![Psautier huguenot title 1539](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Psautier_huguenot_title_1539.jpg)
The ''Genevan Psalter'', also known as the ''Huguenot Psalter'', is a
metrical psalter
A metrical psalter is a kind of Bible translation: a book containing a verse translation of all or part of the Book of Psalms in vernacular poetry, meant to be sung as hymns in a church. Some metrical psalters include melodies or harmonisatio ...
in French created under the supervision of
John Calvin
John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...
for liturgical use by the Reformed churches of the city of
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
in the sixteenth century.
Background
Before the
Protestant Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
a select group of performers generally sang the psalms during church services, not the entire congregation.
John Calvin
John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...
believed that the entire congregation should participate in praising God in the worship service and already in his famous work
Institutes of the Christian Religion
''Institutes of the Christian Religion'' ( la, Institutio Christianae Religionis) is John Calvin's seminal work of systematic theology. Regarded as one of the most influential works of Protestant theology, it was published in Latin in 1536 (at th ...
of 1536 he speaks of the importance of singing psalms. In the articles for the organization of the church and its worship in Geneva, dated January 16, 1537, Calvin writes: "it is a thing most expedient for the edification of the church to sing some psalms in the form of public prayers by which one prays to God or sings His praises so that the hearts of all may be roused and stimulated to make similar prayers and to render similar praises and thanks to God with a common love." For this reason he wanted to create a songbook of hymns based on the psalms in the belief that in this form these biblical texts would become more easily accessible to people.
After being forced to leave
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
in 1538, Calvin settled in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, where he joined the
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
congregation and also led numerous worship services. It was in Strasbourg that he became familiar with the German versification of the psalms prepared by
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...
and others. Calvin shared these songs with his French congregation and also wrote some metrical
versifications for them himself. Considering his own versions of the psalms not to be of sufficient quality, he turned to the French court poet
Clément Marot
Clément Marot (23 November 1496 – 12 September 1544) was a French Renaissance poet.
Biography
Youth
Marot was born at Cahors, the capital of the province of Quercy, some time during the winter of 1496–1497. His father, Jean Marot (c.&n ...
, who had already versified most of the psalms in French during the first part of the sixteenth century.
Editions
1539 edition
In 1539 the first edition of Calvin's psalter was published. It bore the title "Aulcuns Pseaulmes et cantiques mys en chant" (Some rhymed Psalms and Hymns to be sung) and contained 18 psalms and hymns set to music, including 12 versifications of Marot (1, 2, 3, 15, 32, 51, 103, 114, 115, 130, 137, 143), six psalms of Calvin (25, 36, 46, 91, 113, 138), the ten commandments, the
Song of Simeon
The Nunc dimittis (), also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 through 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate ...
and the
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed (Latin: ''Symbolum Apostolorum'' or ''Symbolum Apostolicum''), sometimes titled the Apostolic Creed or the Symbol of the Apostles, is a Christian creed or "symbol of faith".
The creed most likely originated in 5th-century Ga ...
. Most of the melodies therein were familiar tunes used in the German church in Strasbourg (Strasburg) at that time. Some were apparently composed by
Wolfgang Dachstein
Wolfgang Dachstein (1487–1553) was a German organist, composer, and lyricist.
He was born in Offenburg. From 1503 Dachstein studied Music and Theology with Martin Luther at Erfurt. He entered the Dominican convent in Strasbourg and in 1521 b ...
or
Matthias Greiter.
1542 edition
In 1541 Calvin returned to Geneva, where he published a new psalter in 1542. Guillaume Franc, cantor and music teacher there, contributed numerous tunes for this edition including those for Psalms 6, 8, 19, 22, 24 (this tune was also used for Psalms 62, 95 and 111), and 38. The collection was titled "Les Pseaumes mis en rime francoise par Clément Marot et Théodore de Béze".
1543 edition
Clément Marot moved to Geneva in 1543, where he created rhymed versions of another 19 psalms and the
Song of Simeon
The Nunc dimittis (), also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 through 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgate ...
