The Psalter
¶ Introduction
When two or more gather together to worship, psalms may be sung
or said in a number of different ways:
¶ by a
solo voice while everyone else listens in silence;
¶ by
everyone together;
¶ with
the verses alternated between one half of the group and the
other;
¶ with
the verses alternated between the leader and the others;
¶ or
responsorially, as a dialogue between the word of God and the
response of the people. (In ancient times a cantor or reader
recited the verses and the congregation replied with a refrain,
sometimes just a simple 'Alleluia' as a song of praise, and
sometimes a verse taken from the psalm itself, from another psalm,
from elsewhere in the Scriptures or even from other
sources.)
Some psalms, or parts of psalms, lend themselves to one method
rather than another, and those leading worship should consider
carefully which will be best in each instance.
Optional refrains - or 'antiphons', as they are often called -
are provided for use at the beginning and end of each psalm (after
the 'Glory to …' when this is included), except for those psalms
already having certain verses marked by italics as constituting
possible refrains. The refrains are usually drawn from the psalm
itself, but occasionally from elsewhere in the Psalter. They might
first be said or sung by the leader and then repeated by all. In
order to facilitate responsorial use, places where the refrain
might also be used in the course of the psalm are indicated by the
symbol R. These have not been
set with a rigid consistency (e.g. after every second verse), but
have been chosen as far as possible in relation to the sense of the
particular psalm and its natural divisions.
Each psalm is also provided with an optional short prayer, which
develops a theme from the text. Just as the refrains may be used
without these prayers, so too the prayers may be used without the
refrains.When they are used, it is desirable that the 'Glory to …'
be omitted and that a period of silence for individual reflection
and prayer be kept at the end of the psalm (after the refrain, when
this is included), before the prayer itself is said.
It should be kept in mind that these refrains and prayers are
merely suggestions: they may be replaced by other suitable texts,
especially those with a particular seasonal emphasis, or they may
be omitted altogether.
Notes
1 When saying
a psalm aloud, the word 'blessed' is to be pronounced as two
syllables: 'bless - ed'.Where spelled 'blest', the word is
pronounced as one syllable.
2 A red dot
• marks the mid-point in each psalm
verse where, traditionally, a pause is observed.
3 Each psalm
or group of psalms may end with
All Glory to
the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
(or)
All Glory
to God, Source of all being,
Eternal Word and Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.