This is a slightly unusual one for Free Church Books, as Sing Psalms isn’t exactly a book that you sit down and read. It is, however, a book that is used by a large number of our members, and so is worth a review. It is available in several versions, including Staff, Sol-Fa and words only. As a precentor, I have relied on Sing Psalms for many years, and almost taken it for granted as a resource.

The updated metrical (written to fit a musical meter) versions of the psalm words are a joy to read in themselves, and a credit to those who adapted them. They retain the meaning of the original text with real Scriptural accuracy, whilst also making them easy to sing with modern tunes. There are also a handful of the most popular Scottish Psalter translations, including Psalms 23 and 100, for ease of use. The psalm tune selection, meanwhile, is broad and comprehensive, offering a variety of tunes for every meter used. I’m sure every precentor has their favourites, and I certainly enjoy hearing both the traditional hymn tunes and the well-known Scottish psalm melodies being used in worship.

Neither the words nor the music would be quite enough in themselves, however, if the book itself wasn’t practical for use. It is a quality publication, and its features were clearly well thought through. The split page format is excellent, as are the indices at the back. My experience is with the Staff version, but I’m sure the other versions are of equally high quality.

Sing Psalms may be an established part of our church resources, but it is a book that is a blessing to have. Singing psalms in worship would be far less straightforward without it!

Sing Psalms is available to buy from the Free Church Offices.

Miriam Montgomery, Free Church Books