. Although Calvin wanted him to complete the job, he left the city and went to
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
, where he died in the fall of 1544. His work was continued by
Théodore de Bèze
Theodore Beza ( la, Theodorus Beza; french: Théodore de Bèze or ''de Besze''; June 24, 1519 – October 13, 1605) was a French Calvinist Protestant theologian, reformer and scholar who played an important role in the Protestant Reformation ...
. The 1543 edition bore the title "La Forme des Prieres et Chantz ecclesiastiques". There was an argument with the City Council concerning its publication because of the presence in it of a rhymed version of the
Angelic Salutation
The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary's ...
. The melodies for the new psalms were composed by Guillaume Franc.
1551 edition
Containing 83 psalms, this psalter appeared under the title ''Pseaumes Octante Trois de David'' (Eighty-three Psalms of David). In addition to the 49 psalms translated by Marot, this edition features 34 psalms with the text translated by de Bèze. The new collection was published in Geneva by Jean Crispin in the fall of 1551. The supervising composer was
Loys Bourgeois
Loys "Louis" Bourgeois (; c. 1510 – 1559) was a French composer and music theorist of the Renaissance. He is most famous as one of the main compilers of Calvinist hymn tunes in the middle of the 16th century. One of the most famous mel ...
. It is not exactly clear how many of the melodies he actually composed, but it is generally assumed that most of the new additions were from his hand. This includes the first version of the
hymn tune
A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part (or more) harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm (chords change frequently), with or without refrain ...
known as the "
Old 100th
"Old 100th" or "Old Hundredth" (also known as "Old Hundred") is a hymn tune in long metre, from the second edition of the Genevan Psalter. It is one of the best known melodies in many occidental Christian musical traditions. The tune is usually a ...
", nowadays common as a setting for
Psalm 100
Psalm 100 is the 100th psalm in the Book of Psalms in the Hebrew Bible. In English, it is translated as "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands" in the King James Version (KJV), and as "O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands" in the Book ...
("
All people that on earth do dwell
"Old 100th" or "Old Hundredth" (also known as "Old Hundred") is a hymn tune in long metre, from the second edition of the Genevan Psalter. It is one of the best known melodies in many occidental Christian musical traditions. The tune is usually ...
") in this edition, however, this tune is associated with
Psalm 134
Psalm 134 is the 134th psalm from the Book of Psalms, a part of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Behold, bless ye the , all ye servants of the ". Its Latin title is "Ecce nunc bene ...
(Ecce nunc benedicite Dominum).
1562 edition
Finally in 1562 a complete psalter was issued with rhymed versions of all 150 psalms. Some of the earlier melodies were replaced. The last 40 melodies are ascribed to a certain Maistre Pierre, probably Pierre Davantès. Many of the lyrics were updated or replaced and all of them were written by Marot and de Bèze.
Editions since 1587
In 1587, a light revision of the psalter was led by de Bèze and Corneille Bonaventure Bertram. The next editions of the Genevan Psalter followed this revised version, which was considered as official.
Worldwide use
The Genevan melodies are still widely used in churches all over the world. In particular, the melody attributed to Louis Bourgeois known as The
Old 100th
"Old 100th" or "Old Hundredth" (also known as "Old Hundred") is a hymn tune in long metre, from the second edition of the Genevan Psalter. It is one of the best known melodies in many occidental Christian musical traditions. The tune is usually a ...
or "Doxology" is found in numerous hymnals across the world. Most of the other melodies from the Genevan Psalter are still used in Reformed churches in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Scotland, Canada, the United States, South Africa and Australia.
The Reformed Churches of Brazil are also currently working on a translation of the psalms to be sung to the Genevan tunes.
In The Netherlands,
Jan Utenhove
Jan Utenhove (Ghent 1516 – London January 6, 1566) was a writer from the Low Countries best known for his translations into the Dutch language of the Psalms and the New Testament.
