The immediately remarkable feature of this psalm is the antiphon inserted in each verse of the poem, which begins: Give thanks to God who is good : whose steadfast love is eternal. The phrase in the second half (in bold) is added to each verse, presumably in the original text. These repeated antiphons are shown in … Continue reading Psalm 136
Tag: history
historical aspect of music or psalm
Psalm 61
Divine standards of perfect love and peace seem far off and unattainable in a world full of strife, refugees, war and deceit: As high as heaven is above the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways (Is. 55:9) The good news in the psalms, here and in other songs like 31, is that … Continue reading Psalm 61
Psalm 81, 28 Aug ’16
Psalmist Asaph begins by casting into a shimmering spotlight some energising phrases: Raise a song and sound the timbrel, the merry harp and the lyre. Blow the ram's horn at the new moon, and at the full moon (v.1, 3) Then this touch of mystery: I hear a voice I had not known: "I eased your shoulder from the burden You … Continue reading Psalm 81, 28 Aug ’16
Psalm 60
It was the washbasin that put me onto it. I realised of course that there is quite a lot of repetition in the psalms - asking God to defend, save and vanquish evil, 'for human help is worthless' as in this song (Ps 60:11). But you immediately know you've been there before when you read … Continue reading Psalm 60
Psalm 82, 10 July 16
Psalm 82 is fundamental teaching on the importance of justice in the world. God is imagined amongst other gods berating them for their partiality as unfair judges: Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of … Continue reading Psalm 82, 10 July 16
Victoria’s Requiem, 28 May 2016
Acclaimed early music performer Jordi Savall once wrote: Culture, art, and especially music, are the foundation of an education that allows us to realize ourselves personally and at the same time, be present as a cultural entity, in an increasingly globalized world. I am deeply convinced that art is useful to society, contributing to the education of … Continue reading Victoria’s Requiem, 28 May 2016
Psalm 97, 8 May 2016
The readings this week contain an amount of shake and show. Paul and Silas in prison are shaken by an earthquake, showing both them and their jailer their ways to freedom. (Acts 16) In the Psalm, fire, lightning, trembling mountains -- and light dawns. 'See I am coming ... Let anyone who wishes take the water … Continue reading Psalm 97, 8 May 2016
Psalm 51; a tale
The recent recurrence on 2 August of Psalm 51, of which much has been written in this blog, reminds us of another popular story. In Latin, the psalm begins 'Miserere' meaning 'Have mercy' (for more, see for example the post for 15 March 2015>). A quite stunning and famous setting by Gregorio Allegri was written for two choirs in about … Continue reading Psalm 51; a tale
The Theodore Psalter – Medieval manuscripts blog
From time to time -- perhaps too often for everyone's tastes -- these pages feature old manuscripts. These documents are tucked away in libraries and monasteries around the world; previously mentioned examples range from the National Library of Australia to St Gallen in Switzerland and the Humanist Library in Selestat; there are many more. Words, … Continue reading The Theodore Psalter – Medieval manuscripts blog
Psalm 133, 12 April 2015
A beautiful old Anglo-Saxon manuscript in the British Library from the 8th Century, shown above, records the psalms in Latin in an insular uncial script (capital letters) in common use around 700 CE. The British Library's description of this manuscript, titled Cotton MS Vespasian A 1, is simply: A Roman Psalter (‘The Vespasian Psalter’), including prefaces, canticles, … Continue reading Psalm 133, 12 April 2015
Psalms in the South 