Psalm Roar Shrewsbury 2024

psalms for learning

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. On the day you will be given a booklet with words and music.

If you are completely new to singing ‘in parts’, or using printed music, then click HERE for a PDF (one side of A4) which will give a basic introduction to help you.

In the rest of the page there are:

• PRIORITY Psalms - invest your time here.

• FAMILIARISE YOURSELF Psalms - listen to these once or twice to pick up the tune

• YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE TUNE ALREADY Psalms - but you might like to check you do know them

• TRICKIER BUT WORTHWHILE Psalms - we hope to get to these, depending on how the day is going. If you are at all musical, you learning these ones will really help the others.

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.

PRIORITY LEARNING

If your time is limited, get familiar with these! Further down you will find some ‘quick wins’, tunes that you can pick up in a a few moments. We will sing plenty of psalms that are easier than those in this section, but learning these will have the biggest impact on being able to enjoy the day. If you find this a bit overwhelming, spend some time on the next section (the ‘Familiarise yourself’ psalms.

PSALM 96

O sing a new song to the LORD;
All earth sing to the LORD.
Sing to the LORD, and bless His name;
“He saves!” each day proclaim.
His glory to all nations show;
His deeds let peoples know.

The LORD is great, great praise He's due.
He's feared above all gods.
For peoples' gods mere idols are;
The LORD the heavens made.
Before Him splendour, majesty,
And strength and splendour dwell.

For copyright reasons we cannot display the sheet music. It is the tune CORONATION 86.86.86 by Oliver Holden, though our version is slightly different from the one commonly found.

However you can visit this page at psalter.org to play each part. Subscribers can see the sheet music. Learn the main tune. If you are musical you can learn your part and you can do that on the day - our four-part learning will focus on other psalms.

Psalm 102:1-12

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.

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.

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 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 134

Not actually unison, but a three-part round.

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.

Sheet music available as a PDF from this link.

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.

FAMILIARISE YOURSELF

If you listen to these tunes once or twice then you’ll be ready for Psalm Roar. These are all psalms that we will sing in unison i.e. all singing the same tune.

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.

Psalm 68

God shall arise, and by His might
Put all His enemies to flight;
In conquest shall He quell them.
Let those who hate Him, scattered, flee
Before His glorious majesty,
For God Himself shall fell them.
Just as the wind drives smoke away,
So God will scatter the array
Of those who evil cherish.
As wax that melts before the fire,
So vanquished by God’s dreadful ire,
Shall all the wicked perish.

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!

you probably know these tunes already

psalm 24

To the tune ‘Trumpet Voluntary’. Words by Christopher Idle.

Psalm 45

Words by Matt Searles. Tune ‘Thaxted’.

trickier but worthwhile!

There require more effort but the results are worth it!

Psalm 47

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

Psalms for chanting

For the Friday Evening Extra we will try some chanting, using the method known as Twelve-Point Chant. The other resources below are here in case you want to explore other forms of chant.

Here is an example of Twelve-Point Chant. See the link and instructions below.

Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty acts;
Praise him according to his excellent greatness!

To learn a bit more about twelve-point chant go to this website: www.davidmadeira.com/12pt-instructions-demos

Twelve-point chant is designed to highlight the natural patterns of speech accents found in the poetry of the Psalter. Twelve-point chant simply attaches melodic changes to the three highest points of emphasis, unfolding over four lines of text (generally 2 verses, divided by half-verse). The result is a simple, singable, twelve-note melody that follows the natural rhythmic accents of the text itself.

Instructions for singing

The basic method for twelve-point chanting is as follows:

1. Each line of the text (usually a half-verse) corresponds to one measure of the psalm tone.

2. Each line contains three “strong” syllables, indicated in the text by underline.

3. Note changes occur at each underlined syllable.

4. A new line does not always immediately begin with a new note. Do not change notes until the first underlined syllable in the line.

5. Singers should pace their singing as if they were reading the verses. Let them flow smoothly with natural speech rhythms and inflection. Try to avoid a sense of even, rhythmic pulse.

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.