How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts, to me.Psalm 84:1 So begins the setting for Psalm 84 in the Scottish Psalter of 1650. This tome in turn drew on the Calvin's Genevan psalter a century earlier -- in French of course -- but the song appears almost unchanged in Together in Song … Continue reading Psalm 84, 22 Aug 21

Psalms 45 is a song for a royal wedding. In this miniature King Richard II of England receives his bride, the princess Isabel, from her father, Charles VI, king of France. (Royal 14 D. vi, f. 268v British Library) Psalm 45, a tribute to the wedding of a king, is the closest we get to … Continue reading Psalm 45, 29 August 2021

You may remember that we heard this lovely inspirational song of ascents a little more than a month ago, at the end of June. Psalm 129 called for deliverance from Israel's enemies: Psalm 130 seeks deliverance from their own failings, and cries from the heart: 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O … Continue reading Psalm 130, 8 August 21

Psalm 51 is such a towering and famous peak in the landscape of the history of the psalms. A quick look at the choral online directory CPDL gives you the picture -- I haven't counted how many entries appear on that Psalm 51 page. One hundred? Second on the list is that famous Miserere mei … Continue reading Psalm 51, 1 Aug 21

This psalm is almost identical to Psalm 53. It laments the loss of faith in divine rule, with associated corruption and oppression. The opening verse strikes the tone: Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. However, the song concludes … Continue reading Psalm 14, 25 July 2021

No committees here. This psalm, like many others, focuses the spotlight on the responsibilities of rulers -- OK, in those days they were all kings -- not only the mortal kind but divine rule as well. Unlike the Greek gods, who were often imagined as having a foot in both human and heavenly camps, many … Continue reading Psalm 89, 18 July 21

Psalm 24 appears to be a gradual or entrance song, as the people ascend to the ‘hill of God’. It opens by declaring divine ownership of the creation, then asks who then can enter holy places? Domini est terra, et plenitudo ejus (The earth is the Lord's, and all that therein is); Verse 1 of … Continue reading Psalm 24, 11 July 2021

Ascents come in many shapes and sizes, while varied terrain may bring surprises. Last Sunday's Psalm 130 was introduced as a Song of Ascent, characterised by brevity and a clear positive message. Here is Psalm 123, the fourth of the Songs of Ascent (120 to 134). It fits happily into that pattern, short and clear, … Continue reading Psalm 123, 4 July 2021

This song of ascent (Psalms 120 to 134), 130 is also the sixth of seven penitential psalms. The inspirational idea of ascent might capture the imagination more powerfully and positively than that of penitence. That depends on the readers' needs at the time. In Psalm 130 we hear the familiar cry: Out of the depths I … Continue reading Psalm 130, 27 June 21