Life
Utenhove was born into a Flemish patrician family in Ghe ...
and Lukas d'Heere had translated psalms using the Genevan melodies. In 1565
Petrus Dathenus
Pieter Datheen, Latin Petrus Dathenus, English, Peter Datheen, (Cassel, Nord, c.1531 - Elbing, 17 March 1588) was a Dutch Calvinist theologian, the 16th century reformer of The Netherlands, who accomplished many things for the advancement the Refo ...
published a complete Dutch translation of the psalter using the melodies of the Genevan Psalter. Eventually this psalter became the official hymnbook in all the Reformed churches in the country. Without the support of a choir or
pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''ranks ...
(both forbidden) the
precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is ''præcentor'', from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" (or alternatively, "first ...
had to teach and intonate the melodies. The quality of congregational hymn singing soon began to deteriorate, and the Renaissance melodies were sung with 'whole notes' only, removing the original rhythm from the music. This practice gradually disappeared as pipe organs and choirs became more prevalent, with the exception of more orthodox churches still employing the whole-note tradition. In 1773 a new translation was introduced, and again in 1967. A rich musical culture has flourished around the Genevan psalter in the Netherlands, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries, with famous Dutch organists such as Jan Zwart, Feike Asma and Willem Hendrik Zwart publishing their own musical renditions of the melodies as well as frequently employing the melodies in organ improvisation.
Many of the Reformed churches in North America were founded by the Dutch, who brought these Genevan melodies with them when they emigrated. Probably the only Christians in North America who still use the Genevan Psalter in its entirety are the
Canadian Reformed Churches
The 'Canadian and American Reformed Churches'' (CanRC) is a federation of Protestant churches in Canada and the United States, with historical roots in the Reformed Churches of the Netherlands. It emphasizes the importance of adherence to Biblica ...
. They sing from their own Book of Praise, the Anglo-Genevan Psalter, containing English versifications for all the Genevan tunes. Dutch settlers in South Africa also founded Reformed churches where many of the Genevan melodies are still used today, especially with the
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
versifications of the 20th-century poet
Totius.
A complete collection of the Genevan psalm melodies can be found in the German hymnals of the
Evangelisch Reformierte Kirche The Evangelical Reformed Church (german: Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche), until 2009 Evangelical Reformed Church – Synod of Reformed Churches in Bavaria and Northwestern Germany (german: Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche – Synode evangelisch-reform ...
, and some of them are also found in the hymnals of other Protestant churches in Germany. They are even to be found in some Roman Catholic hymnbooks in use in Germany.
Historical significance
The Genevan Psalter is predominantly used within the Calvinist churches. One result is that most of the singing in Calvinist churches is done in unison. Harmonies and instrumental renditions were exclusively used within the home or for concert performances. Hence the number of musical arrangements based on the Genevan Psalm melodies is far smaller than those based on the church music of other traditions. The most well known harmonies based on the Genevan psalter are the four-part choral renditions composed by
Claude Goudimel
Claude Goudimel (c. 1514 to 1520 – between 28 August and 31 August 1572) was a FrenchPaul-André Gaillard, "Goudimel, Claude", ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 19 ...
. Less known are the compositions of
Claude Le Jeune
Claude Le Jeune (1528 to 1530 – buried 26 September 1600) was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance. He was the primary representative of the musical movement known as '' musique mesurée'', and a significant composer of the "Pari ...
from the same era and the arrangements of
Clément Janequin
Clément Janequin (c. 1485 – 1558) was a French composer of the Renaissance. He was one of the most famous composers of popular chansons of the entire Renaissance, and along with Claudin de Sermisy, was hugely influential in the development o ...
and
Paschal de l'Estocart. The Dutch composer
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck ( ; April or May, 1562 – 16 October 1621) was a Dutch composer, organist, and pedagogue whose work straddled the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque eras. He was among the first major keyboard compo ...
wrote motets for four to eight voices for all the psalms, some of them
through-composed
In music theory of musical form, through-composed music is a continuous, non- sectional, and non- repetitive piece of music. The term is typically used to describe songs, but can also apply to instrumental music.
While most musical forms such as t ...
including all verses, as well as a number of psalm variations for
organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
. Anthonie van Noordt, another Dutch composer, wrote organ works in a similar style based on these melodies.
