26 September 2010

Psalm 67 - Westminster Abbey Choir



God be merciful unto us, and bless us
and shew us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us;
That thy way may be known upon earth
thy saving health among all nations.
Let the people praise thee, O God
yea, let all the people praise thee.
O let the nations rejoice and be glad
for thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.
Let the people praise thee, O God
let all the people praise thee.
Then shall the earth bring forth her increase
and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing.
God shall bless us
and all the ends of the world shall fear him.

1 comment:

Reformation said...

As a Prayer Book Calvinist, I sing this for Evening Prayer in response to the NT reading (today it was Luke 3.1-21).

There are other gems on youtube, but the best manner--in my estimation--is to buy the Psalter-set from St. Paul's Cathedral, London. Then, get a good 1662 BCP and sing along. "

This set is Cranmerian, to wit, "one note per word or syllable" to facilitate congregational singing. These Psalms were sung widely throughout England until hymnody eclipsed Pslam-singing...in all churches outside Anglicanism as well.

We'd do well to let the Psalms have a much, much more dominant place in weekly worship (two services per Sunday) as well as daily worship (twice, Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, 24/7).

But alas, it is America.