-wrap"><i>The Book of Psalms for Worship</i> from which members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America have sung since 2009.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F9pczCjrZUg" width="320" youtube-src-id="F9pczCjrZUg"></iframe></div><p>This is Wright's description at his YouTube channel:</p><p><span class="yt-core-attributed-string yt-core-attributed-string--white-space-pre-wrap"></span></p><blockquote><span class="yt-core-attributed-string yt-core-attributed-string--white-space-pre-wrap"><span class="yt-core-attributed-string--link-inherit-color" style="color: #131313;">This is Psalm 85:8-13 set to “Shepherds,” a tune I wrote last year. In the verses before this, the authors, the Sons of Korah, wrestle with how long God’s people have been suffering. They ask God, “Will you be angry with us forever?…Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” And then the authors write the words I’ve sung here—confidence that God will restore, that grace and truth and righteousness and peace are the future of everyone who trusts in Him. A thousand years later, Jesus came speaking that peace, suffering in the place of sinners like me so that we might have peace with God. If you are asking God, “How long?” right now, believe these words and put your trust in the One who makes them true.</span></span></blockquote><p>More such Psalms can be found at <a href="https://anatomyofthesoul.com/" target="_blank">Anatomy of the Soul</a>, a link to which I have put in the right sidebar of this blog.<br /></p><p></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-38072524488387407582024-01-30T14:52:00.004-05:002024-01-30T15:43:19.604-05:00A Presbyterian Prayer Book?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9-KcAJe6E1Jrl4wghPssCIzidxLB7eD_AWsWKEY-tLrFGJz6ojgLPKbgZDhlKv-l7sgX-RmfyJb7Iq52KZX8JIsVv_mDIWX1RJP3Zj0PjakDxAJSJma5rOTJvmw2hrs1SyMTCtBEa_H78Wwug4ey73QQ2U8LDZzbt0jhDcL2bT5h429q0yx9ScUDRACT/s1593/BCP%201661.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1593" data-original-width="1007" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9-KcAJe6E1Jrl4wghPssCIzidxLB7eD_AWsWKEY-tLrFGJz6ojgLPKbgZDhlKv-l7sgX-RmfyJb7Iq52KZX8JIsVv_mDIWX1RJP3Zj0PjakDxAJSJma5rOTJvmw2hrs1SyMTCtBEa_H78Wwug4ey73QQ2U8LDZzbt0jhDcL2bT5h429q0yx9ScUDRACT/s320/BCP%201661.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>I have recently discovered an historical oddity that merits mention due to the role it played—or might have played—in the liturgical controversies in 17th-century England and Scotland. While the 1662 Book of Common Prayer remains the standard for the Church of England, few people are aware of an edition supposedly drawn up the previous year: <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/bookofcommonpray0000pres" target="_blank">The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church, as amended by the Westminster Divines in the Royal Commission of 1661</a></i>. Presbyterians are familiar with the Westminster Assembly, consisting of clergy and parliamentarians meeting between 1643 and 1653 to push the Church of England in a more explicitly Reformed direction. The Assembly produced a new form of church government that would replace bishops with pastors, teachers/doctors, elders, and deacons. It produced the <a href="https://opc.org/wcf.html" target="_blank">Westminster Confession of Faith</a>, a <a href="https://opc.org/lc.html" target="_blank">Larger</a> and <a href="https://opc.org/sc.html" target="_blank">Shorter Catechism</a>, and a <a href="https://www.opc.org/BCO/DPW.html" target="_blank">Directory of Public Worship</a>, which consisted more of rubrics than of a set liturgy.<br /><p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>But did the Assembly also produce a revision of the Book of Common Prayer? Not exactly. The Assembly had adjourned in 1653, assuming that its reforms would be maintained in the Churches of England and Scotland. This was in the midst of a period of great political instability variously called the English Civil War or the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. The year 1649 saw the execution of King Charles I and the establishment of the Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. The Commonwealth lasted until 1660, when Charles II was restored to the thrones of the kingdoms. By this time, the Westminster Assembly had been adjourned for seven years, having completed its work the same year that open military conflict had ended. Following the restoration of the monarchy, the Savoy Conference of 1661, at which some of the Assembly's delegates were present, attempted to settle the liturgical question, but without success. The King imposed the 1662 Prayer Book the following year, over considerable protest.<br /></p><p>So what is this 1661 Prayer Book? and where did it come from? As far as I can tell, it is a reconstruction of what might have been acceptable to the Assembly if it had not opted for a Directory of Worship instead. Published in Philadelphia in 1864, this volume was edited by <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/141441105/charles-woodruff-shields" target="_blank">Charles Woodruff Shields</a>, D.D. (1825-1904), who straddled the Presbyterian and Episcopal worlds. At the volume's end Shields appended nine
chapters and four appendices discussing the relationship between
Presbyterianism and prayer book worship. Despite what the title of the
volume as a whole appears to indicate, the Westminster Assembly never approved a BCP. </p><p>What is in this volume? It is recognizably a Book of Common Prayer, but there are notable differences from the 1662 and subsequent editions. Like the 1662, the "1661" contains orders for morning and evening prayer, and the litany. But then comes "The Order for Divine Service on The Lord's Day," beginning with Psalm 122, proceeding to the Collect for Purity, the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the collect for the day, the Epistle and Gospel lessons, followed by the Eight Beatitudes, and then the <i>Gloria in Excelsis</i>. Then the Apostles or Nicene Creeds, with the following rubric before the former: "Then the Minister and the People standing, will say the Apostles' Creed; wherein the words, 'He descended into hell,' are understood to mean that he continued in the state of the dead, and under the power of death, until the third day." Then comes the sermon, followed by "Collects, Ascriptions, and Benedictions." Nothing like this is found in the 1662.