Looking for Full Sommerville Psalms
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 805
    Does anyone know of a place I can purchase the full set of Sommerville psalm settings? They seem (the ones in the CBW III) to be better than most others. I have looked on Google and found one on Amazon, but I was wondering if there was any other reputable source or if there is an online pdf of them.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    You'd want settings of the Canadian lectionary psalms, right?
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 805
    Yah. Thats the one.
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,187
    I warmly agree that the late Fr Somerville 's psalms (SS) and also Msgr Barret Armstrong's (TBA) are the best in the CBW., but I am nearly certain there is no published collection of either.

    FYI the CBW III doesn't use the Canadian Lectionary psalms, but the Grail (c) 1986 version.

    I only know of one set of chant settings for the Lectionary (NRSV ish) texts, namely, well, mine.

    Paul Ford's By Flowing Waters also uses the NRSV, but it's the Gradual Simplex and stay not be immediately acceptable in your parish.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Andrew, your link seems to require a username and password,
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,187
    It does. The texts are (c) the CCCB and the NCCUSA, and I do not have permission to publish them. I got permission to make a couple dozen copies, but those have been given away. I consider that sharing it for review purposes with colleagues who ask, is fair use. So please ask for the password and I will send it.

    And if you will, pray that I eventually obtain permission to publish them more freely.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700

    You'd want settings of the Canadian lectionary psalms, right?


    Somerville only wrote for the Canadian church, I believe.
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,501
    How frustrating Andrew!
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,315
    That’s just messed up.
  • Casavant Organist
    Posts: 805
    Well he was a big St. Michael's Choir School person, so makes sense that he would write mainly for the Canadian Church.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    It might make a good project: to find published editions of his psalm settings, and republish them (obtaining permission) as a single book.
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