Adam Carlill
Published: 2018-06-04
Total Pages: 282
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"If the Psalms really are -as we often say - the primary hymnbook of the Church, as they were the primary hymnbook of Jesus, it seems pretty important that we have ways of singing them that involve congregations singing them in ways they can feel at home with. Adam's fresh and lively versions provide just that opportunity, and I hope many churches will want to take advantage of them and spread the word about their availability." Rowan WilliamsEver wanted to sing the psalms but not able to cope with Anglican chant, plain chant or responsorial chant? Here is the answer: an unabridged, faithful rendition of the entire Hebrew Psalter in accessible metrical English.Following the successful publication of Psalms for the Common Era : Complete Psalter Anglican Edition, and in response to clear demand this large print edition provides the same content and the same page numbers so that it can be used in tandem with the standard format edition.The intention of this translation of the psalms is to encourage more people to sing more psalms more often. By choosing hymn tunes from widely-used hymn books, this translation increases the likelihood that some people will sing psalms who otherwise would miss out. Most psalms were meant to be sung and there are several tunes mentioned in the ancient Hebrew titles. These suggest that the tunes existed independently of the psalms, as they do here. The choice of tune for the psalms takes into consideration primarily the structure and metre of the Hebrew psalm, but also the mood and theme. This psalter is unabridged. As such it is intended as a metrical equivalent of the 'Parish Psalter' (Nicholson; The Faith Press: Leighton Buzzard, 1932) and its successors. There are no conflations. Every verse has been rendered so that the richness of the psalter may be experienced in its fulness.Adam Carlill was brought up with one foot in the Methodist Church and the other in the Church of England. He joined the local choir aged eight, and hated singing psalms at Matins and Evensong. However, hatred gradually turned to love. He received his BA in theology at Keble College, Oxford in 1987, before spending a year as the Dean's volunteer at St George's Anglican Cathedral in Jerusalem. He trained for Anglican ministry at Lincoln Theological College and was made deacon in 1990, serving in St Edward's Romford and being ordained priest in 1991. After a second curacy in Uckfield (East Sussex), Adam became Vicar of St George's Tilehurst (Berkshire) in 1998 where he has been serving ever since, becoming Vicar of the neighbouring parish of St Mary Magdalen's Tilehurst a few years later.Adam received his DPhil in Old Testament Theology in 2013 at St Peter's Hall, Oxford, under the supervision of Prof. John Day, subsequently becoming a member of the Society for Old Testament Study. His thesis, 'Cherubim and Seraphim in the Old Testament', was summarised in an article in the Journal for the Study of the Christian Church.For years Adam felt frustrated at not being able to use the psalms in worship more widely, so, in 2015, he decided to do something about it, systematically working through the Hebrew psalter, translating each one into modern metrical English. Three drafts later, and with the help of numerous colleagues with Hebrew and mucial interest, this volume is now offered to congregations, individuals and choirs to use as they see best.The addition of metrical versions of the Christian canticles contained in the Book of Common Prayer in this volume make it ideal for Anglican congregations who wish to maintain the centuries-old practice of daily sung worship, twice a day throughout the year. For more information about Psalms for the Common Era, check out the website ww.psalmsforthecommonera.com