<br /></p><p>Then come the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels for the church year. Notably absent here are the feast days for biblical saints included in the 1662. After this comes an "Order for the Administration of the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion." beginning with a preparatory service in advance of the Supper, something absent from the 1662 but found in the liturgies of other Reformed churches. Then follows the Public Baptism of Infants. Private baptism—unthinkable in the larger Reformed tradition—has been eliminated altogether.</p><p>The Catechism is the Westminster Shorter Catechism, memorably beginning with this question and answer: "What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever."</p><p>The "1661" naturally includes a complete Psalter, as rendered by Miles Coverdale, and scheduled to be read every thirty days.</p><p>Needless to say, no one ever worshipped with this prayer book. At best, it is an interesting side note in the history of English-language liturgy.<br /></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-3848623297184952462024-01-29T14:34:00.001-05:002024-01-29T14:41:43.309-05:00Oremus Metrical Psalter<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazscbr3qkU8S8yrpLqBGD72HY-YWPCnBUJokfl5lbDcC5PZq0uh6Glwk9ib1kzgcS5STsHIfJblPgjq1FwdbPpi8qSg5omfImb-ZAhX25HneS-VkO8OlylKeGU_bebFbHzF_ukfTn4N9oKhLeXE-m9FTImRF-nqpj4EEu9lIciSBsF7ZeVe6as7lRLgUH/s569/Oremus.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="569" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazscbr3qkU8S8yrpLqBGD72HY-YWPCnBUJokfl5lbDcC5PZq0uh6Glwk9ib1kzgcS5STsHIfJblPgjq1FwdbPpi8qSg5omfImb-ZAhX25HneS-VkO8OlylKeGU_bebFbHzF_ukfTn4N9oKhLeXE-m9FTImRF-nqpj4EEu9lIciSBsF7ZeVe6as7lRLgUH/s320/Oremus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Our friend Steve Benner informs us that the online <a href="https://oremus.blog/metrical-psalter/" target="_blank">Oremus Metrical Psalter</a> is now complete. Each Psalm offers a musical score, followed by an organ recording of the music, then the lyrics, and finally the sources. The tunes are mostly familiar ones easily sung by most congregations in the English-speaking world. The Psalms are organized according to the 30-day schedule found in the Book of Common Prayer.<br /></p><p>I have put a link to the Oremus Psalter in the right sidebar of this blog.<br /></p><p></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-14668538911070651172024-01-25T11:26:00.001-05:002024-01-25T11:27:12.143-05:00O Legado Litúrgico de Cranmer<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVBujjdwCed7ytUwcz52SbhUBS_aMuk5KoPUhVumjVYiw2JrHSU1O5jRX0hdGuzWp0mIFV31_HUQ_PJAj3nfA9zmMoFbGr0j2aDQiqP-IHUdDJMtgfzd3scRk6FbYS4AlLh8dHS281glUEPRc01PllWzlSg_ZWWpCOkO2e3P7hSXYKxZA52bEU1vfwfL_/s938/Cranmer.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVBujjdwCed7ytUwcz52SbhUBS_aMuk5KoPUhVumjVYiw2JrHSU1O5jRX0hdGuzWp0mIFV31_HUQ_PJAj3nfA9zmMoFbGr0j2aDQiqP-IHUdDJMtgfzd3scRk6FbYS4AlLh8dHS281glUEPRc01PllWzlSg_ZWWpCOkO2e3P7hSXYKxZA52bEU1vfwfL_/w154-h200/Cranmer.webp" width="154" /></a></div>The Brazilian web publication <a href="https://lecionario.medium.com/" target="_blank">Lecionário</a> has republished my recent post on <a href="https://genevanpsalter.blogspot.com/2024/01/cranmers-liturgical-legacy.html" target="_blank">Cranmer's liturgical legacy</a> in Portuguese: <a href="https://lecionario.com/o-legado-lit%C3%BArgico-de-cranmer-bbe02dd32dec" target="_blank">O Legado Litúrgico de Cranmer</a>. <br /><p></p><p>A publicação brasileira <a href="https://lecionario.medium.com/" target="_blank">Lecionário</a> republicou minha postagem recente sobre o legado litúrgico de Cranmer em português: <a href="https://lecionario.com/o-legado-lit%C3%BArgico-de-cranmer-bbe02dd32dec" target="_blank">O Legado Litúrgico de Cranmer</a>. Um trecho:<br /></p><p></p><blockquote>Havia algum propósito por trás do trabalho de Cranmer que escapou aos
reformadores litúrgicos do século passado? Isto nos leva ao livro de
Hicks, uma análise fascinante da gramática teológica que condicionou o
trabalho do Arcebispo.</blockquote>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-467642026668748082024-01-25T09:39:00.001-05:002024-01-25T09:39:30.910-05:00Psalm 150: Kodály<p><a href="https://cantemus.org.hu/" target="_blank">Cantemus Choral Institute</a> recently posted this compelling performance of <a href="https://youtu.be/VZvSzCItfxw?si=ILnDzIfNGC3VgvG7" target="_blank">Zoltán Kodály's arrangement of Genevan Psalm 150</a> by the Pro Musica Girls' Choir conducted by Dénes Szabó:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VZvSzCItfxw" width="320" youtube-src-id="VZvSzCItfxw"></iframe></div><br />David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-34162626813211543632024-01-23T12:37:00.002-05:002024-01-23T12:37:22.746-05:00Psalm 24: Sweelinck<p>So many of us love to hear Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck's arrangements of the Genevan Psalms. Here is the Semper Reformanda Vocal Ensemble of Gáspár Károli University of the Hungarian Reformed Church performing his arrangement of <a href="https://youtu.be/_5soIdVjpE0?si=FbT658FTkehjVNU2" target="_blank">Psalm 24</a>:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_5soIdVjpE0" width="320" youtube-src-id="_5soIdVjpE0"></iframe></div><br />David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-62428568284031135952024-01-19T15:33:00.002-05:002024-01-19T16:31:47.679-05:00Psaume 25: A toy, mon Dieu, mon cœur monte<p>Here is the <a href="http://www.lamaraviglia.ch/" target="_blank">Ensemble Lamaraviglia</a> of Winterthur, Switzerland, singing <a href="https://youtu.be/PZTqN93NP7M?si=C9P7oHIWbSLS9pWc" target="_blank">Claude Goudimel's arrangement of Psalm 25</a>. The tenors sing the melody line.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PZTqN93NP7M" width="320" youtube-src-id="PZTqN93NP7M"></iframe> <br /></div>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-44967213176663630352024-01-17T10:24:00.003-05:002024-01-17T10:24:50.978-05:00Cranmer's liturgical legacy<p>Last month I acquired two fascinating books which I strongly recommend to Christians from a variety of traditions interested in the church's liturgy: Alan Jacobs, <i><a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691191782/the-book-of-common-prayer" target="_blank">The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography</a></i>, and Zac Hicks, <a href="https://www.ivpress.com/worship-by-faith-alone" target="_blank">Worship by Faith Alone: Thomas Cranmer, The Book of Common Prayer, and the Reformation of Liturgy</a>. Although both writers take on the same subject, they approach it in quite different ways. Both volumes made for pleasurable reading over the Christmas holidays, and they prompted me to reflect further on the relationship between how we worship and how we live our lives before the face of God.