The Revised Common
Lectionary
Year A
A Collection of Pointed Psalms, Psalm Tones & Antiphons
based on
Hymn Tunes & Other Familiar Melodies
arranged by
Thomas Pavlechko
FOR EPISCOPALIANS
Carl Daw and Kevin Hacket’s Hymntune Psalter has enjoyed tremendous use and popularity since it was published by Church Publishing in 1998. Thomas Pavlechko actually began his hymn-based Psalter in 1994. Now, after ten years of testing, editing and re-editing, it is ready for use on the First Sunday of Advent, Year A (2004-2005)
St. Martin’s Psalter is based on the Psalms in The Revised Common Lectionary and includes both Ecumenical and specifically Episcopal options offered in that Lectionary. Different than the Daw/Hacket Psalter, St. Martin’s Psalter matches antiphons with hymn-based psalm tones that are a happy medium between Anglican Chant and Simplified Anglican Chant.
FOR LUTHERANS
Many of you may have heard of the tremendous popularity of the Hymntune Psalter published by the Episcopal Church in 1998. Thomas Pavlechko began working on his hymn-based Psalter in 1994 while at St. Martin’s, ELCA, Austin, Texas. Now, ten years later, it is ready for use on the First Sunday of Advent, Revised Common Lectionary Year A (2004-2005).
Lutherans are familiar with Pavlechko’s work with Psalms through his very practical Psalm refrains published in Augburg-Fortress’s Psalter for Worship. In St. Martin’s Psalter, not only does he offer antiphons for every Sunday and feast day in the church year based on hymntunes and other familiar melodies, but he also includes corresponding hymn-based Psalm tones in the same meter as those in the Lutheran Book of Worship and Lutheran Worship.
FOR BOTH
Purchasers of the collection
are granted permission to copy anything they wish for the choir and
for the entire congregation.
The new pointing system is extremely simply and easy to sight-read.
Both choirs and congregations will find the accents falling naturally
in the right places. Church musicians will find their congregations
chanting the Psalms with as much enthusiasm as a well-known hymn, probably
because they recognize it as such.
YEAR A is AVAILABLE NOW. – 151 Photocopyable Pages – Still $55.
AVAILABLE MAY 29 – Appendix Volume Including
-The Semi-Continuous Psalmody for Years A, B, C (about 75 altogether)
-All the Lesser Festivals and Occasions (28) excluding All Saints and Thanksgiving which have separate Psalms for each year, A,B,C so are included in each Year volume.
-The Easter Vigil Psalms and Canticles (12)
AVAILABLE OCTOBER, 2005 — YEAR B
AVAILABLE OCTOBER, 2006 — YEAR C
Download a St. Martin's Sampler here!
Listen to these streaming files of the psalms (and follow along).
These streaming files are best listened to with Windows Media Player. If you don't have it installed, get it here. It's free!
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First Sunday of Advent |
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Christmas Eve |
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Fifth Sunday in Lent |
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Palm Sunday (Liturgy of the Word) |
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The Day of Pentecost |
St. Martin's Psalter Melody Download Files
REVIEWS
Mr.
Thomas Pavlechko's new St. Martin's Psalter should go a long way in
helping our congregations participate in and enjoy singing the psalms.
His instructions are concise and clear, the pointing is natural and
musical, and the use of familiar seasonal hymn tunes make the chants
easily accessible and singable. I recommend it.
- William Teague, retired Organist/Choirmaster at St. Mark's Cathedral,
Shreveport, LA, Concert Artist with Karen McFarlane
These
fresh settings give new life to congregational psalm singing. We [at
the Choristers Guild] are especially pleased that children's choirs
can serve as leaders.
- Jim Rindelaub, Executive Director, Choristers Guild
A
simple, yet elegant way to render the psalms in worship, St. Martin's
Psalter is a welcome addition to the psalters I currently employ in
worship. I'm pleased to see a psalter that melds the harmonic simplicity
of Anglican-style chant with sturdy and melodically interesting antiphons.
- The Rev. Patrick McGuire, Pastor and Musician, Lutheran School of
Theology at Chicago, Metropolitan Chicago Synod Worship Team
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Thomas
Pavlechko is the Organist-Choirmaster at Calvary Episcopal Church in
Memphis, Tennessee. The 1700-member “Mother Church” of West
Tennessee was founded in 1832 and is renowned for its extensive urban
outreach ministry and long history of fine music. There Pavlechko conducts
a professional choir and a parish choir of adults and choristers, and
plays the 77-rank, 1935 Aeolian- Skinner organ.
He is the former Director of Music and Principal Organist at the 2000-member St.Martin’s Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas where he first introduced these Psalm settings, and grew the music ministry to twelve ensembles involving over 150 volunteers.
A church musician since 1978, Pavlechko has also served as Chapel Musician and Adjunct Faculty for the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest, Austin, Texas, and Adjunct Professor of Music at William and Mary’s Richard Bland College in Prince William, Virginia. Additionally, he recently participated as a member of the Liturgical Music Editorial Team for the Renewing Worship project of the Churchwide Offices of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Pavlechko is an honors graduate of the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University where he studied organ with Anthony DiCello, Robert Hopkins and Ronald Gould, and composition with Mark Walker. He received the Master of Music from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati where he was an organ student of Roberta Gary and Guy Bovet, and studied composition with Allen Sapp. Further study in composition has been with Chicago composer, Frank Ferko. Pavlechko’s compositions have been sung at national conferences of the Association of Anglican Musicians, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians and The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, which also selected him as its Emerging Hymn Composer in 2002. His hymns are included in hymnals and hymn collections throughout North America and Australia. In addition to St. James Music Press, Pavlechko’s compositions can be found with Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Church Publishing, Covenant Publications, G.I.A., Hope Publishing, Live Oak House, and Selah Publishing.
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