Church encourages psalm singing with second publication

This time last year, a new publication produced by the Church of Ireland designed to encourage more psalm singing in churches was launched and has since been well received.

The publication contained simple musical psalm settings for all the psalms needed for the liturgical year. Following on, a second publication with fresh and engaging simple chants for the psalms for the coming liturgical year beginning on Advent Sunday has been produced and will be launched at two special events in Londonderry and Cork.

The first launch will take place at All Saints, Clooney, Londonderry on 14 November at 11 am, with a second at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork on 22 November at a service of Evensong at 7 pm. Both events will showcase the music in participative ways.

The publications came about as a result of the feeling that the practice of singing psalms has been somewhat lost in parishes. In an attempt to recapture the richness and variety of emotion expressed within the psalms, the Liturgical Advisory Committee of the Church of Ireland asked musicians Alison Cadden and Peter Thompson to devise a way of setting the psalms to music that can be sung by anyone.

The authors say, "Whether there is a congregation of ten or a hundred, no choir or a large chorus, 'Singing Psalms' will work effectively – all that is needed is the prayer book and a copy of this new publication."

Singing Psalms – Responsorial Psalms set to Simple Chant – Year C sets out the psalms in a clear and easy to use manner. It is published by The Columba Press, price £12.99 or €17.99 and will be available from the Good Bookshop, Belfast and the Resource Centre, Rathmines, Dublin.