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbipp22dxdplst0sLB1ePf_9wI-TIKNRnYQIO2uJCCylrYBp87OSVJUsfx24a3Abjf4vafpVhCAYsCHaqSfpxxyussem36J3m6TQPrkX_9XMfsilwXNnapoB9vqbmWK5FHt28JS1vBdYW7lbqNUj1u0Wqr9-7RJh_NqvnxHS6Hn7mW7vdtSW4ft1Z5M9gU/s546/Jacobs.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="359" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbipp22dxdplst0sLB1ePf_9wI-TIKNRnYQIO2uJCCylrYBp87OSVJUsfx24a3Abjf4vafpVhCAYsCHaqSfpxxyussem36J3m6TQPrkX_9XMfsilwXNnapoB9vqbmWK5FHt28JS1vBdYW7lbqNUj1u0Wqr9-7RJh_NqvnxHS6Hn7mW7vdtSW4ft1Z5M9gU/s320/Jacobs.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Jacobs' book recounts the history of the <i>Book of Common Prayer</i> (BCP), beginning in Archbishop Thomas Cranmer's library at the archiepiscopal palace at Croydon, south of London. The holder of the see of Canterbury was and remains the premier hierarch of the English church, and Cranmer ascended to that position at a time of great political and religious instability. Initially serving the mercurial King Henry VIII and then his devout son Edward VI, who died before reaching adulthood, Cranmer would be martyred for his evangelical faith under Henry's eldest daughter, Queen Mary I, who violently sought to drag England back to its previous Roman allegiance. During the years he led the church, Cranmer became persuaded of the truth of the doctrines of grace and embraced the Reformation. Church reform became possible after the King declared himself head of the church and severed it from Rome in 1534.<p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>Cranmer began with the ancient Sarum rite, associated with the city of Salisbury, but he didn't just translate that rite into English. He heavily edited it in accordance with the principles of the Reformation, leaving out, among other things, invocations of the saints and any hint of transubstantiation.</p><p></p><blockquote>For Cranmer there was no transubstantiation, hence no Lord to be seen in the bread; instead, the traditional Mass offered at best a series of distractions from the real business of understanding and giving thanks for the grace offered to the faithful believer in Christ; at worst—and he was inclined to believe the worst—it was the sheerest idolatry (21).</blockquote><p></p><p>For centuries, daily prayer in the monasteries had revolved around the several hours of prayer set at regular intervals throughout the day and night: "Matins (midnight); Lauds (2 a.m., or, more commonly, dawn); Prime (6 a.m.); Terce (9 a.m.); Sext (noon); Nones (3 p.m.); Vespers (6 p.m.); [and] Compline (9 p.m.)" (29). Cranmer pared these down to the two offices of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, combining Lauds and Matins in the former and Vespers and Compline in the latter. Morning and Evening Prayer were to order the lives of ordinary English believers for centuries until the 20th-century Liturgical Movement restored the Lord's Supper to a central place in an increasing number of parishes.</p><p>There are so many Bible-in-a-year plans offered to Christians both in print and online. But Cranmer's was perhaps one of the first:</p><p></p><blockquote>In addition to having the congregation get through the whole Bible ("or the greatest part thereof") in a year, Cranmer wanted particular attention given to the Psalms, so often referred to as "the prayer book of the Bible" itself; his Kalendar outlined a schedule by which all 150 Psalms would be read each month . . . . Indeed, one could argue that Cranmer's chief reason for implementing standard liturgies was to provide a venue in which the Bible could be more widely and more thoroughly known (17).</blockquote><p></p><p>In other words, Cranmer had a thoroughly evangelical interest in disseminating far and wide knowledge of the word of God.</p><p>For centuries the BCP was the defining constitution of the Church of England and its daughter churches planted around the world. As such, it bears a similar status to the <a href="https://network.crcna.org/topic/worship/general-worship/confessions-belgic-canons-dort-and-heidelberg-catechism" target="_blank">Three Forms of Unity</a> in the Continental Reformed churches, the <a href="https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/" target="_blank">Augsburg Confession</a> in the Lutheran churches, and the <a href="https://thewestminsterstandard.org/the-westminster-standards/" target="_blank">Westminster standards</a> in the Presbyterian churches. Nevertheless, Jacobs points out that the <a href="https://www.episcopalchurch.org/glossary/chicago-lambeth-quadrilateral/" target="_blank">Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral</a> of 1886-88, which claimed to identify four characteristics of Anglicanism, conspicuously fails to mention it (121-122).</p><p>By this time, of course, Anglicanism was divided amongst Anglo-Catholics, low-church evangelicals, and the latitudinarian broad-church party. In the 20th century Anglican efforts at updating their liturgy were profoundly influenced by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Liturgical-Movement" target="_blank">Liturgical Movement</a>, the Second Vatican Council, and Dom Gregory Dix's <a href="https://archive.org/details/20191218theshapeoftheliturgy" target="_blank"><i>The Shape of the Liturgy</i></a> (1945), the last of which gave priority to liturgical actions over the actual words of the rites. Gradually, the various branches of the Communion adopted new liturgies providing alternatives for each of the church's major worship services. In England this yielded <i>The Alternative Service Book</i> (1980) and <i>Common Worship</i> (2000), in Canada <i>The Book of Alternative Services</i> (1985), and in Australia <i>A Prayer Book for Australia </i>(1995), each of which was ostensibly to supplement but not replace the BCP. Only in the United States were the new alternative services labelled <i>Book of Common Prayer</i> (1979), a radical departure from the 1928 Prayer Book and a model subsequently followed by the <a href="https://bcp2019.anglicanchurch.net/" target="_blank">2019 Prayer Book</a> of the Anglican Church in North America.