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The text of every psalm put to music in many styles

One-time folk singer Jeff Lowe began to put some psalms to music as long ago as 1974. In the year 2000 he began seriously to put the whole Psalter to music and has subsequently completed the recording of all 150 psalms. Jeff writes:

'A guiding principle has been that the psalms should be allowed to speak for themselves and so the settings aim to use the complete psalm unabridged, which is quite a challenge when setting the longer psalms. The texts are mainly based on the New International version of the Bible, with some leeway to use other versions in order to clarify meaning. Sometimes I have created a refrain involving repeating part of the text several times during the song.'

To read the article from Premier Christianity, click the image.

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Contributors

Over the years the number of folk involved in the project has grown, each one adding their own particular expertise. Here are some photos of those who have been involved.

Paul Bellingham
Piano

Paul has made a very important contribution to the project. He is heard playing piano on a large number of tracks. Paul is also responsible for several of the videos on You Tube.

Louise Bennett
Piano

Louise is an old family friend, now based in Edinburgh. She is playing piano on Psalm 49.

Cath Binns McGregor
Vocals

Cath is married to Angus and they live in Halifax, where they have a ministry through music. Check out Cath and Angus Music, through the link.

Angus McGregor
Guitar

Angus is married to Cath and they live in Halifax, where they have a ministry through music. Check out Cath and Angus Music, through the link.

Carol Brewster
Vocals

Carol is a Gospel singer based in Birmingham. She is the lead vocalist on several psalms. Check out Psalm 34, where she is accompanied by trumpet player Ray Butcher.

Rob Brock
Graphic designer

Ray Butcher
Trumpet

Ray is a professional trumpet player. He lives in Newcastle-u-Lyme. Ray featured on the track 'God's great dance floor' with Chris Tomlin. Find out more by clicking the link.

Nigel Cameron
Whistles and flute

Nigel is married to Julie. They are based in the Midlands where they have a ministry in music. Check out their You Tube channel via the link.

Julie Cameron
Violin

Julie is married to Nigel. Check out the Sounds of Wonder website via the link.

Paul Conner
Trumpet

Paul plays trumpet in various local bands

Paul Critchley
Piano and vocals

Paul is a worship leader based at the Beacon House of Prayer in Stoke-on-Trent. Paul has a wide ministry through music, leading worship across the city and overseas for many years. Paul is a composer and songwriter and is also involved in training others for ministry. You can find more about Paul from his web site - Presence Worship via the link below:

Tony Cummings
Co Producer

Tony Cummings is an author, journalist, broadcaster, record producer, poet and music archivist, living in Stoke-on-Trent. He was for thirty two years the editor of Cross Rhythms media ministry. he has written the comments for the project and co-produced Jeff's recordings. Tony and his wife Maxine have run music company Light Song since 2008.

Rachel Dixon
Vocals

Rachel lives in Stoke-on-Trent and has worked alongside Paul Critchley in leading worship across the city. Rachel features on Psalm 119 but also sings backing vocals.

Toby Fournier
Drums & percussion

Nick Harvey
Clarinet, flute & saxophone

Nick is a professor and practicing medic based in Southampton. Nick plays in a variety of Jazz ensembles as well as in Church.

James Herring
Vocals

James is the lead singer of the band' Speak Brother'. You can find out more by clicking the link.

Hannah Johnston
Piano & flute

Hannah is Jeff's daughter and lives in Gloucestershire with her young family.

Jo Jones
Vocals

Jo is a practicing medic based in Manchester. She takes the lead on Psalm 57.

Jeremy Lefroy
Oboe

Jeremy was recently the MP for Stafford. His special interest is Africa where he supports coffee growers in various countries.

Janet Lefroy
Violin

Janet is medic and is married to Jeremy. She helps to lead worship at Newcastle Baptist Church In Newcastle-u-Lyme.

Terry Mills
Ukelele & vocals

Terry Mills is best known as the lead singer of Midlands
based folk/pop group Nuffsed. He and his wife Jackie subsequenly recorded as a duo.

Richard Nelmes
Electric guitar

Richard is a musician and
music techy based in Cardiff. Jeff worked alongside him when Richard and his family lived in Stoke.

Ann O'Hare
Vocals

Ann O'Hare is best know fro her work with pioneering Welsh, church worship group
Springwood Music.

Luke Parker
Cahon

Luke worked for UCCF for a while in Stoke. He is now married and lives in the channel islands.

Dave Pickering
Mandolin & bodrhan

Stoke-on-Trent based Dave Pickering has a long experience in various mainstream folk and pop groups.

Guest Artists

A number of guest musicians have contributed their own version of one of Jeff's psalms. They have made their own recordings and have been free to interpret the music in their own way. The results are very different from the versions that Jeff has recorded. - all adding to the diversity of the project.

The Sweet Sorrows are a duo from Ireland who have toured the world performing Celtic, folk gospel and country music.

The Paul Mirfin band are an Americana band from Harrogate, Yorkshire. Their debut album 'Ancient Roads' has been released by Light Song.

The Californian band CPR317 were originally called CPR, which stands for Christian Punk Rock. With a line-up fronted by lead singer Jet Wilson, they toured Britain in 2019.

Numerous albums and acclaimed live-performances have earned Belfast- based Brian Houston rave reviews in Mojo and Premier Christianity, whilst his diverse musical approach takes in rock, congregational worship, folk and native American music.

Jazz pop is the style chosen by performance poet and singer/songwriter Godfrey Rust for his rendition of Psalm 62. Godfrey has been a church and music leader in west London for 40 years, Godfrey is best-known as a poet with three published collections and then as half of the popular acoustic duo Shattock and Rust in the 1980s/1990s. He released a solo album in 2018. His work is at at www.wordsout.co.uk.

Cath & Angus Music consisting of husband & wife Cath Binns McGregor and Angus McGregor have led worship at numerous events and conducted worship workshops in and around Halifax.

Rob Halligan is a singer/songwriter who, down the years, has recorded 12 albums and for a season was the vocalist for rock band veterans After The Fire.