Orlando di Lasso
Orlande de Lassus ( various other names; probably – 14 June 1594) was a composer of the late Renaissance. The chief representative of the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palest ...
together with his son Rodolpho composed three-part renditions of the psalms by
Caspar Ulenberg, whose melodies were mostly based on the Genevan melodies. In North-Germany, Sweelinck's pupil
Paul Siefert
Paul Siefert (variants: Syfert, Sivert, Sibert; 23 May 1586 – 6 May 1666) was a German composer and pipe organ, organist associated with the North German school.
Biography
He was born in Danzig (Gdańsk), Royal Prussia (a fief of the Crown of ...
composed two volumes of psalm motets.
The Polish composer
Wojciech Bobowski
Wojciech Bobowski or Ali Ufki (also Albertus Bobovius, Ali Bey, Santurî Ali Ufki; 1610–1675) was a Polish, later Ottoman musician and dragoman in the Ottoman Empire. He translated the ''Bible'' into Ottoman Turkish, composed an Ottoman '' P ...
, who later converted to
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and took the name
Ali Ufki
Wojciech Bobowski or Ali Ufki (also Albertus Bobovius, Ali Bey, Santurî Ali Ufki; 1610–1675) was a Polish, later Ottoman musician and dragoman in the Ottoman Empire. He translated the ''Bible'' into Ottoman Turkish, composed an Ottoman '' P ...
, modified the first fourteen psalms to the Turkish tuning system, writing Turkish texts to fit the Genevan tunes. In Italy the Jewish composer
Salamone Rossi
Salamone Rossi or Salomone Rossi ( he, סלומונה רוסי or שלמה מן האדומים) (Salamon, Schlomo; de' Rossi) (ca. 1570 – 1630) was an Italian Jewish violinist and composer. He was a transitional figure between the late Ita ...
wrote motets based on the Genevan melodies.
Several psalms from the Genevan Psalter were translated to German, retaining the melodies, such as "
Mein ganzes Herz erhebet dich
"Mein ganzes Herz erhebet dich" (My whole heart magnifies You) is the beginning of German hymns to a melody from the 16th century, which paraphrase Psalm 138. They are part of Protestant and Catholic hymnals.
History
A rhymed version in French o ...
", a paraphrase of
Psalm 138
Psalm 138 is the 138th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "I will praise thee with my whole heart". In Latin, it is known as "Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meo". The psalm is a hymn psalm.
In the ...
which was modified several times and became part of Lutheran, Protestant and Catholic hymnals. Thus a number of these melodies entered compositions of
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
and others. More recent composers inspired by the Genevan psalter are
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály (; hu, Kodály Zoltán, ; 16 December 1882 – 6 March 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály method of music ed ...
,
Frank Martin and
Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. A member of Les Six, his best known work is probably ''Antigone'', composed between 1924 and 1927 to ...
, amongst others.
Not quite a dozen years after the publication of the Genevan Psalter in 1573, the
Lobwasser Psalter was published by legal scholar
Ambrosius Lobwasser
Ambrosius Lobwasser (1515–1585) was a German humanist and translator, born in Saxony. He served as professor of jurisprudence at the University of Königsberg from 1563 until his retirement in 1580, but is best known for his ''Psalter des Köni ...
and found its way into the public worship of the Reformed Churches in, e.g., Zürich. The Lobwasser Psalter in turn served as the model for Czech and Hungarian versifications of the Genevan psalms.
A Czech-language edition of the Genevan Psalms was prepared by
Jiří Strejc Jiří (; ''YI-RZHEE''), the Czech is a masculine given name, equivalent to English George, may refer to:
Given name
B
*Jiří Antonín Benda
*Jiří Baborovský
*Jiří Barta
*Jiří Bartoška
* Jiří Bicek
* Jiří Bobok
*Jiří Bubla
*Jiří ...
(also known as Georg Vetter, 1536–1599), who was born in the Moravian village of
Zábřeh
Zábřeh (; german: Hohenstadt) is a town in Šumperk District in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants.
