Performed in Heaven is a compact disc of metrical psalms recorded at the Psalmody Recitals, held each winter since 1971 (except 1977) at St Vincent Street Free Church in Glasgow, where sizeable congregations gathered from a variety of churches and denominations. The psalms on the compact disc are all sung by the entire congregation and, as such, reflect the unaffectedness of congregational praise. The recordings are an authentic reflection of the type of singing that has been heard in the Reformed churches of Scotland since the Reformation. In order to produce this unique compilation of congregational psalm-singing, it was necessary to re-master recordings made with the technology of an earlier era. Thus, the recordings themselves span a period of twenty-five years, with the majority being from the seventies or eighties.

Performed in Heaven: Congregational Psalm Singing from Scotland

Psalm 19:1-6 Crediton

Support the psalms - www.patreon.com/join/psalms
Text: Scottish Psalter (1650) Recorded at Arbroath FCC Youth Weekend.
(Meter: CM)

 3  They altogether filthy are,
       they all aside are gone;
    And there is none that doeth good,
       yea, sure there is not one.

 4  These workers of iniquity
       do they not know at all,
    That they my people eat as bread,
       and on God do not call?

 5  There feared they much; for God is with
       the whole race of the just.
 6  You shame the counsel of the poor,
       because God is his trust.

 7  Let Isr'el's help from Zion come:
       when back the Lord shall bring
    His captives, Jacob shall rejoice,
       and Israel shall sing.

Psalm 14 (Tune: St Thomas)

Ps 002 York

Ps 009_7_12 Gloucester

This short, a cappella choral work was specially composed for the convocation celebrating the 150th anniversary of MIT. MIT is perhaps the world’s preeminent science and technology-based university, and this text, from Emerson’s ‘Nature,’ seemed especially well-suited for the role of a benediction on that grand occasion. It urges us to unite the values of science with humanism, technology with humanity, ‘thought’ and ‘perception’ with ‘love’ and ‘devotion.’ Emerson’s words, written during the height of the Industrial Revolution, are if anything far more urgent today than then:

“The reason why the world lacks unity, and lies broken and in heaps, is, because man is disunited with himself. He cannot be a naturalist, until he satisfies all the demands of the spirit. Love is as much its demand, as perception. Indeed, neither can be perfect without the other. In the uttermost meaning of the words, thought is devout, and devotion is thought. Deep calls unto deep. . . . But when a faithful thinker, resolute to detach every object from personal relations, and see it in the light of thought, shall, at the same time, kindle science with the fire of the holiest affections, then will God go forth anew into the creation.”

The Reason Why The World

Fraught with error, but a worthwhile endeavour.


Ps 4 Dunfermline

A selection of various Exclusive Psalmody recordings.

CD Scottish Psalter

Psalm 119 - Perfect Way

Used with permission of the Northern Presbytery Choir.

1  All people, clap your hands; to God
         with voice of triumph shout:
   2  For dreadful is the Lord most high,
         great King the earth throughout.

     5  God is with shouts gone up, the Lord
         with trumpets sounding high.
   6  Sing praise to God, sing praise, sing praise,
         praise to our King sing ye.

   7  For God is King of all the earth;
         with knowledge praise express.
   8  God rules the nations: God sits on
         his throne of holiness.

   9  The princes of the people are
         assembled willingly;
      Ev'n of the God of Abraham
         they who the people be.

      For why? the shields that do defend
         the earth are only his:
      They to the Lord belong; yea, he
         exalted greatly is.

Psalm 47 (Tune: Scarborough)

Support the psalms - www.patreon.com/join/psalms
Psalm 42 sung a capella from the scottish psalter of 1650. Meter: (CM). Recording used with permission of the RP Northern Presbytery Choir.

1  Like as the hart for water-brooks
         in thirst doth pant and bray;
      So pants my longing soul, O God,
         that come to thee I may.

   2  My soul for God, the living God,
         doth thirst: when shall I near
      Unto thy countenance approach,
         and in God's sight appear?

   3  My tears have unto me been meat,
         both in the night and day,
      While unto me continually,
         Where is thy God? they say.

   5  O why art thou cast down, my soul?
         why in me so dismayed?
      Trust God, for I shall praise him yet,
         his count'nance is mine aid.

Psalm 42 v1-5 (Tune: Kedron)

Text from the Scottish Metrical Psalter of 1650.
Used with permission of the Northern Presbytery Choir.

1 O sing a new song to the Lord,
for wonders he hath done:
His right hand and his holy arm
him victory hath won.

2 The Lord God his salvation
hath caused to be known;
His justice in the heathen’s sight
he openly hath shown.

3 He mindful of his grace and truth
to Isr’el’s house hath been;
And the salvation of our God
all ends of th’ earth have seen.

4 Let all the earth unto the Lord
send forth a joyful noise;
Lift up your voice aloud to him,
sing praises, and rejoice.

Psalm 98 (Tune: Desert / Lyngham)

Psalm 16 (Gaelic) - Moravia

700 Free Recordings of Congregational & Choral Psalm Singing.
Different Versions, Different Tunes, Different Styles. All the recordings are free!!

I LOVE doing it and I love hearing how others appreciate it, but it does cost money. So if you can help me cover the overheads (https://www.patreon.com/psalms), I will keep uploading the beautiful recordings! 

Buy Scottish Psalter (1650) with sheet music: https://amzn.to/4cJHFPY

Psalm 98 (Tune: Desert / Lyngham)

ThePsalmsSung.org