Psalm singing is not complicated, so let’s sing your first psalm, and hopefully your second as well. We will sing the psalms to the tune of Amazing Grace. First, review the tune for Amazing Grace by singing along with this video:
Now sing the first few stanzas without the music.
Amazing Grace
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
Now sing Psalm 126 to the tune of Amazing Grace. Pretend that it is just four more stanzas of the song:
Now try singing it without the supporting music.
Psalm 126
When Sion’s bondage God turn’d back,
as men that dream’d were we.
Then fill’d with laughter was our mouth,
our tongue with melody:They ‘mong the heathen said, The Lord
great things for them hath wrought.
The Lord hath done great things for us,
whence joy to us is brought.As streams of water in the south,
our bondage, Lord, recall.
Who sow in tears, a reaping time
of joy enjoy they shall.That man who, bearing precious seed,
in going forth doth mourn,
He doubtless, bringing back his sheaves,
rejoicing shall return.
That wasn’t too difficult although you may need to sing it a few times before it becomes smooth. Singing Psalm 126 to the tune of Amazing Grace is possible because they are both in common meter.
If you’re interested, now sing part of Psalm 32. It is a longer psalm, so there is no need to sing the entire song. First sing with the video, then sing with using just the words.
Psalm 32
O blessed is the man to whom
is freely pardoned
All the transgression he hath done,
whose sin is covered.Bless’d is the man to whom the Lord
imputeth not his sin,
And in whose sp’rit there is no guile,
nor fraud is found therein.When as I did refrain my speech,
and silent was my tongue,
My bones then waxed old, because
I roared all day long.For upon me both day and night
thine hand did heavy lie,
So that my moisture turned is
in summer’s drought thereby.I thereupon have unto thee
my sin acknowledged,
And likewise mine iniquity
I have not covered:I will confess unto the Lord
my trespasses, said I;
And of my sin thou freely didst
forgive th’ iniquity.For this shall ev’ry godly one
his prayer make to thee;
In such a time he shall thee seek,
as found thou mayest be.Surely, when floods of waters great
do swell up to the brim,
They shall not overwhelm his soul,
nor once come near to him.Thou art my hiding-place, thou shalt
from trouble keep me free:
Thou with songs of deliverance
about shalt compass me.I will instruct thee, and thee teach
the way that thou shalt go;
And, with mine eye upon thee set,
I will direction show.Then be not like the horse or mule,
which do not understand;
Whose mouth, lest they come near to thee,
a bridle must command.Unto the man that wicked is
his sorrows shall abound;
But him that trusteth in the Lord
mercy shall compass round.Ye righteous, in the Lord be glad,
in him do ye rejoice:
All ye that upright are in heart,
for joy lift up your voice.
Congratulations, you now know enough to sing any psalm arranged in common meter.
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