Paraphrased Psalms

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rondirect said:
To each his own. I know so many others who throw this resource away and comically call it “Respond and Complain.” Whatever works best for your congregation is what it’s all about.
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Hmm, Respond & Acclaim works well for us. The choir responds after the first verse with three or four part harmony and the congregation sings their part well. I find the challenge with chant is for the psalmist to sing beautifully with appropriate phrasing AND enunciate those verses. Pet peeve of mine is when either of those elements is missing - lack of beauty leads to boredom and why bother singing the psalm if no one can understand what is being proclaimed?

The Psalm is the Word of God and should always be treated as such which means no alteration of the words by the musical composer. Sometimes we use another source for the Psalms, one based on another approved version of the Psalms but we always use the Psalm prescribed for the day. Fifteen years ago the choir director had us using seasonal Psalms - almost never the Psalm of the day. That drove me nuts: talk about boring. I know it’s an approved practice but with the resources we now have for singing the Psalms there’s no need for it. Respond & Acclaim is just one example of such a resource.
 
rondirect said:
If I understand you correctly, let me elaborate on what we do: The instrumentation introduces the whole refrain, the cantor sings the refrain, and then the choir and assembly join in repeating the refrain. The cantor stands alone on the verses. Trust me, the metrical style works; the congregation gets it quickly.
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That’s what we do with R & S. No difference.
 
Mary_Ellen said:
Hmm, Respond & Acclaim works well for us. The choir responds after the first verse with three or four part harmony and the congregation sings their part well. I find the challenge with chant is for the psalmist to sing beautifully with appropriate phrasing AND enunciate those verses. Pet peeve of mine is when either of those elements is missing - lack of beauty leads to boredom and why bother singing the psalm if no one can understand what is being proclaimed?

The Psalm is the Word of God and should always be treated as such which means no alteration of the words by the musical composer. Sometimes we use another source for the Psalms, one based on another approved version of the Psalms but we always use the Psalm prescribed for the day. Fifteen years ago the choir director had us using seasonal Psalms - almost never the Psalm of the day. That drove me nuts: talk about boring. I know it’s an approved practice but with the resources we now have for singing the Psalms there’s no need for it. Respond & Acclaim is just one example of such a resource.
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We solved it by having the cantor sing verses alone, and the choir very softly oo-ing in four parts underneath. Sounds odd, but there’s a richness of sound that comes forth to support the melody line.
One person singing the verses removes the need to for everybody’s phrasing to be identical. Not that it can’t be don’t, of course it can, but when learning a new one each week, it was a much easier 15 minute process to nail the entire thing in rehearsal.
 
pianistclare said:
We solved it by having the cantor sing verses alone, and the choir very softly oo-ing in four parts underneath. Sounds odd, but there’s a richness of sound that comes forth to support the melody line.
One person singing the verses removes the need to for everybody’s phrasing to be identical. Not that it can’t be don’t, of course it can, but when learning a new one each week, it was a much easier 15 minute process to nail the entire thing in rehearsal.
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Very nice idea. In my church the psalmist sings the verses alone. In another church in our parish the choir often sings the chanted verses and, well, it doesn’t sound great. Many voices cannot chant a verse well without plenty of practice.
 
Yeah our cantor stands alone for the verses, too. I would love to “ooo” the harmony under them!
 
Mary_Ellen said:
Hmm, Respond & Acclaim works well for us. The choir responds after the first verse with three or four part harmony and the congregation sings their part well. I find the challenge with chant is for the psalmist to sing beautifully with appropriate phrasing AND enunciate those verses. Pet peeve of mine is when either of those elements is missing - lack of beauty leads to boredom and why bother singing the psalm if no one can understand what is being proclaimed?

The Psalm is the Word of God and should always be treated as such which means no alteration of the words by the musical composer. Sometimes we use another source for the Psalms, one based on another approved version of the Psalms but we always use the Psalm prescribed for the day. Fifteen years ago the choir director had us using seasonal Psalms - almost never the Psalm of the day. That drove me nuts: talk about boring. I know it’s an approved practice but with the resources we now have for singing the Psalms there’s no need for it. Respond & Acclaim is just one example of such a resource.
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I am the pianist for our choir and am generally responsible for deciding what songs we sings. We use Respond & Acclaim and not being an expert on what psalms should be sung, I would not like to have the responsibly of finding the appropriate psalm for each Sunday. Choosing appropriate songs to go with the readings is difficult enough. I really try to find what is appropriate. And once a month, we sing as much Latin as possible.

In the summer, once a month, we have a “guitar” Mass, and although I personally have no problem with the concept, our guitarist, who spends his winters in Arizona, embodies most everything that will drive most purists crazy. I am not a purist by any means but he sings the same psalm and the same alleluia most every Sunday he sings. In addition to that, his chooses songs that he likes and they are mostly in 6/8 time (even if they are written in 4/4 time). But, I digress. He is a wonderful man and has a wonderful voice and the congregation loves him. But, I often feel great sympathy for people who like the service to be traditional.
 
HelenRose said:
I am the pianist for our choir and am generally responsible for deciding what songs we sings. We use Respond & Acclaim and not being an expert on what psalms should be sung, I would not like to have the responsibly of finding the appropriate psalm for each Sunday. Choosing appropriate songs to go with the readings is difficult enough. I really try to find what is appropriate. And once a month, we sing as much Latin as possible.

