For Worship
with limited musical resources
a congregational refrain, and keyboard accompanist.
These settings of the Psalms were composed by The Rev. Dr. Peter W. Sipple, an Episcopal priest. After heading three Church-related schools, Oregon Episcopal School (OR), Salisbury School (CT) and Moravian Academy (PA), Peter served as Rector of the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, PA. It was then that he began to provide music for the Psalms as used in Christian worship. His settings were composed over the course of two decades, and they are available here for use in churches where the Revised Common Lectionary provides weekly readings from Scripture.
This site is designed for those who would like to consider an alternative way to present the Psalms of David in Christian worship. Use of these settings calls for the congregational singing of a refrain, verses sung by a single voice or choir in unison, and a keyboard accompaniment. Churches with fewer musical resources may find these settings especially useful. Please feel free to download and adapt them for use in worship.
The table you see here identifies the Psalms as assigned by the Revised Common Lectionary, Sunday by Sunday, in the Christian Church Year. Searching for a particular Psalm is easy: for example, looking ahead to the third Sunday in Epiphany in Year A, you’ll find that Psalm 27:1, 5-13 is assigned. In order to find the setting for that Psalm, go to the List of All Musical Settings and scroll down in Year A until you find Psalm 27. That setting is available for you to print out and use in worship.
| Sunday | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advent 1 | 122 | 80:1–7, 16–18 | 25:1–9 |
| Advent 2 | 72:1–7, 18–19 | 85:1–2, 8–13 | Canticle 4 or 16 |
| Advent 3 | 146:4–9 | 126 | Canticle 9 |
| Advent 4 | 80:1–7, 16–18 | 89:1–4, 19–26 | 80:1–7 |
Here are suggested steps you might take:
Here are examples of how settings may appear in Sunday worship bulletins.
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