Rora Camp 2023

psalms and hymns for learning

One of the distinctives of Rora camp is our love of psalm-singing and four-part hymn singing. For more about the importance of psalm-singing please visit www.psalmroar.org - which is itself a fruit of the Rora camp.

We wish to increase our repertoire of psalms and hymns that we know well. We are also mindful that new families do not want to be overwhelmed with lots of unfamiliar music!

this page is designed to help you learn some of the psalms and hymns, especially those that will (or should!) be familiar to previous rora attendees.

introduction to four-part singing

If you have never sung in four-parts, do not be worried. During the morning practice sessions 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

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

other learning resources

Below you will find some links to two websites which have parts players: these enable you to play your part loud, and other parts quietly, and also vary the speed. Psalter.org will not display the words/music unless you subscribe - which is very cheap: $1 per month or $9 per year. SingYourPart.app (also available as an Apple app) can be accessed by clicking “Continue as Guest” when asked to log in. After clicking that, you might need to click the link again to find the right page. Some words may vary a bit from the Psalms/Hymns book we use at Rora.

PSALMS

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 it is good to learn the main tune.

Psalm 47

All nations, clap your hands and shout!
Let joyful cries to God ring out!
How awesome is the LORD Most High,
Great King who rules the earth throughout!

He has subdued beneath our feet
The nations who had been our foes.
In blessing Jacob, whom he loved,
A heritage for us he chose.

God has gone up with shouts of joy,
The LORD amid the trumpets’ sound.
Sing praise, sing praise to God Most High;
To God our King let praise abound.

For God is King of all the earth;
Sing psalms of praise to him alone.
God rules the nations from on high;
He sits upon his holy throne.

The leaders of the nations come
To yield themselves to Abr’ham’s God.
To him belong the shields of earth;
Exalted greatly is the 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.

psalm 102:1-12

Link to psalter.org - https://psalter.org/sing/psalter?psalter_in=worship&psalm_in=102A

To this my prayer O listen, LORD!
And let my cry for help reach You.
In day of grief hide not Your face.
Your list'ning ear toward me O bend;
The day I call, Your answer send.

For all my days go up in smoke,
And like a hearth my bones are burned.
Like grass my heart is crushed and dried;
I daily food forgotten leave;
My skin and bones together cleave.

With sighs and groans my frame resounds.
I'm like a desert pelican,
Or like an owl in ruined wastes.
I lie awake, as on the roof
A sparrow stands, alone, aloof.

All day my foes their taunts repeat;
Those filled with anger curse my name.
I food with tears and ashes mix,
For You on me in anger frown;
You raised me up to throw me down.

An evening shadow are my days;
Like grass I wither soon away,
But you JEHOVAH, sit enthroned
Forever your memorial
Abides through generations all.

psalm 117

This is not in our Rora Psalms and Hymns books but it is one we are likely to learn at some point. It is short but you will be able to say you have memorised a whole psalm!

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 124

Link to SingYourPart.app - https://singyourpart.app/library?hymnal=Cantus_Christi_2002&title=Let_Israel_Now_Say_In_Thankfulness&number=162&psalm=Psalm_124&issue=Text

Sheet music from this link (PDF file).
The music on the video starts at 45 seconds.

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.

psalm 125

Like Zion's mountain shall they be
Who in the LORD confide,
A mount which never can be moved
But ever shall abide,
But ever shall abide.

As all around Jerusalem
The mountains firmly stand,
The LORD for evermore surrounds
The people of His hand,
The people of His hand.

Upon the land of righteous ones
No evil rule shall press,
Lest righteous men put forth their hands
To work unrighteousness,
To work unrighteousness.

O LORD, to those men who are good
Show Yourself good and kind,
And likewise show Your goodness to
All them of upright mind,
All them of upright mind.

Yet shall the LORD drive out all those
In crooked ways who dwell,
Along with all who practice sin;
But peace on Israel,
But peace on Israel!

Psalm 134

Not actually unison, but a three-part round. Sheet music available HERE (PDF on external link)

Behold, bless the Lord,
all your servants of the Lord,
who by night stand in the house of the Lord.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and bless the Lord.

The Lord who made heaven and earth
bless you from Zion.

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.

From earth O praise the LORD,
Ye deeps and all below;
Wild winds that do His work,
Ye clouds, fire, hail, and snow;
Ye mountains high, Ye cedars tall,
Ye cedars tall,
Beasts great and small, And birds that fly.

Let all the people praise,
And kings of every land;
Let all their voices raise
Who judge and give command.
By young and old, By maid and youth,
By maid and youth,
His name in truth Should be extolled.

Jehovah's name be praised
Above the earth and sky.
For He His saints has raised
And set their power on high.
Him praise accord, O Israel's race,
O Israel's race,
Near to His grace. Praise ye the LORD.

when peace like a river

When peace like a river attendeth my way
when sorrows like sea-billows roll;
whatever my lot You have taught me to say
‘It is well, it is well with my soul.’

It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, if trials should come,
let this blessed assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate
and has shed His own blood for my soul

It is well ....

My sin - O the bliss of this glorious thought –
my sin – not in part – but the whole
is nailed to His cross; and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord O my soul

It is well ....

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live!
If Jordan above me shall roll,
no pang shall be mind, for in death as in life
You will whisper Your peace to my soul.

It is well ....

But Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
the sky, not the grave, is our goal:
Oh trump of the angel! O voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope! blessed rest of my soul.

It is well ....

And Lord, haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well ….

behold the mountain of the lord (Isaiah 2:2-6)

Link to SingYourPart.app - https://singyourpart.app/library?hymnal=Cantus_Christi_2020&title=Behold!_The_Mountain_of_the_Lord&number=538&psalm=

Behold! the mountain of the Lord
in latter days shall rise
on mountain tops above the hills,
and draw the wond’ring eyes.

To this the joyful nations round,
all tribes and tongues, shall flow;
up to the hill of God, they'll say,
and to his house we'll go.

The beam that shines from Zion hill
shall lighten ev’ry land;
the King who reigns in Salem's towers
shall all the world command.

Among the nations he shall judge;
his judgements truth shall guide;
his sceptre shall protect the just,
and quell the sinner’s pride.

No strife shall rage, nor hostile feuds
disturb those peaceful years;
to ploughshares men shall beat their swords,
to pruning-hooks their spears.

No longer hosts, encountering hosts,
shall crowds of slain deplore:
they hang the trumpet in the hall,
and study war no more.

Come then, O house of Jacob! come
to worship at his shrine;
and, walking in the light of God,
with holy beauties shine.