New-Wave Art-House Psalm Singing

The use of psalms in worship is age-old - all the way back to the First Temple, indeed. And maybe we don't know what the music might have sounded like, but the Jewish people have preserved a glorious tradition of musical psalm settings.

And then the Christian Church has not hesitated to set the psalms to music, in many ways. We think of the Anglican Chant, or the Metrical Psalms of such worthies as Tate & Brady, Sternhold & Hopkins or @Artsyhonker. And then the lovely setting of the 90th Psalm in Elgar's interpretation of Newman's Gerontius. Then we have the rather nice "The Lord's My Shepherd I'll Not Want".

So when Harchibold told us he wanted to try his new setting of Psalm 23, I was all in favour. In fact we made it the centrepiece of this evening's Filling-up of Beakers. For those interested and true experimental music lovers, I reproduce it as best I can.


{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Smashes crockery with mallet]#

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Beats corrugated iron with metal bar]

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Runs anti-clockwise around Moot
House, slapping the walls]

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Lies, screaming, on the floor]

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Stands matchboxes on end]

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Throws cow at congregation]

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Digs hole]

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Does an Orc impression]

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Runs clockwise around Moot House, stroking walls]

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Throws beakers at wall, splashing water and bits of china everywhere]

{SCREAMS} THE LORD'S MY SHEPHERD, I'LL NOT WANT!!! [Rolls marbles across floor]

Yes, it was challenging, thought-provoking and avant-garde. I don't think we'll be doing it again.