Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree

Subject: Rowan Tree
From: doncam
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 06:44 PM

In the song 'The Rowan Tree', there is a line:

'How sweet was then my mither's voice in the martyr's psalm'

Does anyone know what the 'martyr's psalm' was. My father, sadly now dead, searched and searched for the meaning without success.

Subject: RE: Help: Rowan Tree
From: Sorcha
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 06:53 PM

Don't know if this helps, or not:

"The Septuagint, and some other ancient versions, make the latter part of the 116th Psalm" (commencing with the Psalm 116:10 -- I believed, therefore have I spoken) "a distinct Psalm, separate from the former, and some have called it the Martyr's Psalm, I suppose for the sake of Psalm 116:15." -- Henry's Commentary. -- Ed.

I'll have to go look up the reference.......don't know much of the Bible by heart.

Subject: RE: Help: Rowan Tree
From: doncam
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 07:09 PM

Thanks Sorcha, that sounds likely.

Subject: RE: Help: Rowan Tree
From: Sorcha
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 07:24 PM

Text for Psalm 116 is here. Look at the verses starting with 10. Seems to make sense to me........

Subject: RE: Help: Rowan Tree
From: GUEST,little john cameron
Date: 08 Jun 01 - 07:47 PM

The Martyrs Psalm is Psalm 79,i think.
http://www.cgmusic.com/workshop/smpsalter/psalm-79.htm

Subject: Origins: martyr's psalm as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Megan L
Date: 10 Sep 05 - 09:35 AM

My mum always sang The Rowan Tree but i only recently got all the words and noticed that verse 4 has the line "How sweet was then my mither's voice in the martyr's psalm" can anyone tell me if this refers to a particular psalm.

Thanks in advance Meg

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 10 Sep 05 - 12:01 PM

Phrase rings a bell, Psalm 79, perhaps.

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Megan L
Date: 10 Sep 05 - 01:25 PM

thanks scaramouche

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 04:45 AM

I have always understood that the "martyr's psalm" refers to the psalm which was invariably sung to the tune "Martyrdom".

Which particular psalm this was is lost in the mists of time as far as my memory is concerned, but I could probably resurrect it if I can lay my hands on a Scottis Psalmody (I do have one somewhere ...)

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 05:10 AM

Psalm 79 (New English Revised) is listed as 'A prayer for the Nations' deliverance'. Psalm 79 in the American Revised gives it as a 'psalm by Asaph'.

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 05:17 AM

Sorry, hit the wrong button too soon....


This album refers to Ps 79 as the Martyrs Psalm, so Scaramouche is probably right.

LTS

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 06:09 AM

Well researched Liz..

"Martyrs" is of course the name of the tune to which it is sung, so it is worth noting that the correct reading of Lady Nairne's poem is "the Martyrs psalm", and not "the martyr's psalm".

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 06:36 AM

Ah. I was guessing, you see, as psalms in Hebrew go by different titles.

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 07:06 AM

I've not been able to find a psalm chant called 'Martyrs or Martyrdom' (but my resources are limited). I can only find the set chant for Ps 79 in 1900, being one by Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1766-1837) (Source - The New Cathedral Psalter Chants pub. 1909), which given the date of the Rowan Tree (1822 in the DT) is possible.... Wesley started writing music at an early age.

Otherwise, there is a hymn tune 'Martyrdom' written in 1800 by Hugh Wilson (1766-1824) which is another candidate. It has a psalmic feel to it and seems to have been used for many hymns, including Amazing Grace; O God of Bethel, by whose hand; Alas and did my Saviour bleed; and others. It's also known as 'Avon'.

LTS

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 07:08 AM

Scaramouche - we didn't file ALL the serial numbers off!!!

: )

LTS

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Megan L
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 12:51 PM

I love this place I remember many happy hours as a child listening to my mum sing she used to say "If you are happy sing because you ar happy if you are sad sing to make yourself happy"

blessings abound

Meg

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Sep 05 - 01:29 PM

For more on various tunes called Martyrs, Old Martyrs and Martyrdom, see thread  Is 'Amazing Grace' a Celtic song?

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: GUEST,David
Date: 06 Jan 12 - 03:04 PM

The myrters psalm was the psalm that the covenanters sang on the way to the gallows or stake, not sure which one it is, but rev harry coulter RP once told me which one it was

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Megan L
Date: 06 Jan 12 - 03:44 PM

One record of a hym was one of the Wigtown martyrs.

" Margaret Wilson began to sing the 25th Psalm as the waters rose up her body, "Consider mine enemies, how many they are. And they bear a tyrannous hate against me". Finally one soldier came forward and upon pushing her body under the water said "Tak anither drink, hinny; clep wi' the partans". The reference to the partans or crabs, was made as the women are said to have grasped the stakes tightly. At a later time, when the tide had once again receded, the corpses of the two women were taken from the waters and under the cover of nightfall transferred to the Parish Kirkyard. A grave was hastily dug and they were laid in consecrated soil."

Given that the covenanters struggle ran from 1638 to 1688 that would preclude anything more modern. It is likely to have been a Psalm as even today in the Gaelic church Psalms are sung with a precentor and unaccompanied.

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Jan 12 - 05:55 PM

The psalm tune "Martyrs" predates the Covenanters - first printed by Hart in Edinburgh in 1615. There were harmonized versions of it early on (I think Hart's book is 4-part arrangements), though most Covenanters preferred not to use arranged versions.

I have the ABC and a discussion of how it evolved in the modes tutorial on my website. The rhythm changed as well as the mode. My guess is that it was the most-sung tune in the history of Scotland.

Some of the traditions Nairne would have had in mind are described in the Handbook to the Church Hymnary.

Subject: RE: Origins: martyr's hymn as mentioned in Rowan Tree
From: Jack Campin
Date: 06 Jan 12 - 07:04 PM

1615 version of the tune

X:0
T:Martyrs
S:Scottish Psalter 1615
G:psalm tune
M:none
L:1/2
Q:1/2=80
K:DDor
D2 FD AF ED A2 z2||A2 cA Bd A2 z2||
A2 cG AF ED A2 z2||c2 BG BA D4   |]