Thread: Best Psalms

I am starting an integrated family worship, the first sunday night of every month at my church. I wanted to try singing some of the Psalms. However, I have no experience doing this. For a church that has never done this before. Which would be the best starters. Is there a good place online to get music. It would help if I could get some kind of accompanying music for a piano or an organ.

You can get a limited preview (not sure how long it lasts) of the music for The Book of Psalms for Singing on Google Books. The midi files for each psalm (many familiar tunes) can be found here.

The Scottish Psalter of 1650 (or the Scottish Metrical Psalter) can be found here. Midi files for this psalter (and also for the above Psalter) can be found here.

I hope you find much joy in singing the Psalms, although I might add that they are best sung acapella.

Sorry to hijack but I think this is relevant: Is there any CD of a group performing the psalms that I could buy? Or order online? Or anything like that? I'd like to have a CD with some psalms on them to listen to in the car.

Originally Posted by steven-nemes

Sorry to hijack but I think this is relevant: Is there any CD of a group performing the psalms that I could buy? Or order online? Or anything like that? I'd like to have a CD with some psalms on them to listen to in the car.

Crown & Covenant Publications has MANY CD's available. One that I can highly recommend is Sing a New Song. These psalms are from the Book of Psalms for Singing.

From the Scottish Psalter, try some free psalm mp3's at this website:
Psalm Singing Online - psalm-singing.org

Originally Posted by steven-nemes

Sorry to hijack but I think this is relevant: Is there any CD of a group performing the psalms that I could buy? Or order online? Or anything like that? I'd like to have a CD with some psalms on them to listen to in the car.

Reformed Church Music

I have one of their CD's and it is very good.

Anyone else have any experience doing this?

I have introduced Psalms into worship at two churches. Here (quickly) is what I have found:

1. I would not start acapella. People don't feel as comfortable singing anything acapella, and you want them to be comfortable singing (and enjoy it).

2. I would start with some upbeat Psalms. For example, 98A, 8B, 122, 96A, 76, 47, 24, 92. People have a predisposition that the Psalms are drudgery. They're not. Show them.

3. Occasionally, not every time, sing a Psalm with a very familiar hymn tune.

4. Use a good amount of repetition. Don't try and learn 10 Psalms in a month. Learn 3 or 4. People learn them and then like them. Most people don't like singing anything new or unfamiliar, whether it is a Psalm, a hymn, or a contemporary song.

I have introduced Psalms into worship at two churches. Here (quickly) is what I have found:

1. I would not start acapella. People don't feel as comfortable singing anything acapella, and you want them to be comfortable singing (and enjoy it).

2. I would start with some upbeat Psalms. For example, 98A, 8B, 122, 96A, 76, 47, 24, 92. People have a predisposition that the Psalms are drudgery. They're not. Show them.

3. Occasionally, not every time, sing a Psalm with a very familiar hymn tune.

4. Use a good amount of repetition. Don't try and learn 10 Psalms in a month. Learn 3 or 4. People learn them and then like them. Most people don't like singing anything new or unfamiliar, whether it is a Psalm, a hymn, or a contemporary song.

Thank you so much Fred. Do you know where I could get the music for the instruments?

I have done this at my church. We have been doing it for over a year now. It takes some getting used to but very rewarding. We use the Trinity Psalter, which is very economical. I would start out with piano accompaniment to familiar hymns. This is what we have done and it has worked well. We only sing one psalm a week and only have about twelve that we sing. We will add more as we go.

The Psalms are God's Word and therefore spiritually deep. The more the Psalms are studied, the more you get out of them when you sing them.

If you have time introduce the Psalm/part of the Psalm with a little as to its background and what it's about, particularly any typology.