Administrative parts
Villages of Dolní Bušínov, Hněvkov, Pivonín and Václavov are administrative p ...
and became a minister in the
Unity of the Brethren Unity of the Brethren (Latin ''Unitas Fratrum'') may refer to:
*Unity of the Brethren (Czech Republic), the province of the Moravian Church in the Czech Republic
*Unity of the Brethren (Texas), a Protestant church formed in the 1800s by Czech immig ...
, the ecclesiastical heirs of the ill-fated pre-reformer
Jan Hus
Jan Hus (; ; 1370 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the inspir ...
(c. 1369–1415). It was still being used as recently as the turn of the last century.
In Hungary
Albert Szenczi Molnár
Albert Szenczi Molnár (30 August 1574 – 17 January 1634) was a Hungarian Calvinist pastor, linguist, philosopher, poet, religious writer and translator.
Although he lived the largest part of his life abroad (Wittenberg, Strassburg, Heidelberg ...
versified the psalms in the Hungarian language, and they are still sung today in the Reformed Church congregations in the
Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen
The Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen ( hu, a Szent Korona Országai), informally Transleithania (meaning the lands or region "beyond" the Leitha River) were the Hungarian territories of Austria-Hungary, throughout the latter's entire exis ...
, including Hungary and parts of Romania and Ukraine.
The
Reformed Church in Japan
The Reformed Church in Japan is a confessional Calvinist denomination in Japan. It was formerly a member of the World Communion of Reformed Churches, but it chose to suspend its membership.
Origin
The Reformed Church in Japan was formed in 1946 ...
has completed a translation of all 150 psalms to be sung to the Genevan tunes, and this Japanese Genevan Psalmody has been recorded by members of the
Bach Collegium Japan
Bach Collegium Japan (BCJ) is composed of an orchestra and a chorus specializing in Baroque music, playing on period instruments. It was founded in 1990 by Masaaki Suzuki with the purpose of introducing Japanese audiences to European Baroque music ...
conducted by
Masaaki Suzuki
is a Japanese organist, harpsichordist and conductor, and the founder and music director of the Bach Collegium Japan. With this ensemble he is recording the complete choral works of Johann Sebastian Bach for the Swedish label BIS Records, for whi ...
.
'A Reformed Approach to Psalmody: The Legacy of the Genevan Psalter', Emily Brink
Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, 10 June 2005, retrieved 10 February 2018.
Tunes
In the complete edition of 1562 only 124 tunes were used for the 150 psalms. Of the tunes which are used repeatedly, 15 occur twice, four occur three times and one occurs four times, in the following combinations:
* psalm 5 and 64
* psalm 14 and 53
* psalm 17, 63 and 70
* psalm 18 and 144
* psalm 24, 62, 95 and 111
* psalm 28 and 109
* psalm 30, 76 and 139
* psalm 31 and 71
* psalm 33 and 67
* psalm 36 and 68
* psalm 46 and 82
* psalm 51 and 69
* psalm 60 and 108
* psalm 65 and 72
* psalm 66, 98 and 118
* psalm 74 and 116
* psalm 77 and 86
* psalm 78 and 90
* psalm 100, 131 and 142
* psalm 117 and 127
Musical characteristics
The Genevan melodies form a strikingly homogeneous collection. Besides the fact that the melodies were written over a relatively short time span by a small number of composers, they have a number of other characteristics in common.
They are based on the so-called church modes
A Gregorian mode (or church mode) is one of the eight systems of pitch organization used in Gregorian chant.
History
The name of Pope Gregory I was attached to the variety of chant that was to become the dominant variety in medieval western and ...
; the melodic range is generally within one octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
; the note values are restricted to half notes and quarter notes (with the exception of the final note); every melody starts with a half-note and ends on a breve (also known as a double whole note
In music, a double whole note (American), breve, or double note lasts two times as long as a whole note (or ''semibreve''). It is the second-longest note value still in use in modern music notation. The longest notated note is the ''longa'', wh ...
); regular meter and bar-lines are absent; and there are very few melismas
Melisma ( grc-gre, μέλισμα, , ; from grc, , melos, song, melody, label=none, plural: ''melismata'') is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is refe ...
