What hymns have appeared in each of the four main Christian Reformed hymnals—the 1943 (red) Psalter Hymnal, the 1957 (blue) Psalter Hymnal, the 1987 (gray) Psalter Hymnal and Lift Up Your Hearts?
I got thinking about this after stumbling upon the collection of worship resources put together for the 150th anniversary of the CRC in 2007. It lists 80 hymns that appeared in all three Psalter Hymnals with the same tune. Eleven of these hymns aren’t in Lift Up Your Hearts so I concluded that there are 69 hymns that have been in all four hymnals. However, I’ve since found some mistakes in this list.
I’m not sure what the correct number is yet, but there are 20 psalm settings that have appeared in all four hymnals with the same tune. All but one of these appeared first in the 1912 Psalter—although some had their tunes changed for the red Psalter Hymnal. (The exceptions that weren’t in the 1912 Psalter are “The Heavens Declare Your Glory” and “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah [Psalm 148].) All of these also appear in Psalms for All Seasons with the same tune with the exception of “God, Be Merciful to Me.” (An explanation of the different versions of that song is in my post on Psalm 51.)
Here are those 20 psalm settings (some with changed titles):
Psalm 8: “Lord, Our Lord, Thy Glorious Name” (PH34 #14/PH57 #13)/“Lord, Our Lord, Your Glorious Name” (PH87 #8/LUYH #500/PFAS #8B)—EVENING PRAISE
“The Heavens Declare Your Glory” (PH34 #31/PH57 #31/PH87 #429/LUYH #3/PFAS #19D)—FAITHFUL
Psalm 22: “Amid the Thronging Worshipers” (PH34 #40/PH57 #37/PH87 #239/LUYH #511/PFAS #22E)—BOVINA
Psalm 22: “The Ends of All the Earth Shall Hear” (PH34 #38/PH57 #36/PH87 #542/LUYH #594/PFAS #22G)—VISION**
Psalm 32: “How Blest is he Whose Trespass” (PH34 #61/PH57 #55)/How Blest Are They Whose Trespass (PH87 #32/LUYH #669/PFAS #32A)—RUTHERFORD
Psalm 51: “God, Be Merciful To Me” (PH34 #100/PH57 #94/PH87 #255/LUYH #623)—REDHEAD
Psalm 66: “Come All Ye People, Bless Our God” (PH34 #127/PH57 #120)/“Come, All You People, Praise Our God” (PH87 #242/LUYH #495/PFAS #66C)—ADOWA
Psalm 79: “Remember Not, O God” (PH34 #162/PH57 #152/PH87 #254/LUYH #632/PFAS #79B)—GORTON
Psalm 84: “O Lord of Hosts, How Lovely” (PH34 #169/PH57 #159)/“How Lovely Is Your Dwelling” (PH87 #234/LUYH #507/PFAS #84A)—ST. EDITH
Psalm 86: “Lord, My Petition Heed” (PH34 #174/PH57 #164/PH87 #243/LUYH #507/PFAS #84A)—MASON
Psalm 92: “It Is Good to Sing Your Praises” (PH34 #189/PH57 #180/PH87 #171/LUYH #513/PFAS #92A)—ELLESDIE
Psalm 95: “Now with Joyful Exultation” (PH34 #194/PH57 #184/PH87 #95/LUYH #512/PFAS #95D)—BEECHER
Psalm 103: “O Come, My Soul, Bless Thou the Lord” (PH34 #215/PH57 #204)/“O Come, My Soul, Sing Praise to God” (PH87 #6297/LUYH #672/PFAS #103B)
Psalm 108: “My Heart is Fixed, O God” (PH34 #232/PH57 #219)/“My Heart is Firmly Fixed” (PH87 #108/LUYH #734/PFAS #108A)—ST. THOMAS
Psalm 111: “O Give the Lord Whole-Hearted Praise” (PH34 #236/PH57 #222/PH87 #111/LUYH #502/PFAS #111A)—GERMANY
Psalm 112: “How Blessed the Man Who Fears the Lord” (PH34 #237/PH57 #223)/“How Blest Are Those Who Fear the LORD” (PH87 #112/LUYH #301/PFAS #112A/HFW #8)—MELCOMBE
Psalm 130: “From Out the Depths I Cry, O Lord, to Thee” (PH34 #287/PH57 #273)/“Out of the Depths I Cry to You on High” (PH87 #256/LUYH #655/PFAS #130C—SANDON
Psalm 145: “I Will Extol Thee, O My God” (PH34 #314/PH57 #298)/“I Will Extol You, O My God” (PH87 #185/LUYH #561/PFAS #145E)—NOEL
Psalm 146: “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” (PH34 #318/PH57 #301)/ “Praise the LORD, Sing Hallelujah” (PH87 #146/LUYH #518/PFAS #146D)—RIPLEY
Psalm 148: “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” (PH34 #321/PH57 #304)/“Praise, the LORD, Sing Hallelujah” (PH87 #188/LUYH #6/PFAS #148C)
*****
Two psalm settings were in all three Psalter Hymnals, but appear in Lift Up Your Hearts with new tunes:
Psalm 76: “God Is Known Among His People” (PH34 #152/PH57 #144/PH87 #76)—TEMPLE BORO/“God Is Known Among His People” (LUYH #284/PFAS #76A)—LAUDA ANIMA
Psalm 149: “O Praise Ye the Lord” (PH34 #323/PH57 #306)/“Sing Praise to the Lord” (PH87 #149)—HANOVER/““Sing Praise to the Lord” (LUYH #566/PFAS #149B)—LAUDATE DOMINUM
Six psalm settings were in all three Psalter Hymnals but aren’t in Lift Up Your Hearts. Four of these appear in Psalms for All Seasons:
Psalm 104: “My Soul, Bless the Lord!” (PH34 #218/PH57 #206)/“You Spirit, O LORD, Makes Life to Abound” (PH87 #104)/“My Soul, Praise the LORD!” (PFAS #104E)—HOUGHTON (PFAS uses HANOVER)
Psalm 118: “The Glorious Gates of RIghteousness” (PH34 #248/PH57 #234/PH87 #179/PFAS #118)—ZERAH
Psalm 135: “Exalt the Lord, His Praise Proclaim” (PH34 #298/PH57 #282/PH87 #181/PFAS #135A)—CREATION
Psalm 136: “Give Thanks to God, For Good Is He” (PH34 #300/PH57 #284/PH87 #182/PFAS #136E—CONSTANCE
The other two don’t appear in either of the new hymnals:
Psalm 73: “God Loveth the Righteous” (PH34 #145/PH57 #136)/“God Loves All the Righteous” (PH87 #73)—SANKEY
Psalm 133: “How Good and Pleasant Is the Sight” (PH34 #293/PH57 #278/PH87 #514)