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.”
Showing 261–270 of 354 results
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Psalm 46: The Lord of All Is with Us
Price range: $0.00 through $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 47: Clap Your Hands
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_47-clap_your_hands-COS.mp3
This Yoruban folk song is published as “Psalm 47: Clap Your Hands” in both Global Songs for Worship and Psalms for All Seasons. It is surprisingly simple to sing, which isn’t always the case with African songs and arrangements.
It is also available as an anthem for cantor, choir, flute and percussion published by GIA.
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 48: A City on a Hill
Price range: $0.00 through $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
Price range: $0.00 through $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?
[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
[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 54: Save Me, O God
Price range: $0.00 through $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagehttps://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/gay-psalm_54-save_me_o_god.mp3
Doug Gay wrote this hymn trext on Psalm 54, a prayer for salvation from enemies. Indeed, life is full of people who get a thrill out of bringing others down a few notches: “Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me–people without regard for God.” The music echoes this urgent, yet confident prayer–vulnerable, but strong.
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Psalm 55: Oh, That I Had Wings
Price range: $0.00 through $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
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_056-carlill-o_god_in_mercy.mp3
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
[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.