To sing the Psalms is to receive the Psalms exactly as they were
intended to be received. Their message is not merely conveyed by art, but the art is part of the
message: God is the Author of song. Made in His image, we have the capacity to receive His
message fully. We now take steps to put this into practice, by singing a psalm tune composed
especially for a particular psalm.
The first step towards learning to sing a Simple Song is to
watch the tutorial. Then, choose a psalm. Psalm 1 is one of the
easier psalms to sing. They way to approach singing any of the psalms is to watch and listen
to the demonstration video. The video allows one to listen to each line, perhaps several times,
until it is learned. Then print out the score, either the numeric notation only score or the
score that has a staff and noteheads. Practice singing this psalm each day at quiet time for a week.
Sing with the video, and then without it. By the end of a week, one will be quite familiar with the
psalm and can move on to another psalm.
You may also want to increase the focus of your psalm-singing
by following a few suggestions given below, but these are only for those who are already comfortable
with singing some of the psalms.
A. Tempo
The tempo should be a comfortable one, slower than reading the text
aloud. Think of a slow procession. About two syllables per footstep is close to the right tempo. Tempos
should relax at the end of phrases. Tempos may quicken on a series of unaccented syllables or unstressed
words. Avoid any rhythm that begins to sound like a march. It is essential that the rhythmic irregularity
echo and imitate the spoken word. At the end of a phrase, it may be appropriate to make a small gap or
rest. The text will dictate when this should be longer. Don’t rush; take the time to recreate the psalm
in song in the way it deserves.
B. Pitch
Pitch is completely moveable. Choose a pitch that is comfortable
for your voice or for the voices of those who will sing the psalm as an ensemble. Of course, if instruments
are to be employed in some way, the pitch of note 1 must be chosen to match the capabilities of those
instruments with fixed pitch, i.e., piano, guitar, etc. With percussion instruments, this is usually not
necessary. But the choice of pitch should be one that is comfortable enough that the pitch can be sustained
throughout the composition, so that the psalm can end on the pitch on which it began.
C. Tone
Choose a tone (that is, a manner of voice production) that is relaxed
and natural. A tone that is pinched or strained cannot be sustained throughout the psalm. One that is too
deep or covered will harm diction and clarity. A tone that is too heavy in vibrato or uncertain in pitch
harms the simplicity of the psalm song. A simple, straight tone is preferred. Open the mouth wide so that
the voice can emerge fully. Yawning or yelling can prime you for the vocal position that is most advantageous.
Sing phrases on a single breath. When necessary, take a deep breath
before beginning a long or complicated phrase.
D. Dynamics
What musicians call “dynamics” is how loud or soft any given note is
sung. Some phrases of the psalms deserved to be declaimed with a large sound; others having to do with
submission or prayer should be sung with a quieter sound.
Dynamics can and should vary within a phrase. A passage employing
rising pitch will often demand an increase in volume, while those passages that descend will naturally
require a diminishing volume. Make all volume changes gradually. Let the text tell you how loud a passage
should be.
At the end of a line, the music will often descend in pitch and one
or more notes lengthened. These are the occasion for diminishing volume, so that the end of a statement
sounds like the end. Accented syllables will naturally be slightly louder than unaccented ones. At the
end of a line, the lengthened note may sometimes fall on an unaccented syllable. This calls for an even
sharper diminution of volume, so that the longer unaccented syllable does not outshine the shorter, but
more important, accented syllable.
E. Diction
Sing the words clearly, just as you would speak them, with articulation
of the consonants and correct values on the vowels. Some modification from speech is natural in singing.
When we say, “To begin with...,” what we actually say is more like “T’begin
with.” The “o” of the word “to” is reduced to an almost inaudible value.
In singing these words, we naturally alter and restore the value of the “o” vowel in order to
sustain it on a pitch. Following your instincts here is good, with one caution. Sometimes the vowel value
we use in speech, if lengthened in a sustained way in song, will sound ridiculous. Make sure that there
is not too much “ah” in “God,” that the “be” is not a pinched vowel,
that we do not sustain “s,” “sh,” or “z” sounds, and that we keep the
final “er” in “water” from sounding too throaty. In the latter case, a broader
“er” sound is better, with more “ah” and less “rr.”
Connect the words with a smooth legato, that is, move from one word
to the next without gaps or pauses, except where the text demands one. Even when a final consonant is
run onto the beginning consonant or vowel of the next word, native English speakers will ordinarily have
no difficulty parsing the words in the song.
