User:BarryJ/Proposed Category:Psalm-Tunes

A proposed Category:Psalm-Tunes

By Barry Johnston, user:Bcjohnston523, last revised 21 October 2015.

Introduction

Psalmody

Sacred music based on the Psalms and other Bible passages, written in three or four vocal parts, and designed to be sung a cappella without instruments, is categorized as psalmody by many authors. For example,

"The term "psalmody" is applied to that body of sacred song which is composed of metrical versions of the psalms, wherein they are adapted to modern methods of singing. It generally includes, also, similar paraphrases of other portions of Scripture.

The subject is an immensely large one of itself, and its literature most extensive. Julian, in his Dictionary of Hymnology, gives a list of three hundred and twenty-six separate publications, of substantially the entire Psalter, in English alone; besides about one hundred and twenty minor versifications. To these must be added, before exhausting the catalogue, similar attempts in other languages and also the vast number of songs ranking simply as 'hymns,' but virtually belonging to psalmody. . . It is a very large and serious question whether the displacement of psalmody by hymnody has not been extreme, and whether it may not be to the improvement of public worship and of the spiritual life to return more closely to former customs and give the 'Psalter' the place which it ought to hold in relation to the 'Hymnal,' a place original and supreme." (Breed 1903)

Psalmody began in central Europe and the British Isles in the latter part of the fifteenth century, and in New England from the early seventeenth century. Until the latter part of the nineteenth century, it was the principal form of sacred vocal music in churches on both sides of the Atlantic – 250 to 300 years.
In English-speaking countries, "Psalmody rather than hymnody was the usage of America prior to 1800" (Julian 1907). Before about 1850 in America, and before about 1835 in England, the term hymn referred to a sacred metrical poem whose direct source was not a Psalm or other Bible passage; although many hymns have been inspired by the Bible. Hymns were usually written without music, both in original works (Watts 1706-1709, Wesley and Wesley 1739, Whitefield 1779, Newton 1779, etc.) and in compilations.
During that period, a psalm meant a sacred metrical poem based directly on a Psalm. A psalm-tune meant music designed to be sung with a metrical psalm. However, ever since the beginning of Psalmody in the fifteenth century, psalm-tunes were composed to be sung also to hymns. Some authors tried to distinguish between psalm-tunes and hymn-tunes, but for the most part Psalmody and psalm-tunes applied to both metrical Psalms and hymns.

References

• Anonymous. 1822. Review of pamphlets on church music and psalmody. The Christian Observer (London) 22(7): 420-444. July, 1822.
• [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07596a.htm Blume, Clemens. 1910. Hymnody and hymnology. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• Breed, David R. 1903. The history and use of hymns and hymn-tunes. Chicago: Fleming G. Revell Co. 381 pp.
• Cowley, Tony. N. D. Observations on the history of psalmody and hymnody in Christian church music. Published online.
• Crawford, Richard. 1978. Mainstreams and backwaters of American psalmody. Liner notes for New World Records No. 80255: Make a joyful noise.
• Crawford, Richard. 1979. A historian’s introduction to early American music. Worcester, Massachusetts: American Antiquarian Society.
• Crawford, Richard A., Editor. 1984. The core repertory of early American psalmody. Madison, Wisconsin: A-R Editions.
• Crawford, Richard. 1993. The American musical landscape. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. Chapter 4 is titled: William Billings (1746-1800) and American psalmody: A study of musical dissemination.
• Dodds, Robert J. 1851. A reply to Morton on psalmody: To which is added a condensed argument for the exclusive use of an inspired psalmody. Pittsburgh: Kennedy and Brother.
• Havergal, Frances R., Editor. 1871. Havergal's psalmody and century of chants...of the late Rev. W. H. Havergal. London: Robert Cocks and Co. 310 pp.
• Johnson, Terry. 2009. The history of psalm singing in the Christian church. Presented at Where are the Psalms? A symposium on Congregational Psalm Singing, a symposium held at Erskine Seminary, February 2009. 25 pp.
• Kroeger, Karl. 1987. William Billings's "Anthem for Easter": The Persistence of an Early American "hit."
• Kroeger, Karl. 1990. Performance practice in early American psalmody. Pp. xxxiii-lxiv in Karl Kroeger, Editor. Complete works of William Billings, Volume IV. American Musicological Society.
• Kroeger, Karl; and Richard Crawford. 1995, Daniel Read and American Psalmody. Pp. xiii-xxxviii in Karl Kroeger, Editor. Daniel Read: Collected works. American Musicological Society.
• Julian, John, Editor. 1907. Dictionary of hymnology, Second Revised Edition. New York: John Murray. 1768 pp. Reprinted by Dover in 1957.
• Leonard, Richard C. 1997. Singing the Psalms: A brief history of psalmody. Published online.
• Metcalf, Frank J., Compiler. 1917. American psalmody, or Titles of books containing tunes printed in America from 1721 to 1820. New York: Charles F. Heartman. 54 pp.
• Mason, Lowell; and George James Webb. 1845. The psaltery, a new collection of church music consisting of psalm and hymn tunes, chants, and anthems. Boston: Wilkins, Carter, and Co. 364 pp.

Category:Psalm-Tunes

Description

A psalm-tune is a sacred song, based on a metrical paraphrase of a Psalm or other Bible passage, written in three or four vocal parts, for a cappella singing. Most psalm-tunes have lyrics associated with them: if a psalm-tune was written for a Psalm, then it has lyrics that go with it. In some cases, however, the tune was written to a specific meter, designed to be applied to any Psalm or other sacred text with the same meter.
Characteristics of psalm-tunes may include:

• Link to a metrical version of one of the Psalms, or another Bible passage.
• A fuging section, where the parts sing in alternation.
• Written as a combination of specific music and lyrics.
• Written before 1850, and for four-part a cappella singing.
• Melody or air in the tenor part.
• Harmony formed by the interaction of the vocal parts, rarely chorded.
• Title referring to the lyrics, or a place name associated with the song.

Relationship to Category:Hymns

A hymn is a sacred song