That man is blest

July 19, 2021

Dear friends,

Prior to the Reformation of the 1500s, it was uncommon for church music to be sung by the congregation. It would have been sung by the priest or by a choir. But during the Reformation, along with the translation of the Bible and the liturgy into the language of the people, there was also an effort to include the congregation in the singing of the church. Luther himself authored a whole bunch of hymns (e.g. A mighty fortress, Lord keep us steadfast in thy word) to teach the faith and include the people in the music of the church.

One of the traditions that arose during this time was the metrical psalter. That’s the book of Psalms translated into rhyming verse. It’s an incredibly powerful way to make the psalms easier to learn by heart. They were written in regular meters, which means that they can be sung to some of the most familiar hymn melodies.

Here’s an example, Psalm 1:

1 That man is blest who, fearing God, from sin restrains his feet, who will not stand with wicked men, who shuns the scorners’ seat.

2 Yea, blest is he who makes God’s law his portion and delight, and meditates upon that law with gladness day and night.

3 That man is nourished like a tree set by the river’s side; its leaf is green, its fruit is sure, and thus his works abide.

4 The wicked, like the driven chaff, are swept from off the land; they shall not gather with the just, nor in the judgment stand.

5 The Lord will guard the righteous well, their way to him is known; the way of sinners, far from God, shall surely be o’erthrown.

You could sing this to any melody that is arranged with 4 lines that alternate between 8 and 6 syllables like this: 8 6 8 6. That’s called the Common Meter, and if you ever notice the letters CM in the hymnal next to a tune name, that indicates that it’s in this meter. For example, you could sing that Psalm to the tune of Amazing Grace and it would work beautifully. Give it a try! Sing the first verse a few times and see if it doesn’t stick!

More on the Psalms in the future!

God bless and keep you,

Pr. Buchs