But sadly I find Anglican chant (which allows you to sing the words straight out of an English Bible if you want to, as the music adapts to fit the words) very hard to get the hang of. And if the Vicar can't do it, I imagine your average 21st Century occasional church-going might not find it easy either.
So I'm trying to find some metrical (i.e. hymn) versions of the Psalms we could sing.
As, sadly, the words are often not as familiar to us as they might be (!) I'd like to go for really easy well-known tunes so it's not too much of a car crash!
Maybe this would even help us to get the words into our heads. I'd love to be able to wander round the house belting out the Psalms and not just bits of "Hey, big spender!", or whatever!
You can find some suggestions of one hymn to the tune of another from Steve Jefferey here.
I'm going to suggest one week soon we try:
Words: Praise! 2b by Jim Sayers (Psalm 2)
Tune: Jerusalem by C. H. Parry Long Meter Double 88 88 D - Praise! 172 / Hymns Old & New 31 / Mission Praise 438
and then the next week:
Words: Praise! 3 by Mollie Knight (Psalm 3)
Tune: Long Meter 88 88 - Duke Street (e.g. Fight The Good Fight) Praise! 544 / Hymns Old & New 128 / Mission Praise 143
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5 comments:
Try: hymn numbers from Praise! followed by tunes
1: Melita
3: Herongate
24b: (Trumpet Voluntary, as in the book)
51: Ebenezer
62: Kingsfold
72: Aurelia
84: Londonderry Air
123: Monkland
149: Diademata
I should add that the challenge is also to find tunes whose tenor fits that of the Psalm, where possible. For example, you wouldn't want Psalm 51 to a nice jolly big band tune.
Thanks, James. Yes, I agree with the sentiment but I fear such subtelty may be beyond my musical wit!
In Scotland I once had to sing a psalm to the tune of If You're Happy and You Know It. I did not get the giggles but it was a close run thing.
"I did not get the giggles"
Phew.
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