Day 306: Singing the Psalms

Spring has sprung in Portland!

I was tired yesterday. From lack of sleep. But overall had a nice, peaceful day. Cherry blossoms have burst forth on many of the trees in the neighborhoods I visited. It rained off and on, but was warmer today than yesterday. Less windy too!


I was thrilled to receive an email from the priest at the church I am applying at.  We met Tuesday for an interview. Lovely small church. I sensed such kindness from this priest. And he loves music! After a chat in the church office, we walked over the sanctuary. I played a bit for him. Then I asked him to throw some music at me that I did not know. I love a sightreading challenge!  We did a bit of that. Great fun. He even sang along to some hymns. 

I left with a warm feeling towards this man and his church. We had agreed that I would come back and play the piano for the congregation the second Sunday in April as part of the interview process.

But yesterday I received an email from him asking if I could play on Easter Sunday. This is an honor. You see in the Catholic church and other Christian denominations, Easter is the most important Sunday of the year. After all without the resurrection, we would not have a risen Savior!

My one weak spot is the responsorial psalms. Having played in mostly Protestant churches for the past 20 years, I have not had much psalm playing experience.  However, I was pleased to discover I could purchase and download "Respond and Acclaim 2016: Responsorial Psalms and Gospel Acclamations".

I was reading in the introduction something that struck me:

    “The first preparation for singing the verses is done without the music-they should be read, understood, and allowed to emanate from a place of prayer in the hearts of the singers”.  (Respond and Acclaim 2016)

Several years ago, during a very dark time when I was feeling lost, I was led to Mt. Angel, Oregon.  To the Shalom Prayer Center. I had a glorious two day retreat.  Alone, with God, many books, beautiful grounds, and meals with the Sisters next door at the convent.  In the bookstore at Shalom, I purchase The Revised Grail Psalms.  I have kept this book close on hand ever since. My goal had been to memorize the psalms.  I have not come that far, but they deeply move my soul. 

The book I have contains the psalms as prayer and poetry. The Psalms were the first prayers of the church. But they are meant to be sung:

"The Psalms are not reading nor were they specifically compsoed as prazers, but as poems of praise...they are rightly called in Hebrew "tehillim", that is, "songs of praise," and in Greek "psalmoi", "songs to be sung to the harp," ("The General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours").

In call and response psalm singing, the pianist plays through the melody of the response (which is in bold below). Then the cantor (a lead singer) sings through the response. Then he or she raises their hands and the congregation sings the response.  The tricky part is the verses. The pianist plays a chord that contains the pitch of the starting note of the verse.  Then the cantor sings the verse all on that same pitch, until the pitch changes above the syllable of the word:

http://www.chantcafe.com/2011_02_01_archive.html

Psalm 34: 17-18, 19-20, 21 and 23

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The Lord confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the Lord delivers them.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.

He watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken.  The Lord redeems the lives of his servants; no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him. 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted."

There is a whole world of psalms and chant for me to explore. I have long yearned for the pure sound of chant. I discovered a CD called "Chants of Serenity" years ago. I would play it over and over again.  It relaxed me on the deepest level.  And now, here I am coming back to the psalms!

More about psalms:

"The Psalms are a most treasured prayer book of the Church. They are the foundation stones of both Jewish and Christian liturgy. As the inspired word of God, the Psalms hold a privileged place among all forms of prayer, public and private. Indeed, the Psalter is a true grammar that teaches us the language of the prazer that draws us into communion with God. In praying the Psalms, we speak to God with the very words God has spoken to us." 

(Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli, STD, SSL, Bishop of Patterson, New Jersey.)

On that note, I have decided to return to studying the Psalms daily. I am feeling most inspired!!

Here is Psalm 1, my Psalm of the Day. Absolutely some of the most beautiful words ever written:

Psalm 1

1. Blessed indeed is the man

who follows not the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the path with sinners,

nor abides in the company of scorners,

2. but whose delight is the law of the Lord,

and who ponders his law day and night.

3. He is like a tree that is planted

beside the flowing waters,

that yields its fruit in due season,

and whose leaves shall never fade;

and all that he does shall prosper.

4. Not so are the wicked, not so!

For they, like winnowed chaff,

shall be driven away by the wind.

5. When the wicked are judged they shall not rise,

nor shall sinners in the council of the just;

6. for the Lord knows the way of the just,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

The priest also asked if I sing. Gulp. I said, "I do, but I am not so sure anyone wants to hear me!"

I have always been really insecure about my voice.  But he told me once in awhile a cantor might be ill and he would prefer that someone else besides him sing the psalms. He is otherwise occupied, presiding over the Mass and all.

So, coincidentally, on the bus today I tuned into a radio program. This is what I heard (I recorded it!):

"Did you know that our minds think about 130 words per minute? What you say to yourself about yourself will shape who you are. If you repeat a lie long enough, you will actually believe it. "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer." (Ps 19:14). Make sure what you’re saying to yourself is true in the sight of the only one that matters, Jesus!

THE BATTLE BEGINS IN OUR MINDS! Do you have a lie you've said to yourself that you can get rid of today? Do you have a truth we can stand on together? WHAT WE SAY TO OURSELVES MATTERS!" 

(https://www.joyofit.org/podcasts/radio-program-podcasts/)

Suffice it to say, I am going to finally embrace my singing voice after all of these years. I may never get the chance to sing a psalm in public, but I will be singing psalms every morning! 

Be forewarned people of my family, neighbors, world... (and Honey Dog!).

Happy Friday!