(only Psalm 2
Psalm 2 is the second psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Why do the heathen rage". In Latin, it is known as "Quare fremuerunt gentes". Psalm 2 does not identify its author with a superscription, but Acts ...
, 6, 10, 13, 91, 138)
Editions
Book of Praise, Anglo-Genevan Psalter
* Pierre Pidoux
Pierre Pidoux (4 March 1905, in Neuchatel – 16 July 2001, in Geneva), was a Swiss theologian, organist and musicologist, brother of Edmond Pidoux.
life
Pierre's father was a Protestant Swiss minister, who worked in Belgium (in the Borinage. Bec ...
, ''Le Psautier Huguenot''
VOL I
* Pierre Pidoux, ''Le Psautier Huguenot''
VOL II
See also
* Metrical psalter
A metrical psalter is a kind of Bible translation: a book containing a verse translation of all or part of the Book of Psalms in vernacular poetry, meant to be sung as hymns in a church. Some metrical psalters include melodies or harmonisatio ...
Anabaptist
* ''Ausbund
The ''Ausbund'' ("Paragon" in German) is the oldest Anabaptist hymnal and one of the oldest Christian song books in continuous use. It is used today by North American Amish congregations.
History
The core of the ''Ausbund'' is based on fifty- ...
''
Anglican
*''Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
''
*'' Whole Book of Psalms''
Lutheran
* ''First Lutheran hymnal
The First Lutheran hymnal, published in 1524 as ''Etlich Cristlich lider / Lobgesang und Psalm'' (Some Christian songs / canticle, and psalm), often also often referred to as the Achtliederbuch (Book with eight songs, literally Eightsongsbook), was ...
''
* ''Erfurt Enchiridion
The ''Erfurt Enchiridion'' (enchiridion, from grc, ἐγχειρίδιον, hand book) is the second Lutheran hymnal. It appeared in 1524 in Erfurt in two competing editions. One of them contains 26 songs, the other 25, 18 of them by Martin Lut ...
''
* ''Eyn geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn
' ("A spiritual song booklet"), sometimes called First Wittenberg Hymnal and ' (Choir hymnal), was the first German hymnal for choir, published in Wittenberg in 1524 by Johann Walter who collaborated with Martin Luther. It contains 32 sacred song ...
''
* ''Swenske songer eller wisor 1536
''Swenske songer eller wisor nw på nytt prentade / forökade / och under en annan skick än tilförenna utsatte'', often abbreviated as just ''Swenske songer eller wisor 1536'', is the first preserved hymnal published in the Swedish language a ...
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* ''Thomissøn's hymnal
Thomissøn's hymnal (titled ''Den danske Psalmebog'' 'The Danish Hymnal') was a hymnal published in Denmark that received royal authorization in 1569.Valkner, Kristen. 1951. ''Norges kirkehistorie ca. 1500-1800. Sammendrag av forelesninger våren ...
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Presbyterian
*''Book of Common Order
The ''Book of Common Order'' is the name of several directories for public worship, the first originated by John Knox for use on the continent of Europe and in use by the Church of Scotland since the 16th century. The Church published revised ed ...
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*''Scottish Psalter
Decisions concerning the conduct of public worship in the Church of Scotland are entirely at the discretion of the parish minister. As a result, a wide variety of musical resources are used. However, at various times in its history, the General As ...
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Reformed
*''Souterliedekens The ''Souterliedekens'' (literal: Psalter-songs) is a Dutch metrical psalter, published in 1540 in Antwerp, and which remained very popular throughout the century. The metrical rhyming psalms were, probably, arranged by a Utrecht nobleman: Willem ...
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References
External links
Geneefs Psalter YouTube Playlist
of performances of works found in the Genevan Psalter. Contains 183 videos; 10 hours in length.
Genevan Psalter Resource Center
Genevan Psalter
Genevan Psalter at Britannica.com
French Genevan Psalter
New Genevan Psalter
{{Authority control
Calvinist texts
Church music
John Calvin
Psalm settings
Psalters
16th century in music