GKSA Members Only BSW Resources (Words, Sheet Music, Indices)

The Book of Psalms for Worship is an excellent (the best available) modern English metrical translation of the Psalms. It was produced by consulting both the Old Testament Hebrew as well as various English Bible translations of the same (e.g. NASB, ESV, NIV, NKJV). It comes from the Scottish Presbyterian Psalm-singing tree and it does not contain many Genevan melodies. As a result, the Psalms can be sung using several different tunes and melodies, thereby affording greater flexibility and ease of use. 

Meter and Melody
Melodies and meter are two fundamental aspects of music that work together to create a cohesive and engaging experience. The melody refers to the tune/musical arrangement of notes. Meter refers to the rhythmic organisation of music. It provides a framework for the melody. To illustrate the relationship between them, consider the well-known hymn ‘Amazing Grace.’ Amazing Grace is composed in Common Meter (8.6.8.6.) and often sung on the melody ‘NEW BRITAIN.’ It can also be sung using other melodies as long as they are also in Common Meter (8.6.8.6.). The syllables of each line will shift between 8 and 6.

A – Ma – Zing – Grace – How – Sweet – The – Sound (8)
That – Saved – A – Wretch – Like – Me (6)
I – Once – Was – Lost – But – Now – I’m – Found (8)
Was – Blind – But – Now – I – See (6)

Numbering
Most of the Psalms in the BSW are followed by a letter. This is generally done to distinguish between different parts of a Psalm. For example, 18A is a translation of Psalm 18:1-6 and 18B covers Psalm 18:7-16. The lettering is also used when one Psalm has two or more complete metrical translations (e.g. 1A and 1B) or different recommended melodies (e.g. 11A and 11B).

Digital Resources
The Book of Psalms for Worship is available to download as an app on iPhone and Android. Our GKSA Worship and Liturgy website also has links to find sheet music and lyrics. For each Psalm we have also written an introduction that can be used to help you understand how the Psalm relates to Jesus Christ and how we are to sing it today as Christian believers. Finally, the website also includes various other resources related to Psalm singing: links to audio recordings, recommendations for books, a summary of GKSA history and decisions regarding Psalms, and tools for selecting Psalms to sing.

Afrikaans Psalms and the BSW
There are a few Psalms from the BSW that can be sung using the same melodies as those found in the Afrikaans Psalter for that particular Psalm (see list). There are also a number of melodies from the Afrikaans Psalter that can be used to sing Psalms from the Book of Psalms for Worship (see melodies). The majority of Afrikaans Psalms however are set on a Genevan meter. Psalmboek.nl includes the English lyrics of Psalms that work on Genevan melodies. They have uploaded the text of the Book of Praise: Anglo-Genevan Psalter.

BSW Links
BSW Psalm Sampler
Familiar hymn tunes in the BSW
BSW Audio Recordings: Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, YouTube