THE psalmody of the Scottish Gael presents two distinctive features. 1. The ancient custom of “reading the line” is still retained in such, and at once arrests the attention of a stranger; 2. the tunes also, especially the long ones, though known as Dundee, Elgin, French, London, Martyrs, and Stilt, are quite distinctive. The custom of “reading the line,” though now
almost wholly confined to the Highlands, had its origin elsewhere, and has a history of its own. To hear the “reading of the line” to full advantage, one has to be present in a Highland congregation on the hill-side during the services of a Communion season. It is then, if a master of music is leading the praise, and the people solemnized under the preaching of the Word, one hears the “reading of the line” to the best advantage. The plaintive musical intonation of each line, before it is sung, has an impressive effect.
For the sake of those who have never heard that there was even such a custom, a word or two of explanation may be given. According to the present practice, after reading a few verses of a Psalm, the preacher announces the number of verses to be sung, then reads the first line or two. The precentor then rises, raises the tune, and the whole congregation follow him until he comes to the end of the first or second line, as the case may be. Then the congregation cease singing, while he chants with musical intonation the words of the next line; the congregation again join in with him and sing the line, and so on to the end of the verses given out by the minister. In some places in the Highlands, the precentor reads two lines at a time, but the ordinary practice was to read only one. So linked is this custom with Gaelic psalm-singing that a Highlander can scarcely conceive of Gaelic psalmody without it. It is a custom to which Highlanders cling tenaciously, though, strange to say, it came to Scotland from England, and when introduced into Scotland it was only under certain provisional conditions. The earliest reference to “reading the line” is to be found in Quick’s “Synodicon,” where mention is made of a decree of the French Synod of Figeac (1579), forbidding the churches which “in singing Psalms do first cause each verse to be read,” to continue “that childish custom”—the Huguenots reading each verse instead of each line. In the Westminster Assembly the matter came under discussion during the preparation of the “Directory for Public Worship,” and from Lightfoot’s testimony it is evident, the Scottish Commissioners, at least Mr. Henderson, disliked the clause giving
permission to read the Psalm, line by line. The matter was then referred to the Scottish Commissioners, and it is probably owing to their influence, that the Westminster Directory of Public Worship reference is guardedly provisional. “But for the present,” are its terms, “where many in the congregation cannot read, it is convenient that the minister, or some other fit person appointed by him and the other ruling officers, do read the Psalm, line by line, before the singing thereof.” The English Parliament sanctioned the custom. In 1746, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland took the matter in hand and recommended that in private worship, families in “singing the praises of God, go on without the intermission of reading the line.” But it was in the Secession Churches that the real “battle of the line” was fought out. In the Army also the practice was honoured, in the Highland regiments at any rate. It is related in the Scots Brigade in Holland, that one of the chaplains in carrying out the instructions of the General Assembly had discontinued the practice. The colonel at once gave orders that the custom should be continued. The chaplain sent a respectful note, in which he reminds the colonel in as gentle a way as he could, that he was going out of his sphere. “It will give us pleasure,” says the chaplain, “to be informed that you are satisfied with our conduct, though as a session, we conceived that we were only accountable to a superior Court.”
The custom thus introduced through the Westminster Directory was finally adopted in the Highlands, when the Gaels accepted Presbyterianism. In Gaelic psalmody, the custom was almost a necessity, owing to the fact that the people could not read at the time. Even in the English services in the northern counties, “the reading of the line” continued until recent times, and may be heard in some congregations in Caithness and Sutherland to this day, especially in those connected with the Free Presbyterian Church. In the Gaelic services the “line” is always read, and any attempt to do away with the custom would probably cause trouble.
The other distinctive feature of Gaelic psalmody mentioned was the long tunes. These are rarely, if ever, heard now. Many attempts have been made to explain the origin of these tunes, but none of the explanations are altogether satisfactory. It has been said, that they are relics of the Columban Church services; another theory is, that they were brought to Scotland by Highland soldiers who served under Gustavus Adolphus. Probably the best explanation is that given by Mr. MacBean, in his “Highland Psalm Tunes.” “Perhaps,” he says, “the truth is, that these sacred strains are based on the common Psalm Tunes whose names they bear, and whose principal notes they generally retain; though, in accordance with the sombre and meditative mood of the Gael, the music has been lengthened out and elaborated, until its whole spirit and character is changed, and we have in effect new tunes.” These tunes have different versions—Inverness-shire, Ross, Caithness and Sutherland each having versions of their own. The different versions have from time to time been published; Mr. MacBean—already referred to—has printed these old tunes in his “Highland Psalm Tunes” with the other psalm-tunes sung by the Gael; these were reprinted in his “Songs and Hymns of the Gael” (Encas Mackay, Stirling, 1900). Mainzer also deals with them in his “Gaelic Psalmody of Ross-shire and Neighbouring Counties.” In 1856 William James Pasley Kidd issued his Chorister’s Text-Book containing Selections from the Psalmody of the Lowlands and Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The work was dedicated to the Duke of Sutherland. Sutherland and Caithness and Inverness-shire and Ross-shire versions are given of Old French, Old Stilt, Old London, Old Elgin, Old Dundee, and Old Martyrs. Prof. Kidd says of these Long Tunes: “When the scale on which they are constructed is properly understood, and when heard in their beauty and simplicity, devoutly performed at a sacramental occasion by thousands of worshippers assembled in the open
air, those competent to appreciate them will admit that they stand unrivalled. And lovers of sacred melody will concur with me in thinking that these relics of the ancient church of our forefathers, now rendered palpable by art, cannot be revered enough.”*The Appendix containing the Gaelic tunes is entitled: Biaghailt-Shuidhichte Salmadaireachd Ghaelic, na Gaeltachd agus Eileana na h-Alba. In 1910 the Free Church issued an edition of the Scottish Psalmody to which is appended Seann Fhuinn nan Salm mar tha iad air an Seinn anns a’ Ghaeltachd mu Thuath, taken down by T. L. Hatcly, precentor of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland. These contain the versions of some of the tunes as sung in Ross-shire, Inverness-shire and Sutherland. Appended to the Seann Fhuinn is the Sutherland version of the Six Long Gaelic Psalm Tunes taken down in 1909 from the singing of the Rev. Donald Munro, Ferintosh, by Mr. W. F. Whitehead, A.R.C.O., A.R.C.M.