Ship of Fools: Buccleuch and Greyfriars, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Mystery Worshipper

Ship of Fools: Buccleuch and Greyfriars, Edinburgh, Scotland

Psalm singing, contemporary hymns, a Sunday school prize-giving, and a very warm welcome

Read the full Mystery Worshipper report here

Baptist Trainfan

I love the metrical psalms, even with their convoluted wording. It's notable, when "Songs of Praise" is broadcast from Scotland, how rarely they now appear. Did you use the books with the pages divided in two, with the music above and the words below? Did they announce the tune number, and which verses were to be sung? (as in "Let us be upstanding and singing Psalm 119, verses 44 to 53, to the tune 109").

Nick Tamen

Baptist Trainfan wrote: »

Did they announce the tune number, and which verses were to be sung? (as in "Let us be upstanding and singing Psalm 119, verses 44 to 53, to the tune 109").

I doubt it, since the words appear to have been projected on a screen.

Another metrical psalm lover here. The PC(USA)’s most recent two hymnals contain quite a number of new versions of metrical psalms, as well as the traditional (and sometimes convoluted) versions.

Seoirse

Baptist Trainfan wrote: »

I love the metrical psalms, even with their convoluted wording. It's notable, when "Songs of Praise" is broadcast from Scotland, how rarely they now appear. Did you use the books with the pages divided in two, with the music above and the words below? Did they announce the tune number, and which verses were to be sung? (as in "Let us be upstanding and singing Psalm 119, verses 44 to 53, to the tune 109").

no double-leafed hymnals, sadly. if the worship leader announced the tune, i must have forgotten — i believe he did a version of ‘lining out’, singing the tune of the first line before we all joined in. at my home church in edinburgh, we have an organ and a large choir to provide cover for any out-of-tune singers like me. no such thing here…

and i couldn’t agree more that songs of praise ought to feature metrical psalms more. they’re among scotland’s greatest contributions to the worshipping life of the church and should be celebrated as such

Stercus Tauri

The report makes me think I might like their service, if not every Sunday. The idea of the metrical psalms in a contemporary environment is interesting, and I would like to be there for it. Our own church, The Presbyterian Church in Canada, published a new psalter in 1995, I think it was. I am pretty sure most people don't know it exists and would be baffled by it if they did, but if they heard those psalms in the contemporary setting of Buccleuch and Greyfriars perhaps the new light on an old song might work. Something else to try next time I am in Edinburgh. Interesting report - thank you.

Alan29

Just to point out that there are modern metrical psalms too in more modern styles. In the RC setting they are a very welcome move away from the mawkish sentimentality of much 19th century hymnody towards a strong focus on scripture.

Enoch

Another lover of metrical psalms here. Not many people realise that they aren't specifically Scottish. They were the normal experience most people had of singing psalms in England from the Reformation until the Oxford Movement in the nineteenth century. Indeed, until about 1815 it was widely understood that singing hymns was unlawful. It's a great pity metrical psalms have largely died out.

Although Common Worship mandates at least some singing of psalms and canticles, whether as prose or in metre, away from cathedrals and places that still chant psalms in prose, this is alas widely ignored.

Baptist Trainfan

Yes, quite a lot of the "Scottish" psalms and paraphrases were written by English people (eg Tate and Brady).

Forthview

Until the 19th century just as in the CofE most congregations in Scotland would have sung
metrical psalms (unaccompanied by instrumental music in Scotland.)
At the time of the Oxford movement in England new ideas came also to Scotland with the introduction of organs (kists o' whistle) and hymns. Greyfriars CofS church in the Old Town was one of the first in Scotland to do so. The church here is Greyfriars and Buccleuch FREE Church.
The Free Church founded in 1843 and in particular the remnant of the original Free Church which remained outside of the later reunion of the CofS and the Free church remained true to unaccompanied singing of metrical psalms.
Only within approximately the last 10 years has the Free Church allowed 'bands with guitars' to take part in formal religious worship. It is interesting that, according to the report, instrumental music and hymn singing is a part of the regular Sunday Service.

Foaming Draught

Forthview wrote: »

Until the 19th century just as in the CofE most congregations in Scotland would have sung metrical psalms (unaccompanied by instrumental music in Scotland.)
At the time of the Oxford movement in England new ideas came also to Scotland with the introduction of organs (kists o' whistle) and hymns. Greyfriars CofS church in the Old Town was one of the first in Scotland to do so ...

The Uniting Church in Australia is in full communion with The Church of Scotland (or She with us, depending on your longitude). A year or so ago, not long before I re-retired, one of our welcomers came to me and said "There's a Scottish lady visiting, go and say hello." Lay volunteers rule in the Uniting Church, so I did as bidden. The visitor in question spoke with a very soft Edinburgh accent (long years in UK, esp the far north of Scotland, has attuned me to these dialect-aural nuances) and intimated (as they say in the Church of Scotland) that she was visiting her daughter who teaches in our University Medical School. "It's lovely to have you worshipping with us, just out of interest, why have you plumped for our humble shack?" "Well, my church is in communion with yours." "Which is that?" "Greyfriars Edinburgh". "Know it well, Bobby the dog and all that." "I'm one of their ministers."
So on her next trip down under, we bagged her to take a service. She chose music, and order of service, and I was transported to Lairg.