7. Hymns of the Reformation: The Metrical Psalms.
While the German people, under the leadership of Luther, were singing chorales set to original religious poems, a large section of Protestantism, under the influence of John Calvin, confined itself to the singing of Psalms. To the French reformer, now preaching at Geneva, hymns were “man-made,” whereas the psalms were the inspired word of God and the only proper vehicle for the praise of God. Calvin, unlike Luther, was not a musician, and at first permitted only unison singing, unaccompanied. Part singing and instrumental accompaniment seemed to savor of the frivolous and worldly, an opinion which Calvin, however, was soon to modify. For two hundred years the Calvinistic churches on the Continent and in Britain were influenced in their worship song by the strict views of Calvin, limiting themselves to the metrical psalms and scriptural paraphrases. The German people in the meantime produced a rich treasury of original religious lyrics, contributed by some of their best poets.
Psalter Tunes and Metrical Psalms in the Hymnary
Genevan Psalter Tunes, 1551. O Seigneur ([19]) Old 134th ([128], [132], [616]) Rendez à Dieu ([306]) Old 124th ([354]) Old 100th ([594]) Scottish Psalter, 1650. Book Five ([575] to [600]) with a few exceptions New Version, 1696, Tate and Brady. “Through all the changing scenes of life” ([583]) “As pants the hart for cooling streams” ([586]) “O come, loud anthems let us sing” ([18]) “While shepherds watched their flocks by night” ([73]-4)