In the summer, once a month, we have a “guitar” Mass, and although I personally have no problem with the concept, our guitarist, who spends his winters in Arizona, embodies most everything that will drive most purists crazy. I am not a purist by any means but he sings the same psalm and the same alleluia most every Sunday he sings. In addition to that, his chooses songs that he likes and they are mostly in 6/8 time (even if they are written in 4/4 time). But, I digress. He is a wonderful man and has a wonderful voice and the congregation loves him. But, I often feel great sympathy for people who like the service to be traditional.
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Don’t understand something; please clarify. If you use R&A, the Psalms are set in order from week to week for the year, so there is no need to “find the appropriate Psalm for each Sunday.” It’s right there in the book for you.

When I plan 3 months in advance for the appropriate Psalm since I do not use R&A, even the Lyric Psalter Series I use is in order, with a different book for Solemnities of the year. I sometimes refer to the older series of metrically set Psalms from OCP and GIA, so there is some work to be done. Not all the Psalms is the LP are great, so I will refer to the other sources and change the wording appropriately. But I must admit, I use the new LP 95% of the time.

If the congregation “loves him,” be at peace with that; you should not have “great sympathy” for them. Some people might like it to be traditional, but go to the mass he’s at because of the time. We are never, never going to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. Never! At least if he is singing an appropriate seasonal Psalm, all is well, but perhaps the pastor should advise him to learn the Psalm of the day.
 
rondirect said:
Don’t understand something; please clarify. If you use R&A, the Psalms are set in order from week to week for the year, so there is no need to “find the appropriate Psalm for each Sunday.” It’s right there in the book for you.

When I plan 3 months in advance for the appropriate Psalm since I do not use R&A, even the Lyric Psalter Series I use is in order, with a different book for Solemnities of the year. I sometimes refer to the older series of metrically set Psalms from OCP and GIA, so there is some work to be done. Not all the Psalms is the LP are great, so I will refer to the other sources and change the wording appropriately. But I must admit, I use the new LP 95% of the time.

If the congregation “loves him,” be at peace with that; you should not have “great sympathy” for them. Some people might like it to be traditional, but go to the mass he’s at because of the time. We are never, never going to please 100% of the people 100% of the time. Never! At least if he is singing an appropriate seasonal Psalm, all is well, but perhaps the pastor should advise him to learn the Psalm of the day.
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I think she meant that she’s GLAD that she doesn’t have to select, she can rely on R & S for accuracy.
🙂
 
pianistclare said:
I think she meant that she’s GLAD that she doesn’t have to select, she can rely on R & S for accuracy.
🙂
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Perhaps. The words “deciding,” and “responsible for ‘finding’ the appropriate Psalm” indicates differently.
 
rondirect said:
Perhaps. The words “deciding,” and “responsible for ‘finding’ the appropriate Psalm” indicates differently.
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“…deciding the songs…”

“I would not want to be responsible for finding…”

Using R&A means she doesn’t have to be “responsible for finding” the Psalm. Seems clear to me 🤷
 
rondirect said:
Not a fan of the chant style; prefer the metrical. For me, rather boring otherwise.
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While I prefer something more metrical and regular, I have occasionally been buffaloed squeezing any sort of metrics into a Psalm. Chant sidesteps this problem. Besides, why not simply have variety; chant metrics, minor keys, major keys, depending on the season and the words?
 
pnewton said:
While I prefer something more metrical and regular, I have occasionally been buffaloed squeezing any sort of metrics into a Psalm. Chant sidesteps this problem. Besides, why not simply have variety; chant metrics, minor keys, major keys, depending on the season and the words?
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Why be troubled “squeezing any sort of metrics into a Psalm” when there are resources out there like the Lyric Psalter by GIA that has all the Psalms in metric already?
 
rondirect said:
Why be troubled “squeezing any sort of metrics into a Psalm” when there are resources out there like the Lyric Psalter by GIA that has all the Psalms in metric already?
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I do not have the Lyric Psalter, but we do have a Psalter in the GIA hymnal. I do not care for repeated phrases like some of the Psalters use, changes in time signatures, or emphasis being placed on un-emphasized syllables. I find the missalette to be more useful as a resource, though usually only as a starting point.

Oh, and I do not like unresolved endings, musically speaking. A Psalm in G should end in G, by golly! 😃
 
ProVobis said:
I think so too. Otherwise it makes it feels like it’s incomplete or something.
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The advantage to writing your own is that you can fix such things. Some of the missalette Psalms I have done still had the last measure or two altered to resolve on the “right” note.
 
pnewton said:
I do not have the Lyric Psalter, but we do have a Psalter in the GIA hymnal. I do not care for repeated phrases like some of the Psalters use, changes in time signatures, or emphasis being placed on un-emphasized syllables. I find the missalette to be more useful as a resource, though usually only as a starting point.

Oh, and I do not like unresolved endings, musically speaking. A Psalm in G should end in G, by golly! 😃
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You are correct, but I don’t mind the repeated phrases or changes in time signatures or unresolved endings (My pianist or orgainist will try to “complete” the unresolved endings for which I say, “leave it be.” LOL!) In music composition, is there really a “right” note? For me, it gives the Psalm some interest, uniqueness, or whatever. With R&A, it’s the same chant week after week with different words doing what you like it to do. Now, the emphasis on unemphasised syllables is another story: hard to sing and the LP has them. I take a Psalm and “revise” it also from the LP. It’s not too often so I stick with it because I like what the LP has to offer overall. But again, that’s me. To each his own.
 
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