24 New Tunes in Common Meter: A Companion for the Psalter and Congregational Psalm Singing

The Book of Psalms is the Lord’s revelation providing His people with substance for worship, lament, reflection, introspection, confession and praise. Accordingly, the Apostle Paul entreats us to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Yet what has happened to psalm singing in the modern church?
Most modern hymnals do contain a faint vestige of the Book of Psalms enduring from the Genevan Psalter. But how seriously does the modern church heed the scriptural admonition to sing psalms? And how can the modern church reclaim the rich treasure contained in the Psalter?
The primary reason for resistance is the use of fatigued and dated hymn tunes most often utilized with psalter texts. The truth and authority of God’s word does not change, but contemporary culture and musical style are everchanging. This tune collection, 24 New Tunes in Common Meter, is composed to this end to assist churches in the reclamation of the rich theological treasure found in the Book of Psalms and the psalter.
Each new tune herein conforms to strophic common meter or common meter doubled. The style is intentionally contemporary with a variety of interesting rhythms, harmonies, color tones, chord extensions and modalities not appearing in traditional hymn tunes. Each new tune is scored for gentle vocal range and easy piano accompaniment. Chord symbols have been provided to facilitate adaptation of rhythm instruments such as guitar, keyboard, bass and drums.
My prayer is that your church will find this collection of tunes useful in accessing and reclaiming the Book of Psalms in congregational worship.

Ran Whitley is a Professor of Music Education at Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC where he holds the Alma Dark Howard Chair of Music. His course offerings at Campbell University include music theory, elementary music methods and children's music ministry. He holds the DM degree in Music Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as a PhD in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His Orff training includes Orff Levels I-III and the Orff Master Class from the University of Memphis. Ran also holds current teacher licensure in North Carolina in both Music Education (K-12) and ESL (K-12). Ran has over 45 years of experience in music including public school teaching, church music ministry, theory/counterpoint instruction, teacher education and professional jazz performance. Ran frequently contributes journal articles in music education, and his music publications are offered by Macie Publishing, Cherry Classic Music, Xlibris Press, Xulon Press, Mercer Press and C. Alan Publications.Ran frequently conducts professional development workshops for elementary music education around the nation and spends his summers teaching elementary music in Honduras and Cuba. He is married to Donna with five children and three grandchildren.