Bethany asks in the combox of one of the wedding lectionary posts:
I am also trying to find the sheet music for this particular responsorial psalm. I am the cantor in a wedding and no one can seem to find this music. Do you know where I could get some? The wedding is the 19th of september and I was just asked to sing but have no way of knowing where to get the music for this is. It is the same you have listed Psalm 145: (9a) 8-9, 10 & 15, 17-18. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
If the parish has a decent hymnal, one choice is to look up Psalm 145 (or the psalm choice) in the scriptural index in the back of the book. You are likely to find paraphrases or alternate translations (like the Grail) but you will have music the parish is likely to have on hand.
Another possibility is to contact a Catholic music publisher and ask for a setting. Main publishers designate music they publish as easy, medium, or hard. They might also give you a choice of piano or organ accompaniment. If somebody’s going to play the psalm, you’ll need two copies.
I’ll note that an experienced psalmist for Catholic liturgy should be able to improvise on psalm or chant tones if the particular verses in a particular translation are required.
Anybody with specific counsel on a setting of Psalm 145 or general advice on finding psalms?
11 September 2008 at 8:21 am
Psalm tones.
11 September 2008 at 8:57 am
Agreed, Jenna, but I find improvising singers even rarer than instrumentalists in church circles. It’s a good skill I learned twenty years ago, and I’m far from the best at it. A good cantor really should be able to sing psalm tones at the drop of a liturgical hat.
11 September 2008 at 2:21 pm
I got blessed with no help from the bride and well no accompianst. I was blessed with great vocal cords but not so much on the instramental part. I have called our local church whom has never heard of this psalm before and had no way to help me. I have sent family to the christian bookstore to see if they have any ideas. Do you who a major catholic music publisher is?
11 September 2008 at 3:52 pm
Google OCP Publications and GIA Publications. The former has a toll-free number you could call, and speak to a knowledgeable person who could suggest music. The latter is also good on customer service, but I’d go OCP first.