Psalms in Our Time

Psalm 150: O praise ye the Lord

This version from the second edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern is considered one of the finest texts from that hymnal's editor¹. Its outline closely follows Psalm 150, with additional details suggested by Psalm 148.

Text: Henry W. Baker, 1875

Meter: 10,10,11,11 Anapestic

Rhyme scheme: ababcdcd

This version is hardly recognizable as from the same source as Wesley's version, but its primary material and outline are firmly based on the psalm.

Following hints from verse 1, elements of the cosmic chorus are organized into stanzas: (1) Heavenly: angels from Psalm 148; (2) Earthly: God's people from Psalm 148. Following hints from verse 2, each stanza mentions some specific "mighty deed" (in Psalm 148:7, "lifted up a horn [of salvation] for" is a Semitic idiom meaning "saved"). "Salvation" and "God's people" take specifically Christian connotations, reflected in Baker's terminology.

Stanza 3 omits the dancing, and compresses the list of instruments into one loud (wind) and one soft (stringed) instrument. Its summary ("all things that give sound") is justified by verse 6, and makes it easier (for me, at least) to see these instruments as metaphorical.²

Stanza 4 acts as a summary of the first three verses. It mentions three works, which seem to be meant to correspond to the works mentioned in the first three verses. The context of "heaven restored" may allude to John's vision, where the great chorus of praise evokes both "the sound of many waters" and "the playing of lyres".

This is a very fluent poem, with two rhymes per line: out of 32 rhyming words words, there is only one false rhyme, and not a single forced rhyme--every rhyming word fits naturally in place in both the grammar and the flow of thought.

Henry W. Baker spent twenty years editing Hymns ancient and Modern. He was the main instigator and main contributor to that hymnal.

"Laudate Dominum": arr. 1916; from Charles Hubert H. Parry, 1894

Incipit: smdrsslsfm|smrsdtrdls; 53125 16543 53251

Melodic scheme: Through-composed

C. H. H. Parry (1848-1918)³ was one of the most distinguished British musicians of the late Victorian era, especially noted as a teacher, author of books on music, and composer of choral works. This melody was adapted for this text⁴ from an anthem. Its jagged melodic line is reminiscent of "St. Anne", but with a distinctive modern⁵ edge, giving it an intensity well suited to these words. It needs to be sung not too fast (the harmonies are not simplistic) but "with vigor and enthusiasm." If the parts are too difficult, sing in unison.

The tune itself shouldn't be too difficult -- but rather than lose this psalm, consider other tunes with the same meter.⁶

While the text is preeminent, choice of tunes is not a negligable consideration. This text was first published with, and impeded by, a forgettable tune from Henry J. Gauntlett. It dropped out of Hymns Ancient and Modern before returning in 1916 with this energetic modern tune.

Use:

This straightforward summary of God's glory and power need not wait for any special occasion.

Verse three can be omitted without losing the hymn's coherence, if a shorter hymn is needed or if its reference to musical instruments still troubles some. But (in view of the occasional misinformed defense of musical instruments in worship on the basis of Old Testament references) we really need to educate people on the actual circumstances both of instruments' use,⁷ and of the meaning of references to it in the psalms, as understood by the Jews of Jesus' time.⁸ And if that is done well, this hymn should not cause any problems.

Notes:

¹His version of Psalm 23, The king of love my shepherd is, and his adaptation of Milton's Psalm 36 are also widely used.

²Which is indubitably the right approach: see the fuller discussion; also Routley's Psalm 98 and Wesley's Psalm 150.

^2aI.e. "Lord/word".

³Perhaps his most famous hymn tune is "Jerusalem", written for William Blake's And did those feet in ancient time.

⁴As the name suggests: "Laudate Dominum" is Latin for "praise the Lord". The adaptation is anonymous, and was probably by the editors of Hymns Ancient and Modern.

⁵That is, by "classical music" standards, not in the "pop music" sense.

⁶Cf. the Metrical Indexes at CCEH. "Lyons" is familiar and not totally inappropriate; William Croft's "Hanover" or "Genevan 103rd" would be interesting alternatives (the latter two not already included in this collection.)

⁷Side note: of course, the West Allen congregation uses musical instruments in its services, just as many other churches do. We call them collectively "the bell", but they are more like a collection of synchronized but untuned electromechanical noisemakers. And they signal transitions in the service: all just as in the Jewish temple.

Our "bell" has not been a disruptive problem: few people come to services to listen to it; we don't have people arguing about what kind of bell to buy, or what style of buzzing to perform, or who gets the prominent position of prancing around on the podium pushing the button. If we ever have such problems, we'd need to figure out some other way of accomplishing the bell's function: alerting classes when to dismiss. Of course, people are always tempted to subvert a practical tool for self-promoting artistic use, just as the time-keeping bells of medieval churches were expanded into carrillons and used for "musical" performances. Until that happens with our buzzer, we will probably continue to use it.

⁸See discussion under Wesley's Psalm 150.

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