Perennial Hymns, Part 1 (Psalms)

What hymns have appeared in each of the four main Christian Reformed hymnals—the 1943 (red) Psalter Hymnal, the 1957 (blue) Psalter Hymnal, the 1987 (gray) Psalter Hymnal and Lift Up Your Hearts?

I got thinking about this after stumbling upon the collection of worship resources put together for the 150th anniversary of the CRC in 2007. It lists 80 hymns that appeared in all three Psalter Hymnals with the same tune. Eleven of these hymns aren’t in Lift Up Your Hearts so I concluded that there are 69 hymns that have been in all four hymnals. However, I’ve since found some mistakes in this list.

I’m not sure what the correct number is yet, but there are 20 psalm settings that have appeared in all four hymnals with the same tune. All but one of these appeared first in the 1912 Psalter—although some had their tunes changed for the red Psalter Hymnal. (The exceptions that weren’t in the 1912 Psalter are “The Heavens Declare Your Glory” and “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah [Psalm 148].) All of these also appear in Psalms for All Seasons with the same tune with the exception of “God, Be Merciful to Me.” (An explanation of the different versions of that song is in my post on Psalm 51.)

Here are those 20 psalm settings (some with changed titles):

Psalm 8: “Lord, Our Lord, Thy Glorious Name” (PH34 #14/PH57 #13)/“Lord, Our Lord, Your Glorious Name” (PH87 #8/LUYH #500/PFAS #8B)—EVENING PRAISE

“The Heavens Declare Your Glory” (PH34 #31/PH57 #31/PH87 #429/LUYH #3/PFAS #19D)—FAITHFUL

Psalm 22: “Amid the Thronging Worshipers” (PH34 #40/PH57 #37/PH87 #239/LUYH #511/PFAS #22E)—BOVINA

Psalm 22: “The Ends of All the Earth Shall Hear” (PH34 #38/PH57 #36/PH87 #542/LUYH #594/PFAS #22G)—VISION**

Psalm 32: “How Blest is he Whose Trespass” (PH34 #61/PH57 #55)/How Blest Are They Whose Trespass (PH87 #32/LUYH #669/PFAS #32A)—RUTHERFORD

Psalm 51: “God, Be Merciful To Me” (PH34 #100/PH57 #94/PH87 #255/LUYH #623)—REDHEAD

Psalm 66: “Come All Ye People, Bless Our God” (PH34 #127/PH57 #120)/“Come, All You People, Praise Our God” (PH87 #242/LUYH #495/PFAS #66C)—ADOWA

Psalm 79: “Remember Not, O God” (PH34 #162/PH57 #152/PH87 #254/LUYH #632/PFAS #79B)—GORTON

Psalm 84: “O Lord of Hosts, How Lovely” (PH34 #169/PH57 #159)/“How Lovely Is Your Dwelling” (PH87 #234/LUYH #507/PFAS #84A)—ST. EDITH

Psalm 86: “Lord, My Petition Heed” (PH34 #174/PH57 #164/PH87 #243/LUYH #507/PFAS #84A)—MASON

Psalm 92: “It Is Good to Sing Your Praises” (PH34 #189/PH57 #180/PH87 #171/LUYH #513/PFAS #92A)—ELLESDIE

Psalm 95: “Now with Joyful Exultation” (PH34 #194/PH57 #184/PH87 #95/LUYH #512/PFAS #95D)—BEECHER

Psalm 103: “O Come, My Soul, Bless Thou the Lord” (PH34 #215/PH57 #204)/“O Come, My Soul, Sing Praise to God” (PH87 #6297/LUYH #672/PFAS #103B)

Psalm 108: “My Heart is Fixed, O God” (PH34 #232/PH57 #219)/“My Heart is Firmly Fixed” (PH87 #108/LUYH #734/PFAS #108A)—ST. THOMAS

Psalm 111: “O Give the Lord Whole-Hearted Praise” (PH34  #236/PH57 #222/PH87 #111/LUYH #502/PFAS #111A)—GERMANY

Psalm 112: “How Blessed the Man Who Fears the Lord” (PH34 #237/PH57 #223)/“How Blest Are Those Who Fear the LORD” (PH87 #112/LUYH #301/PFAS #112A/HFW #8)—MELCOMBE

Psalm 130: “From Out the Depths I Cry, O Lord, to Thee” (PH34 #287/PH57 #273)/“Out of the Depths I Cry to You on High” (PH87 #256/LUYH #655/PFAS #130C—SANDON

Psalm 145: “I Will Extol Thee, O My God” (PH34 #314/PH57 #298)/“I Will Extol You, O My God” (PH87 #185/LUYH #561/PFAS #145E)—NOEL

Psalm 146: “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” (PH34 #318/PH57 #301)/ “Praise the LORD, Sing Hallelujah” (PH87 #146/LUYH #518/PFAS #146D)—RIPLEY

Psalm 148: “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” (PH34 #321/PH57 #304)/“Praise, the LORD, Sing Hallelujah” (PH87 #188/LUYH #6/PFAS #148C)

*****

Two psalm settings were in all three Psalter Hymnals, but appear in Lift Up Your Hearts with new tunes:

Psalm 76: “God Is Known Among His People” (PH34 #152/PH57 #144/PH87 #76)—TEMPLE BORO/“God Is Known Among His People” (LUYH #284/PFAS #76A)—LAUDA ANIMA

Psalm 149: “O Praise Ye the Lord” (PH34 #323/PH57 #306)/“Sing Praise to the Lord” (PH87 #149)—HANOVER/““Sing Praise to the Lord” (LUYH #566/PFAS #149B)—LAUDATE DOMINUM

Six psalm settings were in all three Psalter Hymnals but aren’t in Lift Up Your Hearts. Four of these appear in Psalms for All Seasons:

Psalm 104: “My Soul, Bless the Lord!” (PH34 #218/PH57 #206)/“You Spirit, O LORD, Makes Life to Abound” (PH87 #104)/“My Soul, Praise the LORD!” (PFAS #104E)—HOUGHTON (PFAS uses HANOVER)

Psalm 118: “The Glorious Gates of RIghteousness” (PH34 #248/PH57 #234/PH87 #179/PFAS #118)—ZERAH

Psalm 135: “Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim” (PH34 #298/PH57 #282/PH87 #181/PFAS #135A)—CREATION

Psalm 136: “Give Thanks to God, For Good Is He” (PH34 #300/PH57 #284/PH87 #182/PFAS #136E—CONSTANCE

The other two don’t appear in either of the new hymnals:

Psalm 73: “God Loveth the Righteous” (PH34 #145/PH57 #136)/“God Loves All the Righteous” (PH87 #73)—SANKEY

Psalm 133: “How Good and Pleasant Is the Sight” (PH34 #293/PH57 #278/PH87 #514)

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