Category: Psalms

The earth for ever is the Lord’s,
With Adam’s num’rous race;
He raised its arches o’er the floods,
And built it on the seas.

But who among the sons of men
May visit thine abode?
He that has hands from mischief clean,
Whose heart is right with God.

This is the man may rise and take
The blessings of his grace;
This is the lot of those that seek
The God of Jacob’s face.

Now let our souls’ immortal powers
To meet the Lord prepare,
Lift up their everlasting doors,
The King of glory’s near.

The King of glory! who can tell
The wonders of his might?
He rules the nations; but to dwell
With saints is his delight

The answer, of course, is Crimond.  That is a village in the northeast of Scotland.  It is nine miles northwest of Peterhead and just over two miles from the coast.

The challenge I have is not with the time but the tune. 

Not many people know that the tunes to hymns (songs) are named after the community and/or Kirk (Church) that they were written in. 

The Late Rev Bob White did say in his sermons that these tunes were pop songs of the day.  Ever since the age of ten, I have wanted to make Crimond a pop song.  I must admit that this was much to the annoyance of my classically trained music teacher.  From memory, I think her reaction was…

“If you really must Charles, but that is not as it is written and you have an exam to pass”

So what is all the fuss about one tune? Simply it was written by Jessie Seymour Irvine (born 1836 – died 1887).  She was the daughter of a Church of Scotland minister who served at Dunottar, Peterhead, and Crimond, Scotland.  Jessie is referred to by Ian Campbell Bradley in his 1997 book Abide with Me. 

The crunch is that the song ‘The Lord’s My Shepherd’ is set to that tune.  As such it is well known and often sung at funerals and weddings.  Words were written by Francis Rous, who was born at Halton, Cornwall, in 1579, and educated at Oxford. His career the legal profession, and M.P.   He took the words from the Bible – Psalm 23 and set it to verse.  Here are the lyrics…

Tune Cramond CH4 14 (1) and (2)

1 The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want;
he makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me
the quiet waters by.

2 My soul, he doth restore again,
and me to walk doth make
within the paths of righteousness,
e’en for his own name’s sake.

3 Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale,
yet will I fear none ill,
for thou art with me; and thy rod
and staff me comfort still.

4 My table thou hast furnished
in presence of my foes;
my head thou dost with oil anoint,
and my cup overflows.

5 Goodness and mercy all my life
shall surely follow me;
and in God’s house forevermore
my dwelling place shall be.

I now have an introduction, but the challenge is a new arrangement of Crimond.   

Meanwhile, there are these other tunes that you can use

• Brother James’s Air CH4 16
• Orlington CH4 15
• Wiltshire CH4 14 (3)

For a modern rendition but not to the words above try Mission Praise 1008.

* CH4 Church of Scotland Hymnary 4th Edition