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyswCFdhxg1eNtTpQ64o6sbLYimGR65fHFywAl5CxUaxsw5u1NhCAUjHcHhPDKlVFXvsqTTsAa30dyHgZNRSJqwuSSck02kQpNgULmZzqXMJGwkPqXTY3qA44JGtmEcV2AdcLYxwW6PKLe2yM-5EDZPvHAIVMVMN7Qjfw8mn-JfqaNtNTrxuaLKGsn4X_P/s550/Hicks.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="409" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyswCFdhxg1eNtTpQ64o6sbLYimGR65fHFywAl5CxUaxsw5u1NhCAUjHcHhPDKlVFXvsqTTsAa30dyHgZNRSJqwuSSck02kQpNgULmZzqXMJGwkPqXTY3qA44JGtmEcV2AdcLYxwW6PKLe2yM-5EDZPvHAIVMVMN7Qjfw8mn-JfqaNtNTrxuaLKGsn4X_P/s320/Hicks.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><p>These revisions were based on the assumption that Cranmer had inaccurately understood the traditions underpinning liturgical life in England. For example, in his Holy Communion service, he curiously moved the <i>Gloria in Excelsis</i> from the beginning to the end, where it functioned as a post-Communion thanksgiving hymn, much as Psalm 103 functioned in Geneva and Psalm 113 in Zürich. But was there some purpose behind Cranmer's work which escaped the liturgical reformers of the last century? This takes us to Hicks's book, a fascinating analysis of the theological grammar that conditioned the Archbishop's work.</p><p>Hicks's book is an exhaustive theological study of the BCP, probing the intentions of Cranmer as he put together a collection of liturgical texts that would reinforce the principles of the Reformation and plant them in the hearts of ordinary parishioners. To do so required going through the ancient liturgies and prayers traditionally used by the English church, rendering them in a language understood by the people, and making subtle changes according to the grammar of <i>sola fide</i>, or faith alone. </p><p>What does Hicks mean by <i>grammar</i>? And how does a liturgy operate within this grammar? As Hicks puts it, "Liturgy does not explain theology. It does theology" (29). If theology is a theoretical articulation of the faith, grammar operates as a mostly tacit interpretive framework conditioning that articulation as well as the concrete ways we worship and live out our relationship with God. It is a grammar, because it operates like the rules of language, which, in ordinary conversation, we don't really think about but use all the time. As Hicks sees it, for Cranmer this grammar consists of the central message of the gospel, namely, justification by grace through faith, as opposed to anything that smacks of works righteousness. As he made his way through the liturgical texts he would put into the BCP, Cranmer was careful to distinguish between the gospel and the many not-gospels threatening to obscure the truth that we are saved by God's grace. The end result was a condensation of the multiple volumes governing mediaeval worship into a single volume clearly proclaiming "Not I, But Christ." Hicks analyzes the worship prescribed in the BCP, focussing on the structural, theological, ceremonial, devotional, and homiletic implications of "Not I, But Christ."<br /></p><p>I especially appreciated chapter 5 in which Hicks painstakingly goes through key texts to highlight the ways that Cranmer altered the language of his source material according to the grammar of <i>sola fide</i>. For example, Cranmer's Collect for Purity, familiar to generations of Anglicans, is drawn from the Sarum Missal:</p><p></p><blockquote>God, unto whom every heart is open, and all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, by the infusion of thy Holy Spirit: that we may perfectly love thee, and, meritoriously, worthily magnify thee . . . .</blockquote><p></p><p>Here is Cranmer's edited version from the 1549 edition of the BCP:</p><p></p><blockquote>Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the i̶n̶f̶u̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ <b>inspiration</b> of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and m̶e̶r̶i̶t̶o̶r̶i̶o̶u̶s̶l̶y̶ worthily magnify thy holy name: through Christ our Lord. Amen.</blockquote><p>Small changes perhaps, but significant all the same. Here's Hicks: "we might notice that Cranmer transposes <i>infusionem</i> into the key of <i>sola fide</i> by translating it as 'inspiration,' in order to avoid the medieval notion of merit based on 'infused grace'" (115). Cranmer similarly omitted <i>meritoriously</i> to eliminate the suggestion that we can somehow merit God's grace through our own efforts. Although I was not born and raised in the Anglican tradition, I have worshipped in Anglican churches for periods of time and managed to miss these important clues to the Archbishop's agenda. I am grateful that Hicks saw fit to make such an exhaustive study of the BCP—one which shows the continuities between the Church of England and the Reformed churches of the European continent.</p><p>There is a notion prevalent in some circles that Anglicanism is a <i>via media</i> between Rome and Geneva—a sort of halfway house between Catholicism and the Reformation. But, if Hicks's portrait of Cranmer is correct, then the Church of England during the 16th century may better be viewed as a <i>via media</i> between Geneva and Wittenberg.</p><p>On the one hand, Cranmer denied the Roman doctrine of transubstantiation. The elements of the Lord's Supper do not <i>become</i> Christ; rather they point to Christ, who has ascended to the right hand of the Father until his return at the end of the age: "it is not the bread and wine that are transformed into the body of Christ, but believers" (168). In this he parts, not only with Rome, but also with Luther, who believed in a localized presence of Christ in the sacrament. Here he is close to Geneva. <br /></p><p>On the other hand, Hicks's Cranmer shares with Luther the contrast between law and gospel: the law convicts us of our sin, while in the gospel Christ offers us grace. "In the interpretation of Paul by Luther and Melanchthon, the distinction between law and gospel becomes the key to separating the gospel from not-gospels" (61). This contrast is not as prevalent in the Genevan and other non-Lutheran churches, which have emphasized the so-called <a href="https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/detrinitate/john-calvin-the-third-use-of-the-law/" target="_blank">third use of the law</a>, namely, that the law is a teacher of righteousness to those forgiven of their sins and incorporated into Christ's body.