Help identifying a psalm setting

Well it does to the people who post here... dispassionate and reasoned debate, with a good deal of humour thrown in for good measure.

Moderators: Dom Perignon, Casimir

Post Reply
pdsfd
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:13 pm
Parish / Diocese: Salford

Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by pdsfd »

Can I please ask if anyone knows this particular setting of Psalm 103 'Send forth your Spirit' and its composer? I've typed the notes below which translate to the melody of the refrain:

Middle C Send A forth C your F Spi- E -rit, D O C Lord,.....A and C re- D -new C the A face G of A the F earth.

All of the A notes in both the refrain and the verses are directly below middle C, and all of the C notes in both the refrain and verses are middle C! The first F in the refrain is above middle C, the F for 'earth' is below. The G in the refrain is below middle C.


This is the verse melody:

Middle C Bless C the A Lord C my D soul, D Lord D God D how C great A you C are; C clothed C in C ma- C -jes- A -ty C and F glo- F -ry! C Wrapped C in C light C as A in G a F robe.

The two F notes for 'glory' are above middle C, the G-F for 'a robe' both below middle C.

I hope I've made this reasonably clear to read!

We used to sing this setting during the Easter Vigil for a good number of years at my local church, but haven't touched it (or any other setting!) for about a decade. It is my favourite setting of this psalm of the few I've heard/sung.
alan29
Posts: 1239
Joined: Fri May 27, 2005 8:04 pm
Location: Wirral

Re: Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by alan29 »

That psalm tone is very familiar. I have checked and its not on my sheet of Bevenot tones.
Becky
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Dec 26, 2013 7:08 pm
Parish / Diocese: Arundel and Brighton

Re: Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by Becky »

Not in that key but it's on p33 of the Dean/Macmillan Complete Responsorial Psalter.
Response and chant both AGM
User avatar
mcb
Posts: 892
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2003 5:39 pm
Parish / Diocese: Our Lady's, Lillington
Contact:

Re: Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by mcb »

Dom Gregory Murray. Also in the New English Hymnal, number 537.
pdsfd
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:13 pm
Parish / Diocese: Salford

Re: Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by pdsfd »

Thank you all!
pdsfd
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:13 pm
Parish / Diocese: Salford

Re: Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by pdsfd »

Has anyone used this setting for this psalm, either during the Easter Vigil or at Pentecost?

This year we used a setting by Stephen Dean which is nice, though I prefer the Dom Gregory Murray setting.
Southern Comfort
Posts: 2017
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:31 pm

Re: Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by Southern Comfort »

Becky wrote: Fri Oct 11, 2019 8:50 am Not in that key but it's on p33 of the Dean/Macmillan Complete Responsorial Psalter.
Response and chant both AGM
For Macmillan, read McCrimmon !
Southern Comfort
Posts: 2017
Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:31 pm

Re: Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by Southern Comfort »

pdsfd wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:10 pm Has anyone used this setting for this psalm, either during the Easter Vigil or at Pentecost?

This year we used a setting by Stephen Dean which is nice, though I prefer the Dom Gregory Murray setting.
Just wondering if you are familiar with the original version of the Dean (not the one in The Great Week, etc, although the refrain is the same), with its running accompaniment to the first cantor's response and the cantor's verses. It dates back to his Arundel days.

Other useful settings of this psalm include Christopher Walker (for Pentecost or Confirmation) and Bill Tamblyn (early 1970s).

They are all in 6/8 (actually Dean is in 3/4) and flow better than Gregory Murray's 4/4.
pdsfd
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:13 pm
Parish / Diocese: Salford

Re: Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by pdsfd »

Southern Comfort wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 3:33 pm
pdsfd wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:10 pm Has anyone used this setting for this psalm, either during the Easter Vigil or at Pentecost?

This year we used a setting by Stephen Dean which is nice, though I prefer the Dom Gregory Murray setting.
Just wondering if you are familiar with the original version of the Dean (not the one in The Great Week, etc, although the refrain is the same), with its running accompaniment to the first cantor's response and the cantor's verses. It dates back to his Arundel days.

Other useful settings of this psalm include Christopher Walker (for Pentecost or Confirmation) and Bill Tamblyn (early 1970s).

They are all in 6/8 (actually Dean is in 3/4) and flow better than Gregory Murray's 4/4.
I'm not familiar with the original, sorry. To be honest I wouldn't be able to distinguish the difference between something in 6/8 and in 4/4, without knowing.

In the Gregory Murray setting, I like how the tone rises to a high crescendo in the 3rd line of each verse, ie. 'clothed in majesty and GLORY' and then drops back down over the last line. I also think the refrain has quite a bright, cheerful and bouncy feel to it; a lot more so than the Dean refrain, and this fits well with the theme of the psalm.
pdsfd
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:13 pm
Parish / Diocese: Salford

Re: Help identifying a psalm setting

Post by pdsfd »

On the theme of Easter Vigil psalms, is the Boulton Smith setting of the Exodus psalm in the Mcrimmons psalm book?

I have found a recording of the Gregory Murray setting: https://www.rnz.co.nz/concert/programme ... -july-2018
Post Reply