50 Psalms, 245 Pages: The RSCM Book of Psalm Songs, made with Dorico

The RSCM Book of Psalm Songs, published by the Royal School of Church Music in October 2024, features 70 settings of 50 psalms and canticles over 245 pages. This collection is designed to enrich worship across different denominations. Alan Smith and David Ogden edited the book, with Alan also responsible for engraving the music in Dorico.

The project took three years to complete and includes arrangements for choirs, soloists, and congregations, as well as downloadable lead sheets and instrumental parts. The psalm settings blend ancient texts with contemporary musical styles, creating a versatile bridge between traditional anthems and modern worship songs. Alan Smith, now retired, has had a distinguished career in music education and composition. He was a music teacher in Kent and Birmingham and served as a county adviser for music in Worcestershire.

In this interview, Alan shares the inspiration and challenges behind the project and reflects on the role that Dorico played in his work. Keep reading to find out more.

AN: Could you tell us about the inspiration behind The RSCM Book of Psalm Songs? How did you and your editor David Ogden approach this project, and what vision did you have in mind from the start?

AS: The Book of Psalms has often been called the Bible’s hymnbook—although, lacking any musical notation, it has come down to us in a words-only version! Its ancient Jewish texts were readily adopted by the early Christian Church, and they have been at the heart of its worship ever since, expressing in all their moods the quintessentially personal dialogue between the human and the divine. Composers down the ages, anonymous and known, have clothed them in the music of their own time: chants, motets, anthems, hymns. In recent years, psalm singing has been given fresh impetus by the use of responsorial settings which give scope for solo singers and choirs, and—crucially—for the congregation to engage in dialogue with them, reflecting upon and responding to the mood and message of the words. Psalm Songs are responsorial song settings, as opposed to chant.

Musically speaking, with their combination of the ancient texts and contemporary stylish lyricism, psalm songs bridge the gap between traditional anthems and worship songs, and between choirs and instrumental groups. The keyword is flexibility. They can be performed by soloists, choirs, or singing groups; accompanied by piano, organ, or guitar; with additional instrumentals when available.

In 1998, David Ogden and I collaborated on a 3-volume set of such settings, entitled Psalm Songs, which were published by Cassell in the UK and Augsburg Fortress in the US. It was very well received. In 2020, we successfully approached the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) with the idea of producing a more comprehensive anthology of psalm songs, to include new pieces that had been written in the intervening years.
There wasn’t space to provide a setting for every occasion on the Roman Catholic and Church of England liturgical calendars, so we selected some of the most effective and useful settings from a variety of contemporary composers, choosing pieces which successfully communicated the meaning of the words. At the same time, we made sure there were plenty of settings for the main celebrations and seasons of the Church’s year and for pastoral occasions, such as weddings, funerals and baptisms.

The result is a collection of 70 settings of 50 different psalms, all of which have been tried and tested in parishes. Our vision and our hope is that this book will find a place in the repertoire and be enjoyed for many years by singers and worshippers of all ages.

Alan Smith, one of the two editors of The RSCM Book of Psalm Songs

AN: You mentioned that the project took over three years to complete. With 268 pages of music, what were some of the biggest challenges you faced in creating such an extensive collection?

AS: Our first challenge was in selecting the material to ensure there was a good variety of styles, composers, moods, and scorings. Next, we needed to determine the best format for singers, music leaders and accompanists. We actually decided upon two books: a full music edition and a less expensive vocal/choral edition for singers. Like most contemporary songs, psalm songs have refrains, and so, with their use of DC, DS, repeat endings, and codas, the challenge was to make them easy to read for those church musicians who are used to performing through-composed pieces. Perhaps the biggest and most frustrating challenge was the protracted business of obtaining permission to use the copyright texts. Some publishers are better organised in this respect than others: one of them denied ownership of a text we wanted to use, only to change their mind at the last minute!

Composer and editor David Ogden
It is worth mentioning that, from the beginning, one thing that was not a challenge was the division of labour. We were very fortunate to have Tim Ruffer as our project editor at RSCM and, ultimately, it was Tim who resolved any copyright issues. David was our liaison with RSCM, tried out all the music with his church choir in Bristol, compiled the indexes and had an eagle eye for my engraving errors. I shared the selecting and editing of items with David and was responsible for all the typesetting and engraving,

AN: Were there any particular features or aspects of Dorico that facilitated the engraving process?

AS: Using Dorico to engrave the music in this book in was very enjoyable, thanks largely to flows, layouts and lyrics. There are 70 songs in its 274 pages, and being able to work on them as 70 flows within a single file, automatically and consistently formatted thanks to layout and page templates, allowed us to work so much more quickly, accurately, and efficiently. Also, the way that lyrics are entered in Dorico is beautifully designed and simple to use.

AN: What are some of the unique features or details in The RSCM Book of Psalm Songs that you’re particularly proud of? How did Dorico help you bring these elements to life on the page?

AS: We are really proud of the layout and design. The music is very clear on the page. Dorico is very flexible in its use of fonts, so it was a simple matter to bring the text elements in line with RSCM house style. The front matter and the indexes were originated in InDesign using the same fonts. We are also pleased to be able to offer some downloadable resources: lead sheets for most of the songs, optional additional instrumental parts for many of them, and congregational refrains for use on service sheets (created using Dorico’s graphic slices).

A lead sheet from The RSCM Book of Psalm Songs

AN: Speaking of those downloadable resources, how did you go about creating these lead sheets, and was Dorico instrumental in streamlining this process?

AS: The lead sheets were derived directly from the main Dorico file as layouts, which saved a good deal of time. It did take me a while to grasp Dorico’s unique approach to capo chords but it was a lot better than the lyrics workaround that I had to use in 1998 when I was using Finale. However, I look forward to the day when capo chords in different keys operate on a per flow basis!

AN: What advice would you give to musicians or composers who want to take on a large music engraving project? Any tips for using Dorico effectively?

AS: Be sure you know Dorico well before embarking on anything major. Even if you have MusicXML files of some or all of the music, work from scratch—it will be quicker and more accurate in the long run. Spend some time at the beginning using Dorico’s many options to create the look you want to achieve (even if you tweak it later). If appropriate, work in flows, using page templates for consistency. Do not proofread your own work; get a musician, preferably an engraver, to check it for you—they will spot musical mistakes as well as engraving errors. Finally—and for the benefit of the wider Dorico community—if you encounter something that the software cannot yet do, please bring it to the attention of the development team!

AN: Thanks, Alan, for taking the time to share this story with me!

To purchase your own copy of The RSCM Book of Psalm Songs, visit the RSCM Shop or contact a liturgical bookseller.