Mount Zion has a special significance to the author of Psalm 48 because it is the location of the holy city Jerusalem, the palaces of Israel’s king, and the temple of Yahweh. Just as God dwelled in Zion for the Israelites, the Church of Christ should be “a city on a hill”–a holy place that is set apart for God that allows the light of the Spirit to shine. Or as Jesus says in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Psalm Songs
Showing 85–96 of 111 results
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Psalm 46: The Lord of All Is with Us
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page[embed]http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_046-the_lord_of_all.mp3[/embed]This song is something of an homage to the Reformation. It is based on the same Psalm as Luther’s great “A Mighty Fortress” and can, in fact, be sung to that hymn’s tune. My tune uses a mixed meter like many Lutheran and Reformed tunes. The 2+2+3+3 pulse makes the hymn more challenging than most. If you’re up for the challenge, use a hand drum to keep the beat steady. If you’re not up to the challenge, try my song “O Lord of All, You Are Our Home,” which uses the same text set to a simpler tune.
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Psalm 48: A City on a Hill
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page[audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/05-A-City-on-a-Hill.mp3"][/audio] -
Psalm 5: Hear My Words, O Lord
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page[embed]http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/Ps005-hear_my_words.mp3[/embed]My setting of Psalm 5, “Hear My Words, O God” is composed for two narrators and congregational refrain. It appears as Psalm 5C in the Psalms for All Seasons hymnal, but if you want the un-squished piano music and choral parts you hear on this recording you’ll only find it here. The above recording is just a rough read-through by the Choral Scholars which doesn’t include the scripture reading. The narration allows the whole Psalm to be heard and allows the multiple voices of the original text to come through, as you can hear from the live worship recording below.
[embed]http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_5_hear_my_words.mp3[/embed] -
Psalm 52: Why Do You Boast?
$0.00 Add to cart[embed]https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_52-violin.mp3[/embed]If Casey Kasem were to do a count down of the Psalms, Psalm 52 would not be in the Top 40. But underneath Psalm 52’s prickly exterior lies a heart of gold: Though you can get ahead using deceit, treachery, and lies, in the end, our riches will provide no refuge in the face of death. So, the Psalmist says, it is better to live a life of trust in God’s steadfast love.
This hymn is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
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Psalm 53: Fools Deny Their God within Them
$5.00 Add to cart[audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/psalm_053-carlill-fools_deny.mp3"][/audio]Adam Carlill’s metrical rendering of Psalm 53, from his excellent Psalms for the Common Era, retains the Psalm’s difficult themes but uses language that allows us to enter into them more easily. My tune accompanies the text with a Baroque-flavor that is off the beaten path, but still accessible, with a simple melody surrounded by harmonies and a bass line that scurry to and fro with all the fury of Psalm 53’s evildoers. The final half verse shifts to a major key, letting the accusations and anger of the previous verses give way to a final note of hope.
Sheet music for voice and piano.
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Psalm 55: Oh, That I Had Wings
$0.00 – $25.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page[embed]http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_055-oh_that_i_had_wings.mp3[/embed]Psalm 55 is the plea of someone who has been betrayed and attacked by a former friend. Understandably, the Psalmist wants to beat a hasty retreat: “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” Given the urgency of the Psalm, I wrote a tune that comes in short, breathless bursts, with harmonic twists and turns.
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Psalm 56: O God, in Mercy Look to Me
$0.00 Add to cart[audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/psalm_056-carlill-o_god_in_mercy.mp3"][/audio]This Psalm is a plea for mercy when being hotly pursued by enemies. Have you ever felt like David did when he wrote this–slandered, hunted, trapped? The Psalmist petitions God for deliverance, reaffirms his trust in God’s care, and throws in a few ideas about what God might want do to his enemies. Interestingly, the Psalm ends with a future/past tense statement of faith: “I will present my thank offerings to you. For you have delivered me…” Now that’s faith!
This hymn is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
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Psalm 57: The Thunder’s Rage Is Roaring
$0.00 Add to cart[audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/bluett-psalm_57.mp3"][/audio]Lyricist Kate Bluett does a great job of capturing a difficult Psalm. The first verse teases out the storm imagery that accompanies the famous “I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” The second verse focuses on the Psalmist’s foes who are laying traps. The third verse not only includes the beautiful “I will awaken the dawn with singing” of the original Psalm but concludes with the point that the temporary terrors of the night are momentary, whereas God’s love never ends.
This song is mentioned in Greg’s podcast, “2021 Musical Year in Review.”
This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
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Psalm 6: Lord, My God, Do Not Contend
$0.00 Add to cart[audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/psalm_006-carlill-lord_my_god_do_not_contend.mp3"][/audio]Adam Carlill’s Psalm versifications in Psalms for the Common Era strike a fine balance between faithfulness to the Hebrew texts and singability for modern congregations. For Psalm 6, I wrote a Celtic-style ballad, which feels to me like it’s sturdy enough to contain the harsher elements of the Psalm (“do not castigate and chide,” “Turn away from me my foes” ), but soft enough for phrases like “soothing touch and balm inside.”
This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
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Psalm 61: Lead Me to the Rock
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page[audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/lead_me_to_the_rock.mp3"][/audio]Psalm 61 is both a cry for help and an affirmation of trust. This song tries to capture both expressions with its minor-key verse and its major-key chorus. These two demos model the song in two different styles: above is a driving rhythm for worship band and below is more hymn-style using the written piano accompaniment.
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Psalm 62: Only God Can Save Us Now
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagehttps://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_062-only_god.mp3
Psalm 62 famously begins with the words, “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” The Psalmist goes on to describe the many difficulties experienced in life–those who are attacking or extorting money–always coming back to the refrain, “My soul finds rest in God alone.” Scottish lyricist, Doug Gay, has given these words an introspective feel in his setting of the Psalm. They could almost be sung by a victim of abuse, crying to God for help. That’s the thing about the Psalms: they give words to things we may have not experienced, which may make us feel like we don’t need them–until we do.
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Psalm 63: You Are My God
$0.00 Add to carthttps://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_063-you_are_my_god.mp3
Psalm 63 has a strong sense of longing throughout. Too often, our faith is fueled by duty, guilt, or habit. It is refreshing to hear the Psalmist expressing faith in such a passionate way. This song uses jazz’s rich harmonic vocabulary to portray Psalm 63’s intense emotions.
Showing 85–96 of 111 results
