I'm Workin' On It

A few people have kindly pointed out to me (errr...have been pointing out, for some time now) that my catalog of psalm recordings is in need of some updating.  If you've checked it out recently, you may have noticed a few broken links; and you may also have wondered why I haven't yet included many excellent recordings that have popped up online in recent years.

So, I've finally begun the process of updating the list.  I'm removing broken links, and adding new recordings as I see fit.  I'm no longer including every recording that I find; I'm just listing one recording for each psalm or section of the psalms, plus extras when I can't decide on a favorite (which is often).  Hopefully you'll enjoy my selections.  If not, remember that you can always visit the sites listed on this page to find more recordings that I haven't included.

The list-updating-process will be a gradual one.  Psalms 1 through 49 have been updated, and hopefully over the next few weeks, I'll get through the rest of the list.  Thanks for your patience. :)

Project Psalms Nearly Complete

I've mentioned Project Psalms before.  Project Psalms is an effort by some folks in Australia to record all 150 Psalms from the Scottish Metrical Psalter.  They've hired a professional tenor to do the singing; you can hear sample recordings here and here.

The recording has been finished, but additional donations are needed to pay for the editing/mixing and various other expenses.  Once the remaining $5250 has been collected and the project is complete, the recordings will be made available to the public to download for free.

If you donate $500 to the project (that's Australian dollars), you'll receive a full 15 CD set of the recordings, plus various other bonuses including the sheet music for the tunes used, and a hard copy of the Scottish Metrical Psalms with John Brown of Haddington's notes.  Of course, smaller donations are also welcome.

I look forward to the completion of the project; I think the recordings will be a valuable resource indeed, and I'm happy that the plan is to make those recordings freely available to the public.  I think this is a worthy cause, don't you?  Please consider donating today.

Psalm 103 to Kilmarnock

We're in the middle of a communion season here, so I don't have much time, but I thought I'd stop in to post an old recording of a psalm we usually sing during communion services: Psalm 103, the first six stanzas. I like London New best for this psalm, but I know a lot of people prefer Kilmarnock, so perhaps y'all will appreciate this recording.

This is an old recording of congregational singing, with my dad precenting.

Psalm 103:1-7 to Kilmarnock


For Psalm 103 to London New, see this old post.

Still Here

I'm still here, and I don't intend to let this blog die just yet. :)  I'm as busy as can be, but I thought I would stop in quickly to say "hello" and to offer an excuse for my absence: namely, that I've got a new job, working for a friend's roofing business.  It's just a part time temp job, but what with work, homeschooling, keeping house, and various other commitments, my days are very, very full. 

I take lots of photos that I intend to post, but I don't get to it quickly enough, and as the months tick by, I decide that they are no longer relevant.  So when I took this photo just a few minutes ago, I decided to post it right away, before it's too outdated. :) Here's Elijah with a happy smile as he listens to his favorite radio program, StarDate.  

He is growing up so fast!  And his hair is growing fast too--looks like it's about time his Aunt Mercy cuts it again!

St. Botolph

Thank you Connor Q. for posting this beautiful recording.

Psalm 27 v 7-10

7 O Lord, give ear unto my voice,

when I do cry to thee;

Upon me also mercy have,

and do thou answer me.

8 When thou didst say, Seek ye my face,

then unto thee reply

Thus did my heart, Above all things

thy face, Lord, seek will I.

9 Far from me hide not thou thy face;

put not away from thee

Thy servant in thy wrath: thou hast

an helper been to me.

O God of my salvation,

leave me not, nor forsake:

10 Though me my parents both should leave,

the Lord will me up take.

A Psalm Sing At Last

After a very long stretch of time without any psalm sings, we finally managed to arrange a last-minute psalm sing earlier this month.  We had a very nice time singing, visiting, and eating delicious leftover birthday cake.

We worked on two tunes: Glenluce and Bloxham.  Glenluce is a very old and very simple melody with a very interesting and unusual harmony.  You may have heard other recordings of this tune, like this one and this one.  We thought it was a good fit for the last half of Psalm 42.

Psalm 42:6-11 to Glenluce


Bloxham starts out just like Colchester, but then heads in a very different direction.

Psalm 119:97-104 to Bloxham


Enjoy!

The Psalms Sung

A friend in Scotland has put together a nice website with recordings of psalm singing.  He's posted recordings from several different psalters, but they are now sorted so that you can easily listen to just the recordings from your favorite psalter.  Here's the link to the recordings from the Scottish Psalter:

The Scottish Metrical Psalter (1650) on The Psalms Sung

If you hit "play" the tracks will play through consecutively, so I like to pull up this site when I have housework to do, or sweaters to unravel.

In other news, we had a very nice communion season earlier this month, with a number of visitors, including a family that stayed with us for two weeks; so it's been a busy but enjoyable month.  I would have a lot to blog about, if I had time for blogging. :)  I'll try to at least post a few photos some time soon.

No Matter What Happens

John Calvin:

...our chief consolation is that this is the cause of God and that he will take it in hand to bring it to a happy issue.  Even though all the princes of the earth were to unite for the maintenance of our Gospel, still we must not make that the foundation of our hope.  So, likewise, whatever resistance we see today offered by almost all the world to the progress of the truth, we must not doubt that our Lord will come at last to break through all the undertakings of men and make a passage for his word.  Let us hope boldly, then, more than we can understand; he will still surpass our opinion and our hope.

--found in The Puritan Hope by Iain Murray (highly recommended!)

Two Perspectives

Two perspectives on the Christian's duty at election time, by respected Reformed pastors:

By Rev. Joel Beeke of the HRC--
Why My Conscience Won't Let Me Not Vote for Romney

And by Rev. Nathan Eshelman of the RPCNA--
Why the Word of God Will Not Let Me Vote for Mitt Romney

Can you guess which author I find most persuasive?  As you might have guessed, while I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Beeke, on this point, I agree wholeheartedly with Rev. Eshelman. It seems to me that the argument for voting for Mr. Romney is based in fear and pragmatism, whereas the argument for abstaining (or voting for a third party) is based in faith and confidence.  But what do you think? :)

Sleepy in Church?

Found on the RPCNA's Facebook page.