M F7 1887 PREFACE. "THE SCOTTISH PSALTER," now published, is the result of a wide-spread desire to put an end to the confusion at present prevailing through the use of different books with different harmonies for the same tunes. It has been prepared on the understanding that the original "Scottish Psalmody" and the "Revised Scottish Psalmody" are to go out of print, and that the new Psalter is to take their place. To meet the wants of a wide community with diverse tastes and attainments, the collection of tunes has been made large and varied. The work contains, besides 52 chants, 220 tunes, including the best known and most esteemed old church melodies; and along with these an extensive selection of compositions of more recent origin, some of which are high-class tunes by well-known musicians, while others are of a more popular character. It is hoped that the variety thus secured is sufficiently great to meet all reasonable demands. Some may be disappointed by the non-appearance of certain tunes (chiefly of the class called " repeating tunes") once in favour; but the omission has been made in deference to the concurrent opinion of psalmodists adverse to their continued use. Exception has been made in favour of five,-namely, "Eastgate," "Saxony," "Invocation," "Redemption," "St. George's, Edinburgh," which form a group by themselves at the end of the common measure tunes. Most of the melodies have been given in their traditional forms. "Wiltshire," commonly called in Scotland "New St. Ann," appears in the form alone authorized by the composer, Sir George Smart. The harmonies have been revised by Dr. Hopkins of the Temple, who has done his work with much skill and practical judgment. A few tunes, such as the five above named, and "Duke Street" and "Melcombe," were not subjected to his revision, and they appear in their traditional settings. The tunes common to the "Scottish Psalter" and the "Free Church HymnBook" are given in the same forms. The tunes are arranged in alphabetical order,—the long measures coming |