Choosing a Responsorial Psalm?
Singer Naoise Stuart Kelly shares audio clips and tips to help you choose your Wedding Psalm.
What is a Responsorial Psalm?
A Psalm, simply put, is a passage from the Bible that is included in wedding ceremonies. If you’re getting married in a Catholic Church in Ireland, you’ll need to choose a Responsorial Psalm as part of your wedding ceremony. Read and listen below for some options to help you choose.
Is a Psalm read or sung?
If you don’t have a singer for your Church wedding music, then your Psalm should be read by a wedding guest. If you do have a wedding singer (most Irish Church Weddings do), the singer will sing the Psalm.
How to choose a Psalm
There are about 150 Psalms, only a selection of which have a theme or lyrics that are suitable for a wedding. Some are best suited to other Church occasions like Advent, Easter, Requiem masses etc. And also, not all psalms have been set to music. So, if you’re choosing a Psalm to be sung, don’t just choose one from a list of readings, it’s important that you’re choosing from a list of songs. It’s a good idea to consult with your singer and choose a Psalm from their list, as they’re going to feel most comfortable singing something they know.
At what part of the Mass does the Psalm happen?
The Psalm sits in between the two readings during the ‘Liturgy of the Word’ and we have a few tips to bear in mind about how best to ensure it all runs smoothly. These tips are on our instagram post here – it’s worth having a read and saving for future, so you can come back to it.
CHOOSING A RESPONSORIAL PSALM
To help you choose a Psalm for your wedding, we’ve put together some recommendations for Psalms that can be sung. This list is not exhaustive and there are plenty of other ones (see an additional list at the end of this article), but hopefully alongside our 10 audio clips of LIVE Psalms, you’ll have plenty to start choosing from!
CLASSICAL/TRADITIONAL PSALMS
If you’d like to choose something that is recognisable and well known, you might wish to choose a classical or traditional one, like one of the following:
1. HERE I AM LORD – Written by American composer Dan Schutte and published in 1981, Here I Am Lord is an extremely popular wedding Psalm. Its lyrics are based on Psalm 40, where the theme of answering God’s call and serving Him are evident. The melody is instantly recognisable as it is taught in most Irish primary schools.
2. ON EAGLE’S WINGS – Based on Psalm 91 and written by Michael Joncas in 1978, On Eagle’s Wings is another popular Psalm for wedding masses. It speaks of God’s protection and care for those who trust in Him. The wings represent God’s strong support and guidance, a theme which is most suited to a wedding mass.
3. THE LORD’S MY SHEPHERD or THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD – The words of Psalm 22/23 are used in several songs, where God is referred to as a Shepherd. Whilst it is popular for funeral masses, the specific lyrics that are most suited to funerals can be left out, making it suitable for a wedding mass, especially as it acknowledges God as one who protects and guides. The older version by Crimmond is the more recognisable version with the melody by Egan as the lesser-known more Irish-sounding version. You can hear both versions below.
CONTEMPORARY/MODERN PSALMS
4. WHEREVER YOU GO / SONG OF RUTH – This melody was written by Gregory Norbet and uses the words from The Book of Ruth. As such, it isn’t exactly a Psalm, but it is used very regularly as one. It is worth checking with your priest to ensure he will be okay with using this. There is another song by composer David Haas with the same name, which is also used as a Psalm and it may be an idea to listen online or talk to your singer about it. The one recorded below is the version by Gregory Norbet.
5. THE SHEPHERD SONG – This is another song written using the words from Psalm 23 and is by Irish composer Bernard Sexton. The melody is rich and flowing and uses Irish techniques, giving it a beautiful Celtic feel. As it is lesser known, your singer may not have it in their repertoire, but it is easily accessible.
6. HIDING PLACE – Written in 1997 by Irish priest Fr. Liam Lawton, Hiding Place has sung lyrics in both English and Irish (see ‘Mo Ghrá Thú a Thiarna’ below, which has the same melody). We sometimes use lyrics from both languages, swapping between the verses, to just add the right amount of Irish, but still keep the song accessible for those who don’t understand the Irish language. The melody is beautifully written and easy on the ear and it is likely one of the most popular sung wedding Psalms in Ireland today.
