The Book of Psalms for Singing

Publisher: Crown & Covenant Publications
Released: 1973

The Book of Psalms for Singing is a beloved American psalter known for its comprehensiveness and singability.

The psalter offers more than 425 selections, including all 150 Psalms in their entirety. Many psalm passages are set to multiple arrangements. Settings include many familiar hymn tunes, traditional tunes, some original arrangements and compositions, and a few chants.

This psalter translates JHWH into “LORD” or “Jehovah” and ELOHIM to “God.” ADONAI is sometimes translated “Lord” and sometimes “Jehovah.”

When it was printed in 1973, it was one of the first psalters to introduce more modern language into its metered translations. Translated from the original language into English meter for singing, the psalter includes 4-part music for each selection and 5 indices.

Listen to Selections From This Psalter

Stronghold
Praise from the Book of Psalms
Hear My Voice, O God
You Are My God: Kids Sing Psalms!
Psalms of Praise, Vol. 1
Psalms of the Kingdom

Resources

Digital Edition

The Book of Psalms for Singing is available as a digital edition on Psalter.org! This free site allows you to search through the text of lyrics for key words, play audio of each selection, use a digital pitch pipe, and sort through information on composer, meter, and more. The full sheet music with lyrics, along with choir recordings, are available with a premium subscription for $9/year.

Psalter.org

The Book of Psalms for Singing App

Download the Book of Psalms for Singing app for Apple devices to always have your psalter in your pocket! The app offers full sheet music, a lyric-only view, search capabilities for topics and key words, and a tune and parts player. Enjoy a selection of psalms for free, or access the whole psalter for a yearly subscription of $1.99.

Familiar Tune List

Sometimes it is easier to learn a new psalm to a tune you already know. Below is a list of familiar hymn tunes found in The Book of Psalms for Singing. You may also download a print version here.

Click to show Familiar Tune List
Psalm Tune Name Hymn
1A Arlington Am I A Soldier of the Cross?
3 New Britain Amazing Grace
4B Penitence In the Hour of Trial
5B Aberystwyth Jesus, Lover of My Soul
6 Olive’s Brow ’Tis Midnight, and on Olive’s Brow
8B Amsterdam Rise, My Soul, and Stretch Thy Wings
9A Sankey Hiding In Thee; Faith Is the Victory (delete chorus)
9B Joanna (St. Denio) Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
10A Penitentia Here, O My Lord, I See Thee
10B Sursum Corda Lift Up Your Hearts!
12A Belmont (Cardiner’s) The Spirit Breathes Upon the Word
15 Lowry Savior, Thy Dying Love; Something for Jesus
16B Foundation How Firm a Foundation
18C Canonbury Lord, Speak to Me that I May Speak; I Gave My Life for Thee
18E Holy Trinity O Trinity, Most Blessed Light
18I Morecambe Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
20A, 34B Stockton (Minerva) Only Trust Him
21A, 89B Noel It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; A Thousand Years Have Come and Gone
21B, 78C Ellacombe I Sing the Mighty Power of God
22I Creation The Spacious Firmament on High
23B Crimond The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want
23C Resignation My Shepherd Will Supply My Need (Watts)
25C Welcome Voice I Hear Thy Welcome Voice
25D Trentham Breathe on Me, Breath of God
26A Spohr I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
27E Samuel Hushed was the Evening Hymn
29A Kremser We Gather Together
30A Angel’s Story O Jesus I Have Promised; I Love to Hear the Story
31A Pressly (Gabriel) How Good and Pleasant Is the Sight
31E Lancashire The Day of Resurrection; Lead On, O King Eternal
32C Vox Dilecti I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
34C Yorkshire Christians, Awake, Salute the Happy Morn
35A, 119U Hamburg When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
35B Wareham Great God We Sing That Mighty Hand
36A Manoah (Greatorex) Begin, My Tongue, Some Heavenly Theme
37A St. Anne O God, Our Help in Ages Past
37F St. Peter In Christ There is No East or West; How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds
39B Eventide Abide With Me
40C Forest Green O Little Town of Bethlehem (alternate tune); Thy Word Is Like a Garden, Lord
40D Green Hill There is a Green Hill Far Away
42A St. Agnes Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee; Happy the Home When God Is There
43, 133A Azmon O, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
45B Laban My Soul, Be On Thy Guard
45C Diademata Crown Him with Many Crowns
46A Materna America the Beautiful
46B Hetherton Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned
46C Ein’ Feste Burg A Mighty Fortress is Our God
49A,C Seymour Depth of Mercy Can There Be; Softly Now the Light of Day
50B St. Thomas Come, We that Love the Lord; I Love Your Kingdom, Lord
51E Ajalon Go to Dark Gethsemane
51D Toplady Rock of Ages
53 Boylston A Charge to Keep I Have
54B Ebenezer O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus; Once to Every Man and Nation
56 Consolation Awake, Awake to Love and Work
65A Webb Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus
66A Miles Lane All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
66C Wie Schön Leuchtet How Brightly Shines the Morning Star!; O Morning-star, How Fair! How Bright!
67A Missionary Hymn From Greenland’s Icy Mountains
72A Truro Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
73B Petersburg How Great Our Lord
76A Neander Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty
78A Illa I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say
80B Bryn Calfaria (Owen) Hear, O Hear Us, Israel’s Shepherd
84B Melita Eternal Father Strong to Save
85B Bradbury Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
87 St. Leonard May the Mind of Christ My Savior
88B Ellers Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise
89D St. Magnus The Head That Once was Crowned with Thorns
90A Martyrdom Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed
90B Beatitudo O for a Closer Walk with God
90C St. Catherine Faith of Our Fathers, Living Still
91A Hyfrydol Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus; Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!; Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners
91B Woodworth Just as I Am, Without One Plea
91D Germany (Gardiner) Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness
92C Darwall’s 148th Rejoice! The Lord is King
94A Austria Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
95B Rest Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
96A Coronation (Holden) All Hail the Power
99C Leoni The God of Abram Praise
100A Old 100th Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (Doxology)
101 Aurelia The Church’s One Foundation
102B Park Street But You, Jehovah, Shall Endure
103A Beecher Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
103D Sicilian Mariners Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing
104A Lyons O Worship the King; Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim
107D Fountain There is a Fountain Filled with Blood
108C Haydn Come, My Soul, Thou Must Be Waking
110 All Saints New The Son of God Goes Forth to War
113A Hendon Take My Life and Let It Be
115C Lux Prima Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
118A Hudson At the Cross
119C St. Stephen The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns
119I Maitland Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?
119K Morning Star Brightest and Best of the Sons of the Morning
119Q Nettleton Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing; Hush, My Dear, Lie Still and Slumber
119R Retreat From Every Stormy Wind That Blows
119T Davis O Thou in Whose Presence My Soul Takes Delight
119W Federal Street Am I a Soldier of the Cross
122B Cwm Rhondda Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
124B Old 124th (Scottish) Now Israel May Say and That in Truth
128B Ulster All the Way My Savior Leads Me
136A Shining Shore My Days are Gliding Swiftly By
136B Constance I’ve Found a Friend—O Such a Friend
138A Hursley Sun of My Soul, Thou Savior Dear
139B Maryton O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
143B I Need Thee I Need Thee Every Hour
143C St. Elizabeth Fairest Lord Jesus; Beautiful Savior
144C Pisgah When I Can Read My Title Clear; Blessed be the Lord, My Rock
145A Duke Street Jesus Shall Reign Wheree’er the Sun
146A Converse What a Friend We Have in Jesus
149 Bethlehem How Vast the Benefits Divine; All Nature’s Works His Praise Declare

