PREFACE.

THE publication of another edition of the Psalms of David, pointed so as to facilitate_their_being chanted-after the editions of Wesley, Janes, Jacob, and many others have been published for a similar purpose-may possibly demand a little explanation.

No Churchman, who keeps his eye fixed with any interest upon what is doing around him, can fail to be gratified by the awakening spirit which is abroad, on the subject of the musical portion of the services of the Church. The conviction is gaining ground in the minds of the laity, as well as the clergy, that it is the duty of Christians to use care and diligence, in order that public worship may be decently and efficiently solemnized; and that the offering of praise to the Almighty, like every other offering made to His Divine Majesty, should be the very choicest, and the best-the first-fruits-of all that man can offer. It is to be hoped, that the apathetic spirit will soon cease to exist, under which in most Churches, congregational singing has degenerated into a half-stifled hum; and the people's part, instead of being said with a loud voice, by all the congregation, is performed by an inefficient deputy.

Although many good and pious Churchmen differ in their views, as to how far musical intonation may be carried with advantage in the Church Service, yet it is submitted, that there are very few

who do not think the Chanting of the Psalms for the day, a thing desirable, where it is practicable. Certainly, a great revival of taste has, of late years manifested itself, with regard to the Chanting of the daily Psalms. But the pointing contained in the Prayer-Book-that is, simply the division of each verse by the colon-is not a sufficient guide for a congregation, to enable them to chant firmly and distinctly; and to mark, with the pen, the Prayer Books of a whole choir, is a process too lengthy and tedious for general adoption. Then the works above mentioned, though well suited for the designed purpose in themselves, and though in single copies not expensive, yet, when a school or choir has to be provided with books, require an outlay beyond the very slender means of most country churches. In many a village, where the children in the schools have been taught by the clergyman, or more frequently by that inestimable co-adjutor in all good works, the clergyman's wifea little of the rudiments of music, and the art of managing the voice, and where an earnest desire exists to introduce the chanting of David's Psalms -the want of a cheap work, containing the Psalms marked or pointed in a plain intelligible mode, has proved an insuperable obstacle.

It is to supply this want, that the present little work is designed.

In the course of preparing the book for publication, two suggestions were entertained, as tending, if carried out, to render the work more complete; but which I have been compelled to abandon, on account of the increase in expense which their adoption would occasion. The first was, the idea of publishing in the same volume, a selection of good, plain, easy chants, suitable for congregational singing. The Society for promoting Church Music

has rendered this abandonment of my original plan a matter of no moment, as that Society has published a complete set of Chants for the entire month -a much better collection than I could possibly have had access to-and at a price which leaves no room for the force of cheapness to go any further. My second plan was, to embody in an introduction, a plain and familiar Essay on Chanting, containing a few rules which might be useful. But I must here content myself with referring to the periodical work, called "The Parish Choir," published by the Society above named, which contains all the information which is necessary on the subject: and, I feel that I cannot part from the mention of the Society's publication, without bearing my humble testimony to its great value. From its unprecedented cheapness-from the great care and ability displayed in the management of it-from the end and object which it pursues-and above all, from the sound Scriptural authority which is made the basis of all the directions which it contains, the PARISH CHOIR should be in the hands of every Clergyman desirous of promoting congregational singing.

The system of marking, which I have here adopted, is the simplest, or, at least, the plainest of any which has occurred to me. The words which are to be sung on the Reciting Note are printed in Roman letters, while those which are to be sung to the Notes forming the Mediation or Cadence, are in Italics. In general, I have followed the rule of allowing three syllables to the Mediation, and five to the Final Cadence of each verse; though sometimes, I have thought it advisable to deviate from the strictness of this rule.

To understand the meaning of the upright marks and the points in the centre of the line, it is only

necessary to take a common single Chant, barred as music usually is. It will then be seen that the number of bars in the tune, and the number of upright marks in the verse, exactly correspond, and it will be observed, that the upright mark [] placed before a word or syllable, denotes that the word or syllable immediately following it, is to be taken to the first note after the corresponding bar in the tune. The full point in the centre of the line, shews where to subdivide the words or syllables, which have to be taken in the same bar. Sometimes, a word of one syllable occurs, which will have to be carried in singing through the whole bar. Where such is the case, it will be apparent from the absence of the point in the centre of the line. The following is an example:

For the Lord is a great | God:

In some cases, the syllable next before a bar has to be prolonged half-way through the following bar. The point, placed immediately after the bar, will sufficiently denote this. In the Te Deum, the following instance occurs:

The Holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge | thee.

And again, sometimes one syllable has to be carried throughout the whole of a bar, or even the whole of two bars. The latter is the case in the following verse of the same hymn:

The noble army of martyrs: praise ||| thee.

I trust that with these few explanations, the trial of one or two psalms will render the system. I have adopted plain and easy to the comprehension of any child who can read with facility.

In connection with this little work, the advertisement states, that the profits (if any,) arising from the sale will be applied to the fund for the erection of the Parish Church of St. Matthew, in the Moorfields district, Sheffield. The sum which may be applicable, through these means, to the above purpose, cannot, I fear, from the small price demanded for the sale, be of more than a trifling amount. But as the work, if it succeed to a degree in any way approaching that of paying the expenses of publication, must become to a considerable extent, "broad cast o'er the land," I am induced to mention here a few circumstances connected with the district of Moorfields, Sheffield, in the hope that the eye of some one whom God has blessed with a little surplus wealth, may rest upon these pages, and that his or her heart may be moved to devote a portion-however smallof that surplus to an object so desirable, as the erection of a Church in this exceedingly poor and populous district.

The Moorfields district contains upwards of 6,200 souls. The number of houses is 1400; out of which 1200 are rated at an annual value of not more than £7 15s per annum. Of these, a very large number are under £5. An Incumbent, the Rev. S. J. LYON, M. A., has been appointed-a pious, energetic man-under whose superintendence an increasing number of poor people meet every Sunday for Divine Worship. But the only place in the district where Divine Service can at present be held, is a room used on week-days as a Lancasterian school, and which has been temporarily licensed by the Archbishop. On the evenings of the week-days this room is frequently occupied as a lecture theatre, or for other exhibitions. It is used as a polling-nooth at municipal elections; and a few weeks ago was actually desecrated by a lecture upon Mesmerism, in which