Scottish Psalter of 1650 with audio recording and music
Project Psalms
Have you ever longed to sing the Psalms, to join with the Psalmist in expressing the awe, majesty, grace and forgiveness of God?
God's Word encourages us to sing Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs in Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, where the references seem to be taken from the headings given to the 150 Psalms in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament widely used in Paul's time. But how many of us know how to sing the Hymnbook of the Bible, the Psalms?
The 16th century Reformer John Calvin once wrote of the Psalms: "This book I am wont to style an anatomy of all parts of the soul; for no one will discover in himself a single feeling whereof the image is not reflected in this mirror. Nay, all griefs, sorrows, fears, doubts, hopes, cares, anxieties – in short, all those tumultuous agitations wherewith the minds of men are wont to be tossed – the Holy Ghost hath here represented to the life."
Book I Psalms 1-41
Book II Psalms 42-72
Book III Psalms 73-89
Book IV Psalms 90-106
Book V Psalms 107-150
Scottish Psalter of 1650 with Tunes - Complete for Double Sided View.pdf
Scottish Psalter of 1650 & KJV Psalms - Side by Side.pdf
Scottish Psalter of 1650 With Notes by John Brown of Haddington.pdf
The Psalms recording project is a collaboration of many people to produce the most memorable way to learn the Psalms.
The Scottish Psalter of 1650 has been used as the text and the tunes are primarily found in The Psalms in Meter 1979 split-leaf Psalter.
With the recommendation of people from various denominations across the world in the body of Christ, we believe this to be a much awaited work to re-introduce the Psalms to the heart of every believer to the glory of God.
The completed project includes every verse of all of the 150 Psalms sung by an unaccompanied professional solo tenor, Neil Mason. All material produced by Project Psalms is available for free download, use, copying, and propagation, by everyone. The only restrictions are those stipulated under the Creative Commons License selected by Project Psalms, which only requires attribution of the works to Project Psalms, non-commercial use of the works, and non-derivative use of the original works. For more information on the Creative Commons License selected, please click here.
"Christians should sing the Psalms breathed out by the Holy Spirit of God. The 1650 Psalter was the work of a large number of godly men of the Westminster Assembly and also men from the Church of Scotland at a high point in its history. They worked directly from the inspired Hebrew text into the English language. These recordings of the singing of these metrical Psalms give us far more than mere entertainment. By linking a particular tune to each Psalm, they are of great help to those not skilled in music and to the most reticent of singers. We are indebted to the producers for their labours. Our desire is that this Psalm set will prove a means of encouraging multitudes of Christians to 'sing psalms.'"
Rev. David Silversides Pastor,
Loughbrickland RPCI, Ulster, UK
"My wife, Susan, and I have long thought something like this should be done. It could be a great benefit to small groups, lacking a skilled precenter, trying to learn and sing the metrical Psalms. We also have a great love for the Scottish Psalter and John Brown of Haddington's notes on such."
Rev. J. Glenn Ferrell Pastor,
First OPC, San Francisco, CA, USA
After sharing this Psalms recording project with the late Rev. Professor-Emeritus Dr. Francis Nigel Lee, Queensland [Presbyterian] Theological College [Seminary], Australia, he gave endorsement to this project, stating, "Psalms are a much needed tool for the revival of the modern Church. I support all attempts to achieve this."
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main purpose of Project Psalms?
The main purpose of Project Psalms is to provide the simplest and most effective tool for learning to sing and memorize the Psalms, initially in English; as a result of learning and singing the Psalms with understanding and zeal, we believe it will strengthen the English-speaking Church unto victory. It is also our desire, God-willing, that at a later stage we will be able to provide a similar tool in other major languages across the world.
How was Project Psalms conceived?
Project Psalms was conceived simply by observing that there was a lack of an effective tool for learning the Psalms, meanwhile realizing that God has blessed us with technology and means of communication in this age which could spread an effective tool such as this to His glory. As a result, Project Psalms was underway with the help of only a handful of people around the globe who had the same goal in mind, and each using their gifts, contributed their time and wisdom towards this end. Then, through God’s providence Project Psalms has now finally been completed.
Is Project Psalms linked to any particular denomination or congregation?
Project Psalms is not linked to any particular denomination or congregation. We believe all believers in the Universal Church are called to sing Psalms, therefore it is our desire that all denominations and congregations benefit from Project Psalms.
Where may I learn more about the Scottish Psalter of 1650, Psalmody, and unaccompanied worship?
You may learn more about the Scottish Psalter of 1650 by reading "The Development of the Scottish Psalter" by David Silversides. Psalmody by reading "Exclusive Psalmody - A Biblical Defense" by Brian Schwertley, and unaccompanied worship by reading "Instrumental Music in the Worship of the Church" by John L. Girardeau.
This page is from the archive of the original Project Psalms website which is no longer online. You can view the original on the WayBack Machine at Archive.org.