Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Psalm Hymns

     BOOK REVIEW:   Ever wonder what a modern Psalter would look like? Dramatic. Contemplative. Singable. Recitable! Use for performance, character building, historical education and for the thrill! Psalmody, here, is set to the rhythm, tune and meter of the great hymns of the Faith but it leaves the interpretive delivery up to the reader or singer. This modern Psalter contains the sacred lyrics of the first 98 Davidic Psalms which are the first three books of the Biblical Old Testament Psalms. 

     MY REVIEW:   This book is published in a coffee-table size book. It is softcover, and opens easily to each page. The words are clearly printed on white pages, with gray and white pictures scrambled through intermittently. 
     Each psalm is written in lyrical form, divided into lines and verses, with the tune of an old church hymn printed at the top of the page. Also included for each psalm is a brief description of the type of psalm and, when applicable, to whom, by whom, or why it is written. The hymns are accompanied by the name of it's artist and date of composure. At the end of each psalm is a note, either clarifying a thought, defining a word or two, a short devotional type, or suggestion of performance. 
     This book is really quite neat, though I was disappointed that the psalms could not be kept in their precise wording. The hymns chosen are beautiful and fit perfectly to the words. A few used are: Still, Still, Still; All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name; and Be Thou My Vision. They also match the feeling of the psalm, being either contemplative, active, joyful, or slow. 


   I received a copy of this book from BOOK CRASH per their blogger program, and was only asked to write an honest review. 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for a cool tip, Ruthie! I love the Psalms! I think that when we sing our brain lights up everywhere, but when we sing scripture, our brain makes all kinds of new inroads and new connections. Sing the Psalms must be a kind of living word in two senses or like double the pleasure, double the fun kind a thing.

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