Huguenot Psalms

[Tom Hart]

For any who might have a historical interest, this is album of Psalms of the Geneva Psalter, set by Claude Goudimel, Pascal de l'Estocart and Jan Sweelinck, performed by the Claude Goudimel Ensemble and released by Alte Musik. The Psalms are sung a capella in 16th-century French, and give a good idea of the sound of Huguenot worship.

The album Psaumes de la Réforme (Psalms of the Reformation) can be purchased digitally for $5.99 (USD). http://shop.classicsonlinehd.com/albums/53ca97479d29c90e4c0004fb?type=download

Included are 17 of the Psalms as well as two other pieces set by Goudimel (Par le déset de mes paines, Cantique de Siméon).

These are a delight to listen to. This sort of early music is unfortunately seldom recorded.

 

[Guido's Brother]

That's one of my favourite CDs! Many Reformed churches around the world continue to sing the Psalms to these tunes, including the church that I serve. There's lots of information about the Genevan Psalter here.

You can also buy one in English here.

 

[Tom Hart]

It's quite a nice CD, but I wish it included all of the Psalms.

Out of historical interest, I really enjoy the early modern French. While reading the history of the early Huguenots and other Reformed Christians, I can have a taste of their worship! But how different is the French from what I studied in school! I don't recognize much of the vocabulary, and, compared to modern French, the pronunciation is somewhat different (although I think this album does tone down the language difference).

Myself, I have never even attended a church where Psalms are regularly sung. As I've been individually exploring the singing of Psalms, I have been looking for a book like the one you have linked. Thank you!

Do you know where I could get a copy of a Geneva Psalter with the original words? Google is not much help.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Thanks, Tom, this is really nice! I do love the Genevan melodies. They are simple (though some sound more"foreign" to our modern ears than others) and beautiful- I think they represent the best of the best tunes written for the Psalms. Thank you also Wes for the links.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Wes, what Psalter does your church use?

 

[Guido's Brother]

Do you know where I could get a copy of a Geneva Psalter with the original words? Google is not much help.

Tom, yes! You can find a copy here.

 

[Guido's Brother]

Wes, what Psalter does your church use?

We use the Book of Praise: Anglo-Genevan Psalter (2010 edition), published by the Canadian Reformed Churches. It contains 150 psalms set to the Genevan tunes, plus 85 hymns (though we only currently sing 65 of them here in Australia).

 

[Tom Hart]

Do you know where I could get a copy of a Geneva Psalter with the original words? Google is not much help.

Tom, yes! You can find a copy here.

I excitedly followed the link, but it only brings me back to this very thread! I feel like I'm walking the Penrose steps!

 

[Guido's Brother]

I excitedly followed the link, but it only brings me back to this very thread! I feel like I'm walking the Penrose steps!

Sorry: here it is for real. I also fixed the link above.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Do you guys know, or does anyone else on the board know, whether the original Genevan Psalter was rhymed?

 

[Guido's Brother]

Do you guys know, or does anyone else on the board know, whether the original Genevan Psalter was rhymed?

Yes, absolutely. Here's Psalm 1, so you can see for yourself.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Thanks! I viewed the original words last night via your link, and though I do not read French, could tell that they rhyme. I have two more questions, if you don't mind; does the Book of Praise keep (and did it always keep) the original melodies and texts together? Also, what is the reason for the revisions over time- was greater accuracy in the text part of the reason (I know hymns were added, too). Thanks for your answers!

 

[Guido's Brother]

Thanks! I viewed the original words last night via your link, and though I do not read French, could tell that they rhyme. I have two more questions, if you don't mind; does the Book of Praise keep (and did it always keep) the original melodies and texts together? Also, what is the reason for the revisions over time- was greater accuracy in the text part of the reason (I know hymns were added, too). Thanks for your answers!

Yes, the original melodies and texts are always together. However, the English in the Book of Praise is not a translation of the French. Instead, those who worked on it, worked mostly from the Hebrew and from English translations of the Hebrew.

Revisions were made:

1) to improve on the faithfulness to the original text. For instance, the 1984 Book of Praise had a version of Psalm 47 that was based almost entirely on the version of Dewey Westra that appeared in the Christian Reformed Psalter Hymnal. However, that version had some major departures from the actual text of the psalm. The 2010 and 2014 editions have a new Psalm 47 more faithful to the original.

2) Revisions were also made to update the language. The 1984 Book of Praise had a lot of archaic language. Example: one of the psalms had the line, "they all shall sing in joyful lays." What is a lay? That kind of language is mostly gone in the 2010 and 2014 editions.

 

[yeutter]

A website that has some fine music in the Anglo-Genevan Psalter tradition
www.genevanpsalter.com

 

[Jeri Tanner]

Thanks! I viewed the original words last night via your link, and though I do not read French, could tell that they rhyme. I have two more questions, if you don't mind; does the Book of Praise keep (and did it always keep) the original melodies and texts together? Also, what is the reason for the revisions over time- was greater accuracy in the text part of the reason (I know hymns were added, too). Thanks for your answers!

Yes, the original melodies and texts are always together. However, the English in the Book of Praise is not a translation of the French. Instead, those who worked on it, worked mostly from the Hebrew and from English translations of the Hebrew.

Revisions were made:

1) to improve on the faithfulness to the original text. For instance, the 1984 Book of Praise had a version of Psalm 47 that was based almost entirely on the version of Dewey Westra that appeared in the Christian Reformed Psalter Hymnal. However, that version had some major departures from the actual text of the psalm. The 2010 and 2014 editions have a new Psalm 47 more faithful to the original.

2) Revisions were also made to update the language. The 1984 Book of Praise had a lot of archaic language. Example: one of the psalms had the line, "they all shall sing in joyful lays." What is a lay? That kind of language is mostly gone in the 2010 and 2014 editions.

Thanks again, very informative, and heartening. I purchased the digital edition and am looking forward to learning more melodies and singing them.

 

[Miss Marple]

I think I just found them on Spotify!