FAQs

How does this psalter differ from others featured on this site?

The Book of Psalms for Singing, first released in 1973, includes some older language (like “Thee” and “Jehovah”) as well as some more modern translations. It also offers several chants. The music is predominantly familiar hymn tunes but also offers some unique arrangements and compositions.

The Book of Psalms for Singing served as the official psalter used in worship in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America from its publication in 1973 to the release of The Book of Psalms for Worship. However, many Reformed Presbyterians still enjoy singing from this psalter to this day.

How does this psalter differ from The Book of Psalms for Worship?

Both psalters strive to remain as close as possible to the original Hebrew, in which the psalms were written. Both contain many common hymn tunes, are written for four-part congregational singing, and have approximately the same number of selections.

However, The Book of Psalms for Singing contains some chants and uses older language (like "Thee" and "Jehovah") in some selections. The Book of Psalms for Worship does not include chants and uses modernized language (except in historic selections such as Psalms 23B, 24B, and 100A). It also contains some new compositions and international tunes. Approximately 1/4th of the tunes differ from The Book of Psalms for Singing. Below is a comparison between the phrasing in the two psalters.

The Book of Psalms for Singing The Book of Psalms for Worship
Psalm 5:7 To Thy house will I repair To Your house will I draw near
Psalm 18:14 The deadly arrows He sent forth
Dispersed His foes in wild retreat.
The flaming lightnings He shot out
Made their discomfiture complete. 		He shot His arrows at His foes,
And made them scatter in retreat.
He made abundant lightning flash,
And sent them fleeing in defeat.
Psalm 36:1-2 Transgression to the wicked speaks;
Deep in the heart it lies.
There surely is no fear of God
At all before his eyes,
Because himself he flatters so
In his own blinded eyes,
That he in his iniquity
Sees nothing to despise. 		About the sin of wicked men,
My heart within me cries:
There surely is no fear of God
At all before his eyes.
With flattery he views himself
As good in his own eyes;
His sin he's certain no one will
Discover and despise.
Psalm 39:6 Each man doth surely walk in empty show;
They heap up wealth and vex themselves for naught,
Nor know to whom their garnered riches go. 		Man, like a shadow, wanders to and fro.
Surely an uproar he creates in vain,
He never knows to whom his riches go.
Psalm 133:1 Behold how good a thing it is,
And how becoming well,
When those that brethren are delight
In unity to dwell. 		Behold how very good it is,
A pleasant thing to see;
When brothers join to live as one
In peace and unity.

What is a chant?

The Book of Psalms for Singing includes several special selections called chants (Psalms 19C/D/E, 47B, 84C, 93B, and 127B).

Chanting is the singing of a prose text to a simple, repeated melody. Good chanting is essentially good reading aloud; it uses the rhythms and stresses of natural speech.

The ancient Hebrews never used metrical “tunes” in the modern sense. In the synagogue, the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (including the Psalms), were read in a sing-song recitation which was half speech, half song. Originally chanting involved only a single line (that is, no part-singing), and only two or three pitches. The early Christian church retained this practice, adapting it to the recitation of the Psalms in Latin translation. The system of chanting present in The Book of Psalms for Singing is called Anglican Chant, and dates from 16th-Century England.

Chanting has several advantages over metrical Psalmody, stemming from the fact that in chanting, the music completely serves the text. The music is not difficult or interesting in itself, but has character and meaning only in conjunction with the words. The meaning of the text is thus more immediate, and the parallel structure of the Hebrew poetry is more apparent. The difficulties of translating ancient non-metrical poems into sensible English rhyme are rendered unnecessary. Chanting encourages the use of entire Psalms rather than selections.

An introduction to performing chants may be found on page 440 of The Book of Psalms for Singing.