C. Richard Wells and Ray Van Neste, editors. Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2012. 242 pp. (Paperback).
I was in a Bible study group several years ago when one of the members introduced a concept I had never heard of — singing the Psalms. I listened amazed as she opened her Bible and began to sing, word for word. Although I have heard quite a few Psalms set to music since then, I never really understood how she could just start singing from the Bible until I read this book.
One of the chapters, each of which is written by a different author, introduced the meter structures of several Psalms and suggested familiar tunes that they fit with. It works!
It would be selling this valuable book short to stop here; as interesting and useful as the meter structure of the Psalms is, the book contains an abundance of fascinating information in several chapters exploring the biblical and historical foundations of the Psalms, followed by a second part that contains practical information for reclaiming the Psalms for personal and corporate worship.
The book is written largely by seminarians, but it is easily read and enjoyed by laypeople.
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