<br /></p><p>We can now see why Cranmer begins the order for the Lord's Supper with the Ten Commandments, after each of which the congregation responds with: "Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law." In fact, the entire order of worship begins with penitence and a recognition of our sinfulness, moving on to a declaration of pardon, followed by a proclamation of the word in Scripture and sermon, then God's feeding us in the sacrament, and finally our expressions of thanksgiving. Hence Cranmer was not in error in moving the <i>Gloria in Excelsis</i> to the end of the liturgy, as some scholars have thought. He was, rather, attempting not to mislead the congregation into thinking that their sacrifice of praise somehow merits the approval of God for their worship.</p><p>Hicks ends his book with several closing suggestions for applying Cranmer's insights to contemporary worship. I was especially struck by this pointed question:</p><p></p><blockquote>Could our musicianship as vocal leaders be so superb, could our vocal
flourishes or instrumental stylings be so beautiful and virtuosic, that
they shut the mouths of the singing congregation which instead stands in
awe of the spectacle of the great performers up front, who are doing
the work on behalf of the people? Though this draws an admittedly
ambiguous and culturally relative line, perhaps those of us who lead
people with our countenance and emotional expression could be more aware
of the boundary between helpful emotional shepherding through example
and overly intensified expressions of personal worship (however
authentic they may be) which cause people to marvel at us rather than the
Christ we are all worshiping (206).</blockquote> I find this especially convicting because, in my youth, I developed a solo-quality baritone voice which I regularly offered as "special music" in the churches of which I was part. I stopped doing this many years ago, because I indeed felt that I was drawing attention to myself rather than to the God to whom I addressed my song. I rather imagine the same could be said of many worship bands which, rather than supporting the congregation's voices, tend to dominate them. Hicks's concern may also explain why the 18th-century musicians in the English parish churches—the <a href="https://genevanpsalter.blogspot.com/2023/09/west-gallery-quires-and-thomas-hardy.html" target="_blank">west gallery quires</a> of which I wrote some months ago—were located in the <i>back</i> of the church, rather than the front, where the line between accompaniment and performance might tend to be blurred.<br /><p></p><p>I was surprised to find out that Hicks himself is the pastor of a <a href="https://www.crossbham.org/about" target="_blank">Presbyterian church</a> near Birmingham, Alabama, and is a graduate of <a href="https://www.knoxseminary.edu/" target="_blank">Knox Theological Seminary</a> in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Presbyterians, especially in Scotland, have a reputation for disliking the BCP, as evidenced in <a href="https://www.stgilescathedral.org.uk/jenny-geddes" target="_blank">the legendary story about a certain 17th-century woman, Jenny Geddes, in St. Giles Cathedral</a>. But the continental Reformed churches have never eschewed prayer books, even if they didn't label them such, so Hicks's affinity for the BCP is by no means unprecedented in the larger Reformed tradition. Whether or not they consider themselves explicitly Reformed, all Christians with an interest in the church's worship, especially those responsible for planning it week after week, should definitely read Hicks's book, along with Jacobs' to provide the necessary historical context.</p><p>Sources:<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hicks, Zac. <i>Worship by Faith Alone: Thoms Cranmer, The Book of Common Prayer, and the Reformation of Liturgy</i>. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2023.</li><li>Jacobs, Alan. <i>The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography</i>. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2013.</li><li><i>The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition</i>. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2021.</li></ul><p></p><p></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-57827057798145982212024-01-12T13:33:00.003-05:002024-01-12T13:33:29.206-05:00Liturgical standards and living faith: the case of the Evangelical and Reformed Church<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mZNne7uqo2-4PmvczPqL0FOzHC3ghOu1Xy30UUuISkvyxGa0JsU8wXNzgl9KgjEHWiKd7F0jQJgupynTAs8mkFR_Wjo_1uBYHrfDOnz6tectxliOKFv4FQ_fmyVd2Cho0ga0k5K2HdmwvWQbRdk8r5MdH-4hUN6QCwyeo0plRkbA1QXMbLAogUXDAenF/s178/E&R%20Church.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="178" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mZNne7uqo2-4PmvczPqL0FOzHC3ghOu1Xy30UUuISkvyxGa0JsU8wXNzgl9KgjEHWiKd7F0jQJgupynTAs8mkFR_Wjo_1uBYHrfDOnz6tectxliOKFv4FQ_fmyVd2Cho0ga0k5K2HdmwvWQbRdk8r5MdH-4hUN6QCwyeo0plRkbA1QXMbLAogUXDAenF/s1600/E&R%20Church.png" width="178" /></a></div>My latest post in <i>Kuyperian Commentary</i> can be found here: <a href="https://kuyperian.com/liturgical-standards-and-living-faith-the-case-of-the-evangelical-and-reformed-church/?fbclid=IwAR1g1gn2tCb1yApE5-6RjwSXwoP_Gi_7OAXDNr6y1Oj23jjH3CEtObPVJ4E" target="_blank">Liturgical standards and living faith: the case of the Evangelical and Reformed Church</a>. An excerpt:<p></p><p></p><blockquote>So what was this Evangelical and Reformed Church? It was created by the
merger of two predecessor bodies, the (German) Reformed Church in the
United States (RCUS) and the (German) Evangelical Synod of North
America. The German Reformed were the descendants of Reformed Christians
who had immigrated from German-speaking Europe, especially Switzerland
and the Palatinate, the latter of which was once ruled by Elector
Frederick III “the Pious” (1515-1576), who commissioned the <a href="https://www.crcna.org/welcome/beliefs/confessions/heidelberg-catechism">Heidelberg Catechism</a>
in 1563. The German Reformed began in 1725 and were initially under the
care of Classis Amsterdam of the Dutch Reformed Church until 1793.
