Chanting the Psalms

We begin our group by chanting a psalm. The rhythm and breathing of the chanting bring us into our bodies and help us to settle down after the bustle of traveling to the group at the end of a work day. The ritual of chanting the Psalms connects us with centuries of monastic tradition. The chanting is like an entrance we walk through from the ordinary world into the prayer space.

The word “psalm” means song. The Psalms are intended for singing and have been sung for centuries in monasteries. Chanting is a kind of speech that uses musical tones while following the rhythms of ordinary speech. Anyone can chant a psalm. The simplest way is to chant in a monotone, a simple practice that does not require training, study, or a particularly good voice. It can be moving to hear the vulnerability of the human voice, revealing the fragility and finitude of the body. Through the poetry of the Psalms, the human voice expresses the reality of human existence in a vital, palpable way.

Like any spiritual practice, chanting requires a certain quality of attention. When you are fully present in your body giving your full attention to your task, your chanting may have an arresting quality in spite of or perhaps even because of the limitations of your voice.

For a detailed exploration of how to chant the Psalms, I recommend Cynthia Bourgeault’s book Chanting the Psalms, which describes many styles of chanting and comes with an instructional CD. The book includes a number of very simple chanting styles as well as more complex ones, demonstrated clearly on the CD. In our group we often use a version of what Bourgeault calls Modified Anglican Tone to chant the verses of our psalm.

Instructions for Monotone Chanting

Come fully into your body, taking a few deep breaths and noticing the sensation of your breath filling your lungs and torso. Take a few moments to still your mind so that you will be ready to give your full attention to your chanting. Choose a single note that is comfortable for you and chant the psalm in a monotone, using that single note. Emphasize words and phrases just as you would if you were reading aloud to a group, trying to make your phrasing lively and expressive. Even though you are chanting in a monotone there is no need to be monotonous.

Here are two examples of a chanted Psalm. The first example is chanted in a simple monotone.

The second version is chanted in a rather free way, loosely based on what Cynthia Bourgeault calls Modified Anglican Tone and the cadences of my Episcopalian background. I have varied from the monotone in places where I would like to put an emotional emphasis.

Psalm 23

You, O God, are my shepherd, I shall not want.
You make me lie down in green pastures; 
you lead me beside still waters;
You restore my soul.
You lead me down right pathways in your name.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff they comfort me.  
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; 
you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, 
and I shall dwell in the house of God forever.

Instructions for Psalms Chanted with Antiphons

In our group we sometimes use an antiphon, a short sentence excerpted from a psalm that is repeated as a refrain. The leader chooses an antiphon, chants it once, then repeats it as the group joins in. The leader will then chant a few verses of the psalm, pause, and repeat the antiphon with the group following along. The regular participants become comfortable chanting the familiar antiphons while the leaders are free to vary the verses from the Psalms and the melodies from week to week if they choose. The most important thing is not so much the melody or monotone that is chosen but that the leader be clear about what is about to be chanted. If the antiphons are to be chanted using the same melo- dies each time, it can be helpful for the leader to make a record- ing on a cell phone of whatever melody is decided on in order to maintain consistency.

Here is Psalm 63, chanted with the antiphon, “In the shadow of your wings I rejoice, alleluia,”

Psalm 63 with antiphon

Leader In the shadow of your wings I rejoice, alleluia.

People In the shadow of your wings I rejoice, alleluia.

Leader O God, my God at dawn I seek you,
For you my soul is thirsting, 
My flesh is longing,
Like a dry and parched land longs for water.

People In the shadow of your wings I rejoice, alleluia.

Leader I have gazed on you in the holy place
To behold your power and your glory.
Better than life itself is your love.
My lips will sing your praise.

People In the shadow of your wings I rejoice, alleluia.

Leader I rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
To you my soul has held fast,
You have sustained me by your right hand.

People In the shadow of your wings I rejoice, alleluia.

Here is Psalm 46, chanted with the antiphon, “God whispers to the heart, ‘Be still; I am with you.’”

Psalm 46 with antiphon

Leader God whispers to the heart, “Be still; I am with you.”

People God whispers to the heart, “Be still; I am with you.”

Leader God is our refuge and our strength,
a present help in times of trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, 
though the earth be moved and shaken.

People God whispers to the heart, “Be still; I am with you.”

Leader We will not fear
though the mountains be toppled into the sea,
though the depths of the waters rage and foam.

People God whispers to the heart, “Be still; I am with you.”

Leader “Be still, and know that I am God.”
God is with us,
God has spoken,
and the earth shall melt away.

People God whispers to the heart, “Be still; I am with you.”

These instructions are taken from the book Centering Prayer for Everyone.