February updates

I have just posted my recently completed text and arrangement for Psalm 15. Coming near the beginning of the Psalter, this psalm bears some similarity to the first, extolling the virtues of the righteous person who avoids evil ways and follows the path of truth. Only such a person can be admitted to God's holy temple. Although this psalm does not refer to the law as such, the substance of its precepts is much in evidence here: the godly person refrains from wronging others, keeping unswervingly to the ways of God.

Of course, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that our own righteousness is insufficient to bring us into God's presence. The author of the letter to the Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ "entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption" (9:12). None of us "walks blamelessly, and does what is right" (Psalm 15:2), but Jesus does, and in him we trust for our salvation.

Here is my text below:

Who may abide, LORD, in your tent?
Who may ascend your holy mountain?
Those who are blameless in their walk,
faithfully doing what is right,
who from their hearts the truth have spoken,

who do not slander with their tongues,
and work no evil on their neighbours,
nor bring reproach upon a friend.
Their eyes despise the sinner's ways,
but those who fear the LORD they honour.

They keep the vows that they have made,
even to their own disadvantage.
They freely lend to those in need;
they never can be swayed by bribes.
All who do good shall not be shaken.

The tune has a metrical structure of 89 889 and is in the mixolydian mode. The text is unrhymed. With this text, I have now exceeded the halfway mark, with 76 Psalms: 50 percent plus one of the entire Psalter. (The 50-percent-plus-one threshold is a significant one for us political scientists!) As can be seen below, I have also posted my arrangement on my youtube channel. At some point I may post a slightly different arrangement I have come up with for guitar.

On another matter, I have considerably revised the videos page of the website. I am no longer making an effort to post any and every performance I can find of the Genevan Psalms. Instead I am now posting selected videos, along with links to the youtube channels of those who regularly post such performances. There is also a list of keywords that can be used to locate more performances.