During the late 19th century, efforts to unite with the (Dutch) Reformed
Church in America were unsuccessful.</blockquote><p></p><p><a href="https://kuyperian.com/liturgical-standards-and-living-faith-the-case-of-the-evangelical-and-reformed-church/?fbclid=IwAR1g1gn2tCb1yApE5-6RjwSXwoP_Gi_7OAXDNr6y1Oj23jjH3CEtObPVJ4E" target="_blank">Read the entire article here</a>.<br /></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-20758109874361689792024-01-01T10:42:00.001-05:002024-01-01T10:42:10.231-05:00The Grail/Gelineau Psalter: Psalm 23<p>Thirty-five years ago I published an article in <i>Reformed Worship</i> titled, <a href="http://www.reformedworship.org/article/march-1989/straight-scripture">Straight from Scripture</a>, in which I treated briefly Gelineau psalmody, a method of singing the Psalms using <a href="http://www.grailsociety.org.uk/publications/publications_psalms.html" target="_blank">The Grail</a> translation. Roman Catholics have sung the Psalms in this way for nearly seven decades, beginning in France with the publication of <i>La Bible de Jérusalem</i>. Here is an excerpt from my article:<br />
</p><blockquote>One of the more interesting ways of singing the psalms was
developed by Joseph Gelineau of France. Of all the methods of singing
the psalms, Gelineau's chant best preserves the Hebrew poetic style,
retaining both the parallelism and the metrical structure of the
original. Ancient Hebrew meter is somewhat like early English meter
(e.g., nursery rhymes) in that it focuses on the number of stresses
within a line rather than on the number of syllables. Gelineau psalmody
is often sung to the Grail translation, which was produced specifically
for this purpose. The following passage (again from Psalm 54) is
"pointed" to indicate the regular rhythmic stresses in each line:<br /></blockquote><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p></p><blockquote>
<blockquote>O <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gód</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">sáve</span> me by your <span style="font-weight: bold;">náme</span>;<br />by your <span style="font-weight: bold;">pówer</span>, up<span style="font-weight: bold;">hóld</span> my <span style="font-weight: bold;">caúse</span>.<br />O <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gód</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">heár</span> my <span style="font-weight: bold;">práyer</span>;<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">lís</span>ten to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">wórds</span> of my <span style="font-weight: bold;">moúth</span>.</blockquote>
Gelineau psalmody also takes into account the different number of lines
within each stanza, something that is not possible with other methods of
psalm-chanting.<br />
<br />
Gelineau psalms are usually sung responsively. The soloist or choir
begins by singing the refrain; then the congregation repeats it. The
psalm then proceeds responsively with a soloist or choir chanting the
verses and the congregation responding with the refrain. Many Roman
Catholics, who have recently begun congregational singing, have found
this "responsorial" style of psalm-singing very helpful. A refrain (or
antiphon, an older term) is much easier to learn than the whole psalm.<br />
<br />
Among Protestants who are used to exclusive metrical psalmody, the
responsorial style has the advantage of making a clear distinction
between psalms and hymns. Rather than simply reading the psalm directly
from the Bible or singing a paraphrased version of it metrically, the
congregation can sing the actual words from Scripture.</blockquote><p>Here is a video recording of <a href="https://youtu.be/vZLNKaP8Qr0?si=9BPibeplKjVghj7F" target="_blank">Gelineau Psalm 23</a> sung by Caroline Balfour and the gentlemen of the Romsey Abbey Choir to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vZLNKaP8Qr0" width="320" youtube-src-id="vZLNKaP8Qr0"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-62183195894005780672023-12-29T16:20:00.001-05:002023-12-29T16:20:56.726-05:00Psalms as the Engine of the Church with Susannah Black Roberts<p>Susannah Black Roberts: "Singing the Psalms, chanting the Psalms moves the plot of God's kingdom forward." What an intriguing thought! Here is the larger context: <a href="https://youtu.be/olQkJqKOXTU?si=IjHbBUs2dNPcz3pG" target="_blank">Psalms as the Engine of the Church with Susannah Black Roberts</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/olQkJqKOXTU" width="320" youtube-src-id="olQkJqKOXTU"></iframe></div><br />David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-17052764971238942312023-12-19T11:52:00.010-05:002024-01-18T08:39:05.658-05:00A new Dutch psalter: De Nieuwe Psalmberijming<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblPiNIXSghmP7FlsEr2XLyvwz9C7VUAupzsjL_pAgpEzJV0kBa4h9qIwo4KX7hykHNmWIopcDV5Ak8Z9Muc84MKlDutK6oHrutRIbN4M2RfAU8m1zQ4XpvBp6bhvhctIcUYbe8RRcCgEzvHXG4ZXaejva9GGCT7kgtHGFe6BPAVUPPMXT7fufZ2nMhxpd/s624/DNPB.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="624" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhblPiNIXSghmP7FlsEr2XLyvwz9C7VUAupzsjL_pAgpEzJV0kBa4h9qIwo4KX7hykHNmWIopcDV5Ak8Z9Muc84MKlDutK6oHrutRIbN4M2RfAU8m1zQ4XpvBp6bhvhctIcUYbe8RRcCgEzvHXG4ZXaejva9GGCT7kgtHGFe6BPAVUPPMXT7fufZ2nMhxpd/s320/DNPB.gif" width="320" /></a></div>One of the features of language is that it changes over time, usually slowly and incrementally, but sometimes surprisingly quickly, as in the shift from middle to modern English. It is good to keep this in mind as we look more closely at the new Dutch versification of the biblical Psalms produced in 2021. Called <a href="https://www.denieuwepsalmberijming.nl/" target="_blank">De Nieuwe Psalmberijming</a>, it follows at least four previous versifications of the Psalms, as set to the historic Genevan tunes. But we should also be aware that liturgical language tends to lag behind contemporary usage, as I noted in this article more than a decade ago: <a href="https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2009/10/liturgy-and-archaic-language" target="_blank">Liturgy and archaic language</a>. Thus many updates of liturgical material leave some archaisms untouched, primarily because parishioners are used to them and prefer to worship in familiar albeit older words. This explains the continued affection in some circles for the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the King James Version of the Bible, the 1650 Scottish Psalter, and even the Revised Standard Version's retention of the old second-person-singular pronouns in addresses to God, a usage now in decline amongst English-speaking Christians.