7. YOU ARE MINE – Written in the early 1990’s by American Liturgical Composer David Haas, You Are Mine has lyrics based on texts from Psalm 46, 43 and 14. With themes of God’s care and strength is is a hymn that reminds us that God is always there, inviting us to follow. The melody is lesser known on this side of the Atlantic, but is gaining popularity in schools and Church settings because its rich text speaks to so many people in differing circumstances.
8. AS THE DEER – There are many sung versions of this with varying lyrics and themes extracted from Psalm 42. The one I have recorded here has a melody by Martin Nystrom and was written in 1983. The melody is soft and beautiful to listen to and the lyrics refer to a yearning or thirst for God’s presence in life.
IRISH/CELTIC PSALMS
9. SÉ AN TIARNA M’AOIRE – Irish composer Fintan O’Carroll has written a wealth of music for the Church and writes beautifully in the Irish language. This haunting melody (sometimes thought of as a ‘sean-nós’ song), has been recorded by many Irish singers and is readily available online.
10. MO GHRÁ THÚ A THIARNA – This is the Irish language version of Hiding Place by Liam Lawton. However, it is not a direct translation of those lyrics, as new lyrics were written for the Irish language, to ensure it musically fit into the melody and structure. The meaning of the title is ‘I Love You Lord’ and the lyrics of the chorus and verses use references from Psalm 71 and 72, referring to God as ‘my rock and my fortress’ – direct translation is ‘my God, my rock, my roof’ (likely meaning protection). We love to use a mix of both English and Irish languages when singing this piece and adore when couples choose to have an extra Irish feel to their music by adding Irish whistles, as you’ll hear in the sample below.
Other Sung Psalm Options
- All the Earth Proclaim the Lord (by L. Deiss) (Psalm 99)
- In You, Creation Finds its Joy (by R. McDonagh) (Psalm 64)
- The Lord is Kind and Merciful (by J. Cotter) (Psalm 103)
- Throughout All Time (by D. Haas) (Psalm 89)
- Only in God (by J. M. Talbot) (Psalm 62)
- How Can I Repay The Lord (by Liam Lawton) (Psalm 116)
- Set Your Heart on the Higher Gifts (by S. C. Warner)
- Taste and See (by S. Angrisano) (Psalm 34)
Over the past 15 years, Encore Occasions has had the privilege of performing at almost 2,000 wedding ceremonies.
Having arranged music for couples all over Ireland, it’s safe to say we’ve learned a lot about placement of songs and music throughout the wedding ceremony. We have lots more tips on how to ensure your mass runs smoothly and how to ensure your chosen readers know what is happening. Check out our Responsorial Psalm TIPS here on our instagram page.
We hope you’ve found this blog article helpful and we wish you the very best as you plan your wedding!
Get in touch to check availability for your dream wedding.
In the absence of a singer, you will need a reader to read a Psalm instead of it being sung. If you have musicians, they generally wouldn’t play any music here without a singer.
Yes, if they’re happy to do that for you, you can ask a guest to sing your Psalm. If you have live musicians, connect them to talk about keys and structure a few weeks before the wedding and a then, arrange a quick rehearsal before the ceremony commences.
This is more likely to be considered for a Sunday Mass, rather than a wedding. Every calendar day of the year has a specific Psalm assigned to it – a specific extract/prayer from the Bible for each day. If you or your priest especially wants the ‘Psalm of the Day’ for your specific wedding day sung, your singer will need to take these lyrics and set them to a Psalm ‘tone’ or melody. Most priests will not insist upon this and will allow a wedding-specific Psalm to be sung, like the ones on our list above.
No is the straight answer! A specific Psalm needs to be chosen by the wedding couple with their singer. If your singer is experienced, they will be able to guide you. We have seen some professional singers’ lists recommend songs like ‘You Raise Me Up’ under the Psalm heading, but this is incorrect and your priest is likely to disapprove it in your final meeting. Check in with your singer and do your own research before you have your heart set on something that might get changed!