F. Posture
Ideally, the Psalms should be sung in an atmosphere of quiet, without
distractions, either sitting or standing, with hands free. I recommend the use of a music stand or some
other mechanism for holding the music in a viewable position. This makes it possible to adopt a posture
that makes full use of the breathing mechanisms for musical support. Moreover, music is known to excite
the motor cortex. While singing a psalm, you may want to move or make a gesture with your hands. Remember,
this is not a musical performance, with all the proprieties and traditions that surround public concerts in
our age. It is an act of worship—of being informed by the Spirit about the word of God to the heart. If you
are moved to make a physical response, that is no less appropriate than an emotional response.
G. Phrasing
Musically, phrasing is the art of using dynamics, tempo, and articulation
to accentuate and enhance the shape and direction of a musical phrase. In free song, this is often subtle but
important. All large or sudden changes in tempo or dynamics are to be avoided as drawing attention to the
singing while distracting from the song. Whatever is changed in tempo or dynamics must be done gradually and
seem as natural as possible.
In general, ascending notes add energy to the melody while descending
notes disperse energy. Slight increases in volume or tempo may accompany an ascending passage, reinforcing
the increase in energy. Likewise, slight slowing or diminishing sound may enrich the dispersal of energy in
a descending passage. In free song, almost every phrase will possess these properties of ascent at the beginning
and descent at the end. This “arch” is in fact everywhere in music, and the technical names for these patterns
are “impulse” and “resolution.” Ideally in a musical phrase, the impulse and
resolution balance, so that the singer is returned to the same energy state he began with. This requires
that the phrase end on the same pitch it began with. When this is not so, it means that the phrase is not
done, that there is more content to the phrase, more energy left to disperse at a later time.
The “arch” shape that good musical phrases adopt is also present in the
text. A complete sentence in speech may begin with the subject, which provides an impulse and grabs our attention.
It continues with the verb, so that the subject matter is developed. And it then concludes with the predicate,
which completed the thought and gives resolution to the meaning of the sentence. Indeed, the sentence may be
almost unintelligible until the final word is supplied, releasing our attention.
There are a thousand variations on this theme in language, as there are in
music. But the important point to recognize is that verbal statements and musical phrases naturally possess the
same or similar “arch” shape. Thus the verbal and the musical can be joined together so that they
reinforce one another. This feature is an important consideration in the composition process. But it should not
be troublesome; with practice you will know when this reinforcement is working and how to use it to advantage.
Likewise, the way in which the text and the music have been joined together guides the singer in creating a
pattern of phrasing that suits the song. This also will improve quickly with practice.
H. Practice
What may seem tedious or difficult at first will improve and become more
natural with time and repetition. At first, I recommend that you attempt to learn just one of these songs at
the beginning of each week during your quiet time and then practice singing it on the other days of the week.
As your skills improve, it may become possible for you to undertake a new psalm more often. It is certainly not
necessary to do the Psalms in order. You may also want to repeat certain psalms at particular times or occasions.
The purpose of the Psalms is to nourish us spiritually. Naturally, this
nourishment is appropriate in an “on-call” way, and learning to sing the Psalms that particularly nourish you
will be a continuing blessing, as you learn to receive the Spirit’s message in new and fuller ways. Ultimately,
it would be good to prepare all the Psalms in this way.
I. Ensembles
It may be desirable to do psalm-singing in groups. Obviously, this requires
that the composition be written down and not improvised. It is important that the singers sing in perfect unison
(or octaves if both men and women are involved). In order to achieve the free motion of the tempo within the
psalm, it may be useful for someone to direct, at first, until all have begun to “feel” the ebb and flow of the
phrasing in the same way. Direction should be simple, indicating groups of two or three notes and each long note,
while avoiding a “beat” that could tend to turn the song into a metric hymn in the style of western music.
Eventually, it is desirable that the director be dispensed with, except for the beginning and the final cutoff.
J. Instruments
The singer may wish to have accompaniment with instruments of one kind or
another. The use of all instruments should be subordinated to the phrasing and intonation of the singing.
Percussion instruments, such as drums, wooden blocks, tambourine, or cymbals, can add to the singing experience
if used sparingly. Fixed-pitch instruments like the piano, guitar, harp, or any wind or string instrument
require the introduction of some form of harmony. This can present serious challenges, and one must make sure
that the instruments adopt a simple harmony that does not distort the direction of the psalm tune with its own
implicit harmony.
K. Extending the technique
You may want to extend this technique for singing the Psalms in any of several
directions, such as, adding more notes to the limited scale, singing more notes on a given word, adding sharp notes
or flat notes, implying different harmonies, or even writing vocal harmonizations for singing with a group. Any of
these is fine, consistent with the original objectives: to sing the Psalms in a simple, direct way, marrying song
and words to create the living experience of Psalm singing.
To increase your skill and comfort with the appropriate musical techniques is
to grow in maturity. To set your ambitions too high is to put an obstacle in place. So, be careful how you proceed.