<p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>The Genevan Psalter was, of course, originally published in French in its complete form in 1562. But soon thereafter it was being translated into other European languages. The first Dutch version was the work of <a href="https://psalmboek.nl/zingen.php?ber=2&psID=1" target="_blank">Pieter Datheen</a>, or Petrus Dathenus (c 1531-1588), as he is known by his latinized name, published in 1566. <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=5ORNAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">A facsimile copy can be found here</a>. This was followed by the 17th-century versified Psalms of <a href="https://psalmboek.nl/zingen.php?ber=11&psID=1" target="_blank">Jacob Revius</a> (1586-1658). In 1773 the Estates General of the United Netherlands approved <a href="https://psalmboek.nl/zingen.php?ber=1&psID=1" target="_blank">a new metrical psalter</a> for use in the churches of the republic. This remained in use in the Dutch churches into the late 20th century and may still be in use in some places.</p><p>In 1967 <a href="https://psalmboek.nl/zingen.php?ber=3&psID=1" target="_blank">a new versification</a> was approved by the <i>Interkerkelijke Stichting voor de Psalmberijming</i> (Interchurch Foundation for Metrical Psalmody), bringing together the efforts of representatives of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (GKN), the Dutch Reformed Church (NHK), the Christian Reformed Churches (CGK), the Mennonites (DS), the Remonstrant Brotherhood (the original Arminians), and the Evangelical Lutheran Church. This versification made its way into the <i><a href="https://kerkliedwiki.nl/Liedboek_voor_de_kerken/Inhoud" target="_blank">Liedboek voor de Kerken</a></i>, a psalter and hymnal used by the major Protestant bodies in the country following its publication in 1973. The language in this collection retained certain archaisms, such as the old second-person singular <i>gij</i>, no longer commonly used in standard Dutch, as well as the definite article declensions <i>der</i>, <i>den</i>, and <i>des</i>.</p><p>In 2014 poet Jan Pieter Kuijper began a new project to set the Psalms to verse in contemporary language under the auspices of the <i>Stichting Dicht bij de Bijbel</i> (Close to the Bible Foundation). In addition to Kuijper, <a href="https://www.denieuwepsalmberijming.nl/dedichters" target="_blank">those working on this project</a> included Arie Maasland, Adriaan Molenaar, Bob Vuijk, Arjen Vreugdenhil, Titia Lindeboom, Jan Boom, Ria Borkent, and René Barkema. In undertaking this work, they were guided by eight principles:</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The new psalter is written in contemporary language with obsolete forms omitted entirely.</li><li>Full rhymes are used, with no near rhymes permitted.</li><li>The Hebrew text is the basis for the versification, with <i>HEER</i> standing for the Divine Name and <i>Heer</i> for the Hebrew <i>Adonai</i>. This, of course, is similar to our English translations of the Bible.</li><li>An effort was made to give the metrical versions the same message and emotion as found in the original prose texts.</li><li>The versifiers have aimed at compactness, preferring to summarize the prose texts where appropriate rather than to add extraneous material. (This, incidentally, is opposite the approach taken in the latest <a href="https://genevanpsalter.blogspot.com/2022/06/los-salmos-en-rima-espanola-1.html" target="_blank">Spanish-language version of the Genevan Psalter</a>.) This means that each psalm generally has fewer stanzas than in previous versions. </li><li>An effort was made to ensure that each stanza formed a complete logical unit so that each can be sung independently.</li><li>The rhyming scheme follows that of the original Genevan Psalter, and the tunes are sung rhythmically, as opposed to isometrically, the latter still being the practice of some churches in this tradition.</li><li>The new versification follows the common Dutch rules for the use of upper- and lower-case letters, the former being used for the names of God and for his personal pronouns.</li></ol><p>I might add to this that the musical scores have the treble clef at the beginning of each line rather than in the first line only, as found in the older Dutch (and even German and Czech) psalters.</p><p>This <i>Nieuwe Psalmberijming</i> appears to lack the official imprimatur of church or political authorities enjoyed by previous versions of the Psalter. Because it represents an independent effort, this could limit its use in the churches. However, due to its evident advantages over previous versions, its use may indeed spread in local congregations, even without denominational status.</p><p>Here is the first stanza of Psalm 23 in the new version:</p><p></p><blockquote>Mijn herder is de HEER, zijn hand behoedt mij. <br />Ik heb genoeg, want zijn genade voedt mij. <br />Genieten mag ik in een groene weide; <br />Hij wil mij naar verfrissend water leiden. <br />Hij geeft mij nieuwe kracht en blijft mij leren <br />om Hem te volgen en zijn naam te eren.</blockquote><p>Here is an unrhymed translation into English:</p><p></p><blockquote>My shepherd is the LORD, his hand keeps me.<br />I have enough, for His grace nourishes me.<br />I can enjoy myself in a green meadow;<br />He wants to lead me to refreshing water.