Singing the psalms
Opinion
For many years, we’ve sung Brian Boniwell’s hymn ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ (based on Psalm 23) on Sundays, at school and during funeral Masses in place of the responsorial psalm.
While this beautiful piece certainly has a place in our liturgical repertoire, it was never meant to replace the Psalm in the Liturgy of the Word. So, how can our Catholic parishes and school communities, particularly those with limited musical resources, more regularly incorporate appropriate responsorial psalms into their celebrations?
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM 61) provides helpful guidance. It emphasises that the responsorial psalm is a vital part of the Liturgy of the Word, designed to invite reflection on the Scriptures. Ideally, it should be sung, at least as far as the people’s response is concerned. This directive is supported by the Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass (LM 21).
GIRM 61 also notes:
‘…in order that the people may be able to sing the psalm response more easily, texts of some responses and psalms have been chosen for the different times of the year or for the different categories of saints. These may be used instead of the text corresponding to the reading whenever the psalm is sung.’
At the back of the Lectionary, you’ll find a selection of Common Texts for Sung Responsorial Psalms, arranged by liturgical season. This opens a practical pathway: communities can develop a small but versatile core repertoire of common psalms that align with the liturgical year. Since most school Masses occur on weekdays, including a well-known common psalm such as Psalm 26/27 (The Lord is my light and my salvation) is a great starting point.
Fortunately, there are many excellent collections of responsorial psalms by Australian composers, available in both print and digital formats. Many of these resources also include audio recordings and accompaniment tracks – tools that can support the learning process, especially for the many volunteer and non-professional musicians who serve our communities. These recordings are not meant to replace the assembly’s voice but to equip musicians in their preparation for ministry.
One particularly helpful resource is the website ofw-adelaide.org.au which offers a collection of free-to-download responsorial psalm settings written by Dr Jenny O’Brien. These are designed to support congregational singing with short, tuneful melodies, set in a comfortable vocal range. Each setting includes simple melodies for the verses; however, if singing the verses is not feasible, the verse chords can be used as an instrumental underlay while proclaiming the verses prayerfully, leading gently into the sung response and preserving the meditative flow.
The collection covers Psalms for all three liturgical years, making it an excellent foundation for building a sustainable and singable core repertoire of responsorial psalms for any community. The ofw-adelaide.org.au website also lists the common psalms for the liturgical year with various links to YouTube and Spotify examples that schools and parishes may be interested in exploring. Learning one common psalm for each season of the liturgical year is a great way to introduce the idea of singing the psalm in Mass. For example, it is perfectly acceptable to sing Psalm 24 (To you, O Lord, I lift my Soul) each Sunday during Advent.
It is important to source sheet music for any hymn or psalm from the publisher or directly from the composer. Along with Jenny O’Brien’s psalms, the diocesan liturgy website highlights two other Australian composers, Marist Br Michael Herry’s collection and Roger Heagney’s ‘Psalms for the Church’s Year’. There are hundreds of Australian musical settings of psalms on willowpublishing.com.au, where you can download sheet music and MP3s.
If your school or parish community would like some initial or ongoing support in understanding how to sing the psalms and where to find appropriate resources, contact Lauren Bierer from the Community Life & Worship team on worship@adelaide.catholic.org.au or call 8210 8107 to arrange a consultation or workshop.
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