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Old Fashioned Christian Radio Music Store
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Scottish Festival Singers -- Psalms Of The Trinity Psalter (Volume 1)
The message inside the CD cover reads... THE PSALMS: GOD'S HYMNBOOK FOR HIS PEOPLE The following collection of metrical Psalms (Psalms that have been rhymed, metered, and set to music) is taken from the Trinity Psalter, a work whose ambition it is to revive the practice of congregational Psalm-singing. The reason for this ambition is simple enough. The Biblical book of Psalms is God's hymnbook for His people. They are "spiritual songs", that is, songs of the Holy Spirit, divinely authored and given to the people of God for the purpose of singing. Consequently, we ought to sing them. What could be clearer than that? Much more could be said and should (for more information one might begin with the instructions to the Trinity Psalter and the Trinity Psalter: Musician's Edition). But surely no less should be said and agreed upon by all congregations and denominations of Christians. Since God gave the Psalms to His people to be sung, those who are His people ought to sing them. Thankfully, this conviction is a novelty in the history of the church. The Biblical book of Psalms was the original hymnbook of the Christian Church, and of Israel before it. Whenever the people of God have gathered to sing, whether in the temple, synagogue, or the church, more often than not they have sung Psalms. Consider the evidence. When Jesus and the disciples sang a "hymn" at their Passover observance, the Last Supper, it is likely the Hallel section of the Psalter (consistence of Psalms 113-118) that was sung (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26). When the early church "lifted their voices to God with accord", it was to the words of the 146th and 2nd Psalms (Acts 4:24ff). The church at Corinth sang Psalms (I Corintians 14:15, 26), and Paul commended the singing of "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs", (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16). James asks, "Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms" (Greek = psalleto, James 5:13). There can be no question that the Apostolic church sang the Psalms. By precept and example Psalm-singing is mandated in the New Testament. Among the church fathers, Tertullian (second century) and Jerome (mid-fourth to fifth centuries) testify that Psalm-singing was an essential feature of the worship of their day. The singing of Psalms received the strongest commendation from Chrysotom and Augustine. During the Middle Ages, the Psalms inspired the monastic orders for a thousand years, as the Psalter was typically sung completely through on a monthly basis. The Reformation of the 16th century revived the congregational singing of the Psalter, which dominated the church-music scene until the middle of the last century (19th century). Indeed, the Reformed and Presbyterian Churches were exclusively Psalm singing for over 200 years, as were their independent brethren, the Congregationalists and Baptists. On the American scene the metrical Psalms crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower (the old Ainsworth Psalter), were sung be Sir Frances Drake to the Indians in California (from the Sternhold and Hopkins Psalter), and the first book published in North America was the enormously popular Bay Psalm Book (1640), the hymnal of American Puritanism. When it and the favorite among Scotch Irish immigrants, the Scottish Psalter (1650) were finally superseded, it was by a book that purported to be yet another Psalter, Isaac Watts' The Psalms of David Imitated (1719), from which we get the "hymns"; "O God Our Help In Ages Past" (Psalm 90), "Joy To The World" (Psalm 98), and Jesus Shall Reign" (Psalm 72). It was not until the middle of the last century (19th Century) that hymns began to overtake the Psalms in popular use. Our forefathers, both evangelical and Americans were Psalm singers! Today, metrical Psalm-Singing has all but vanished from the contemporary church. Thus we have been deprived not only the joy of singing God's own word, but also of the distinctive piety that results. the Psalms are militant: 148 of [the] 150 [Psalms] refer to the conflict between the righteous and the wicked; triumphant: they anticipate a victorious Christ upon His throne (Psalms 2, 16, 72, 122), and the nations offering Him their praise (Psalm 47, 66, 67, 100); authentic: they contain the whole range of human emotions, giving realistic expression to the joys and sorrows, the hopes and complaints, the certainties and the doubts of Christian life; and comprehensive: containing the whole body of Christian doctrine and experience, forming virtually a "little Bible", as Luther put it. The Trinity Psalter was published just a few years ago (1994), but all of its settings have been collected from older Psalters. It's primary source is The Book of Psalms for Singing (1973), which in turn draws from the Geneva Psalter (1543), the Scottish Psalter (1564 and 1650), Isaac Watt's The Psalms of David Imitated (1719), the Book of Psalms (1871), the Irish Psalter (1880), and The Psalter (1912), among others. Thus we can legitimately claim that the whole tradition of Protestant Psalm-singing is represented in this collection. Our fervent hope is that this beautiful sample of "Psalms For Singing" will simulate in those who hear it and irrepressible desire to restore congregational Psalm-singing to the regular worship of the Church. Terry L Johnson, Senior Minister Independent Presbyterian Church, Savannah, Georgia
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