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The Book of Psalms is the Lord's revelation providing His people with substance for worship, lament, reflection, introspection, confession and praise. Accordingly, the Apostle Paul entreats us to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Yet what has happened to psalm singing in the modern church?
Most modern hymnals do contain a faint vestige of the Book of Psalms enduring from the Genevan Psalter. But how seriously does the modern church heed the scriptural admonition to sing psalms? And how can the modern church reclaim the rich treasure contained in the Psalter?
The primary reason for resistance may be the use of fatigued and dated hymn tunes most often utilized with psalter texts. The truth and authority of God's word does not change, but contemporary culture and musical style are everchanging. This tune collection, 25 New Tunes in Various Meters: A Companion to the Psalter and Congregational Psalm Singing, is composed to this end to assist churches in the reclamation of the rich theological treasure found in the Book of Psalms and the psalter.
Each new tune herein conforms to strophic meters commonly found in most psalters and denominational hymnals. The style is intentionally contemporary with a variety of interesting rhythms, harmonies, color tones, chord extensions and modalities not appearing in traditional hymn tunes. Each new tune is scored for gentle vocal range and easy piano accompaniment. Chord symbols have been provided to facilitate adaptation of rhythm instruments such as guitar, keyboard, bass and drums.
My prayer is that your church will find this collection of tunes useful in accessing and reclaiming the Book of Psalms in congregational worship.
Ran Whitley, DMin, PhD
Professor of Music
Campbell University
About the author
Ran Whitley, PhD is the Alma Dark Howard Professor of Church Music at Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC. Ran is also a professional jazz musician, a certified ESL teacher and an ordained Baptist minister with 45 years of church leadership experience. Ran is married to Donna with five children and a yet-to-be-determined number of grandchildren.
