The Psalms over the centuries have not only been read and prayed, they have been chanted and sung. An exciting addition to the Anstey Psalter Project is the original musical scores being prepared for many of the psalms by Richard Black.
Richard Black has spent the majority of his musical career singing professionally in Sydney with The Song Company and as a member of the Choir of St James’ Church, King Street. Other regular engagements have been with Pinchgut Opera, Bach Akademie Australia, Cantillation and The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Now back in his hometown of Adelaide, he works as a soloist, chorister and ensemble singer, as well as directing, arranging and composing for choirs and ensembles. Richard’s keen interest and expertise in liturgical chant in its many forms has made the task of creating musical chant resources for Matthew’s new psalm translations a great joy and a hugely rewarding project to be part of.
The chant resources consist of a number of different styles of psalm chant, chosen or composed for each psalm to suit a wide variety of liturgical styles and resources, from cantor or worship leader to a parish choir or full cathedral choir. They include a simplified Anglican chant — most effective with a cantor or small choir, a classic Anglican chant for the parish choir, a contemporary Anglican chant for a cathedral or more adventurous parish choir, and a Gregorian chant for a more contemplative approach. Also included is a sung response. It can be sung by itself in response to a spoken psalm but has also been composed to work equally well with any of the psalm chants — including the Gregorian chant. Again, these chants and responses are only provided as a vehicle to explore the versatility and effectiveness of Anstey’s new texts in a wide variety of recitation styles. As such they are not intended to be judged or on trial themselves.