(To be published in a future issue of Clarion)
Singing the
Psalms
The
church catholic has been singing the Psalms for about 3,000 years, ever since
King David and others, inspired by the Holy Spirit, began composing them. The
Psalms are closely identified with the worship of the Canadian Reformed
Churches since we sing from the Book of
Praise, which contains a complete collection of all 150 Psalms. We also
sing hymns, and it is proper to do so. Some of our sister churches subscribe to
exclusive Psalmody. We do not and never have. As Dr. Arjan de Visser wrote in
this magazine, “A biblical understanding of the covenant will support and
encourage the singing of hymns” (“They are Singing New Songs” (57:18, pp
458-460).
And
yet, we are primarily a Psalm-singing people. In the preface to the Book of Praise, John Calvin is quoted
who, in turn, quoted Augustine, making the point that there is nothing better
to sing than the Psalms, which have been inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Although
the Psalms have been sung for millennia, there seems to be, of late, a
renaissance of appreciation for the Psalms. In the rest of this article I will
introduce three groups of artists who are promoting the singing of Psalms. What
follows are not reviews of specific albums, but simply some information and
words of appreciation for the work being accomplished.
Jamie Soles
Jamie Soles, of Grande Prairie, Alberta,
is known in our circles. He has produced about fifteen albums, several
especially for children, which are very popular with my grandchildren … and
their grandparents. Jamie accompanies his songs with an acoustic guitar and is
often joined by his wife Valerie and combinations of their eight children. When
he is singing words of scripture, he stays close to the text, preferring the
ESV.
Inside the album cover of Pure Words, songs on the first sixteen
Psalms, he writes some notable words:
It seems to me
that the Church should be singing the Psalms, her ancient songbook. In a number
of places in the New Testament the Psalms are spoken of or quoted as though
they had been uttered by the Messiah. If this is the case, and I believe it is,
and if the believer’s task in life is to grow more into the image of Jesus, then
mastering the Psalms would be a wise way to learn the mind of Christ. Do you
want to be like Jesus? Well, here is a treasure trove of the way that Jesus
thinks and expresses himself in song. Learn to sing them well. Jesus is pleased
when his people know how he thinks.
Jamie says it well here, and, as a
Psalm-singing people, we can appreciate the point he makes and take it to heart.
It is difficult to classify exactly his
style, but let it suffice to say that his songs are biblical, enjoyable,
memorable and singable. Jamie captures well the mood of the particular Psalm,
whether it is sad or joyful, instructive or a benediction. I recommend this artist and his music to the
reader. CDs can be ordered from www.solmusic.ca.
Sons
of Korah
Sons of Korah is an Australian based
band devoted to giving a fresh voice to the biblical psalms. They use a unique
acoustic, multi-ethnic sound and have given the Book of Psalms a dynamic and
emotive new musical expression. In their songs, in which the words are often taken
directly from scripture, they bring out well whether the Psalm is one of
lamentation, jubilant praise, battle cry, benediction, an exclamation of awe
and wonder, or a reflection of tranquility and wisdom.
The reader will recognize that the name
of the band comes from the group of Levitical musicians to whom at least
thirteen of the Psalms are attributed. Sons of Korah is made up of seven people
while Matthew Jacoby and Rod Gear co-write the music. Many string, acoustic,
and other, musical instruments are used in the performance of the songs.
Sons of Korah has produced five albums
that range in mood from the deeply emotive and reflective to the wildly
exuberant, as the Book of Psalms itself does. I also recommend this band and
their albums to the reader of Clarion.
Readers can go to the Sons of Korah webpage,
www.sonsofkorah.com, to listen to
samples of many songs before deciding whether to purchase.
The
Psalm Project
This project will be of interest to
Canadian Reformed people as it has taken the tunes of the Genevan Psalter,
1562, and put them to contemporary settings. This Dutch group has produced both
a Dutch and an Engish CD. The Psalm Project is a band of six professional
musicians under the leadership of Eelco Vos who had a vision to dress
historical treasures in 21st century sounds. String, wind, and
percussion instruments are used to accompany the songs.
Not everyone will appreciate this
contemporary interpretation of Genevan tunes, but, having an eclectic taste in
music, I do, and I recommend the albums to the reader. CDs can be ordered from
their webpage, www.thepsalmproject.com where one can
also preview the songs.
The songs of Jamie Soles, the Sons of
Korah, and the Psalm Project can all be previewed and purchased also through
iTunes.*
Listen, sing, enjoy, and worship!
*(Please note that at iTunes, there is another group called the Psalm Project
and one called the Psalms Project. These look interesting, but I am not
familiar with them.)