<br />He gives me new strength and continues to teach me<br />to follow Him and honour His name.</blockquote><p>With respect to the use of rhymes, Kuijper cites a wonderful analogy:</p><p></p><blockquote>Rhyming a psalm is surprisingly difficult. J.W. Schulte Nordholt, one of the poets who contributed to the <i>Liedboek voor de Kerken</i>, has compared the rhyming of a psalm to the fate of Samson: "The poet is bound by seven ropes: the text, the melody, the measure, the rhythm, the rhyme, fidelity, and approachability. And when they were well secured, they shouted: the Philistines are upon you, and they were the critics . . . ." (From: <i>De werkplaats van het Liedboek</i>, p. 44). The poets of <i>De Nieuwe Psalmberijming</i> also experienced this struggle. You do not have perfect rhyme in your hands; there is always room for improvement.</blockquote><p></p><p></p>I can testify from my own experience to the truth of Schulte Nordholt's observation. But I continue to question the need to follow the original rhyme schemes, especially when they lead to a mismatch between the stresses in text and tune and when they take us further from the original prose texts. What would an unrhymed Dutch psalter look like? Of course, we would then have to abandon the word <i>psalmberijming</i> for such an effort, perhaps substituting the word <i>versificatie</i>.<p></p><p>I hope and pray that <i>De Nieuwe Psalmberijming</i> will catch on in the churches of the Netherlands (and perhaps Belgium as well) and that Christians will acquire a renewed enthusiasm for singing the biblical Psalms in their own language.</p><p>Here is <a href="https://youtu.be/CBGCMiKIFFU?si=ETRDkhrY50YPFFOg" target="_blank">Psalm 100</a> in <i>De Nieuwe Psalmberijming</i>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CBGCMiKIFFU" width="320" youtube-src-id="CBGCMiKIFFU"></iframe></div><br />David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-56748171913149065682023-12-11T15:08:00.000-05:002023-12-11T15:08:06.464-05:00Psalm 51 in Aramaic<p>This is a plaintive rendition of <a href="https://youtu.be/BcbKoY7XpJE?si=fEnLLEIe3IMsOl6t" target="_blank">Psalm 51</a> (50 by Septuagint numbering) sung in Aramaic by the Trio Mandili. Who could fail to be moved by this?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BcbKoY7XpJE" width="320" youtube-src-id="BcbKoY7XpJE"></iframe></div><br />David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-29193956735073928852023-12-08T14:31:00.001-05:002023-12-08T14:31:16.209-05:00Psalm 121: De Nieuwe Psalmberijming<p>Singing from the new Dutch versification of the Psalms: <a href="https://youtu.be/NX1VLCvhQKI?si=qrDD6khlY3UUPxwK" target="_blank">Psalm 121</a>:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NX1VLCvhQKI" width="320" youtube-src-id="NX1VLCvhQKI"></iframe></div><br />David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-75486006281023240642023-12-04T11:09:00.000-05:002023-12-04T11:09:48.888-05:00Advent I: Psalm 25 and Wachet Auf<p>Ancient tradition associates Psalm 25 with the First Sunday in Advent. Here is our new friend, the Rev. Detlef Korsen, singing the <a href="https://youtu.be/mmaTJf-U2Fg?si=PTj9-fjpdlUu-OMr" target="_blank">Genevan version of this Psalm</a> while accompanying himself on guitar:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mmaTJf-U2Fg" width="320" youtube-src-id="mmaTJf-U2Fg"></iframe></div><br /><p>And while we are on the subject of Advent, here is Korsen singing Philip Nicolai's famous Advent hymn, <i><a href="https://youtu.be/1DEXLO1YN_Q?si=Yzs75M36dG1DwerG" target="_blank">Wachet Auf</a></i>, or <i>Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying</i>, in its original rhythmic form:<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1DEXLO1YN_Q" width="320" youtube-src-id="1DEXLO1YN_Q"></iframe></div><br />David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8991015405231004785.post-80283868471278619632023-11-30T11:43:00.001-05:002023-11-30T11:43:46.256-05:00New England Psalm Book, 1758<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwO6vlq2bT209oysRTbi24nV07IFW1sh6isZNF7slcaDnINXZ7EFPbnkKaYX6mAkClO5tYjuMDOwnfSU-541QdtW5Yzvvk8xI4VJQsbcWa6sujepUWiGswmRXomSTlGFI0ioLUoOo0t6XW0277-vmt1qbtMYuVQvXajy3Bx9Urqdys5csit-GVWkJn_QeB/s365/New%20England%20Psalm%20Book%201758.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="207" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwO6vlq2bT209oysRTbi24nV07IFW1sh6isZNF7slcaDnINXZ7EFPbnkKaYX6mAkClO5tYjuMDOwnfSU-541QdtW5Yzvvk8xI4VJQsbcWa6sujepUWiGswmRXomSTlGFI0ioLUoOo0t6XW0277-vmt1qbtMYuVQvXajy3Bx9Urqdys5csit-GVWkJn_QeB/s320/New%20England%20Psalm%20Book%201758.png" width="181" /></a></div>I recently heard from the Rev. Jeremy Bullen, of Wallace, Idaho, who alerted me to a website that he has posted devoted to the <a href="https://www.psalter.us/" target="_blank">1758 revision of the New England Psalm Book</a>. The original <a href="https://genevanpsalter.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-bay-psalm-book-of-1640.html" target="_blank">Bay Psalm Book</a> was published in 1640 and is generally regarded as the first English-language book printed in the Americas. This newer edition was the creation of the Rev. Thomas Prince (1687-1758), who pastored the Old South Church in Boston and was a supporter of the <a href="https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/First_Great_Awakening" target="_blank">First Great Awakening</a> of the 18th century. <a href="https://archive.org/details/psalmshymnss1758bost/mode/2up" target="_blank">An archived version of this psalter can be found here as well</a>.<p></p><p>Bullen has included a brief comparison of the two versions from Psalm 1:3, a list of metres, a list of possible tunes to match the metres, and metrical canticles from other parts of the Bible. In short, this is a psalter from which people can still sing, using the resources that he has provided. Thanks are due to Bullen for the work he has put into this website.<br /></p>David Koyzishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994743332307454241noreply@blogger.com0