Singing

Watoto Children's Choir from Kampala, Uganda.

Singing is the act of uttering words in accordance with a tune or melody. Those who sing professionally or for pleasure are known as singers.

The Psalms is the oldest song-book still in use

See also: Psalms

Psalms is one of the most popular books in the entire Bible, and has the most chapters.

The Hebrew “Book of Praises” is the oldest song-book still in use. The term, “psalm” is from the Greek for striking or plucking and came to mean a song accompanied by a stringed instrument. It was translated as such in the 3rd century Septuagint. Psalms have been an important part of Jewish liturgy throughout the world (they crossed the Atlantic to America in colonial times). The destruction of the temple at Jerusalem in AD 70 and the subsequent ban on Jewish instrumental music gave impetus to a tradition of unaccompanied vocal and choral singing in synagogues, especially of psalms, that has lasted with little change to this day.

The psalms have been at the musical center of Christian liturgy since the Church was created, in all the various orthodox rites, and into certain Protestant services. Their course has followed the traditions of western church music (see plainchant, antiphon, polyphony and the like.) Nearly every noted composer up to the 19th century, and many since, have set psalms to music representative of their times, either as “serious” music or popular congregational hymns.

Psalm 23 is well known across religious lines and is often read at funerals. It begins "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want..." Two notable 20th century examples of psalm settings that are familiar in the concert hall are the “Symphony of Psalms of Igor Stravinsky and Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms”; the latter commissioned for use in a Christian cathedral from a Jewish composer.

See also

• Singing the Hebrew Scriptures

External links

• Music from Heaven, to the Bible, to the mike,and back to Heaven