Introducing the Psalm Player

I have recently spent a few late nights developing what I’m calling the Psalm Player. Here I demonstrate its use by singing the Magnificat to the Tones Peregrinus, the way it was sung in Lutheran Germany in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Take a look:

5 thoughts on “Introducing the Psalm Player

  1. Magnus Sørensen

    This is really a great tool. I am thinking about pointing some psalms in danish for our small housechurch. But how do I do with the long psalmsverses that have a flexa?

    Reply
    1. Christopher Neuendorf Post author

      Good question regarding the flex. I’ve been thinking about updating the Psalm Player to include an indication as to which chord to use for the flex when it occurs. I’ve hesitated because the flex is not used in the Wittenberg tones, but for our purposes it certainly aids with meaningful chanting of the psalms. I’ll try to get to this soon.

      Reply
    1. Christopher Neuendorf Post author

      My original vision for the Psalm Player was as an app. In fact, the present web version is mostly my own experimental attempt to see how it would function as an app. It will take me a long time to acquire the technical expertise to build a full app, if I am ever able to do it at all. Eventually I plan to publicize requests for amateur coders to take on volunteer development tasks, and this would be a major one. I’d love an app version of the Psalm Player!

      For that matter, in addition to an eventual printed Lutheran Chorale-Book, complete with woodcut illustrations, I’d love to have a full app version of the entire Free Lutheran Chorale-Book! Someday…

      Reply
      1. Magnus Sørensen

        Sounds great. I have spent some time the last couple of days pointing and rehearsing psalm 75 in danish for this sunday. My keyboard seems to react a bit faster than the smarphoneversion. Don’t know if it would be different on an app, but I think it works better on keyboard than touchscreen right now. Of course that could be the wifi too.

        Nevertheless, it is a great opportunity to learn these tones. If you got the time, it would be a nice addition to get precise references for the tunes like you have with the hymn tunes.

        I am very thankful that you have put this out here free of charge.

        Reply

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