“I purchased “The Saint Michael’s Psalter” as a birthday gift for myself and indeed, it’s a gift for every choirmaster who orders it, every choir who gets to sing these marvelous chants and every congregation will appreciate the gift it is for them!
The pandemic shut down most churches for a good part of 2020 and we learned to livestream our services. When “in-person” worship was finally allowed, we could only have one singer, with most all of the liturgy being read. The effect of one singer singing Psalm 86: 11-17 (melody with organ) in the midst of all that reading was simply stunning. It was indeed a balm and a blessing, as choirs everywhere were silenced.
We recently sang Psalm 45, having progressed to an eight-singer choir. It’s fun learning one of John’s chants with the time-honored “1,2,3,4 – 5, 6, 7,8 9, 10” approach, hearing the jazzy harmonies that occur and on what special number! When we finally added the text, we found the juicy, sumptuous chord on “you are the fairest of men” totally satisfying. As crunchy as the harmonies may be, they generally start and end with consonant chords. John has composed chants and set texts with a deep understanding of the rhetoric of the psalm, often giving suggestions as to what voices should sing the verses.
Some choirs may feel challenged by the voice leading and tuning up these “jazzy” harmonies, but it’s well worth the effort to hear the timeless words of the psalms with a modern, innovative approach.
Many thanks to John Cantrell for completing his magnum opus during the pandemic. He joins the ranks of other artists, composers and writers who turned the worst of times into something magical.”
Lisa Lewis
Organist/Choirmaster
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Anchorage, Kentucky
“Sing to the Lord a new song!” But “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land”? For isn’t the “Land of Unlikeness” our real home, where we “will see new beasts and have unique adventures?” John Cantrell’s musical landscape dazzles with adventurous voice-leading and amazing harmonic beasts, but strophic music demands something more: The repeated melody has to cry, “Sing me again! And again! And again!” Head over to the Audio Sample page – Psalm 104 stuck in my mind and heart and ear for days on end. Which, of course, is the point of the Psalms – to STICK. These settings penetrate as deep as the texts, marriages that just might make all your “occasions to dance for joy.”
Mark Dirksen
Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church, Champaign Ill.
“I absolutely love John Cantrell’s new addition to the library of Anglican Chant! His chants are fresh, harmonically interesting, and musically challenging (but adaptable for all levels). The choir and congregation have really enjoyed experiencing the psalter in a new harmonic light.”
Zach Ullery
The American Cathedral in Paris
“Those of us who are musicians in the service of the Episcopal Church know the validity and paramount importance of beautiful, theologically solid and informed music and its role in the liturgy. Hallowed names in the Anglican musical firmament such as Herbert Howells and Charles Villiers Stanford have left us copious testaments to their craft in the forms of hymns, choral anthems, organ works, and a wide variety of service music, such as psalm settings. One name whose talents and gifts will shine among those bright stars is John Edward Cantrell. His brand new “Saint Michael’s Psalter” is one to join (and, dare I say, even rival) those sacrosanct offerings by the aforementioned composers. One is treated, first, to the eye-catching quality of the collection itself, whose bold script and colorful cover art immediately draw in the reader. The preface inside gives one an introduction to the volume, followed by copious notes on how to effectively render Anglican chant as a singer and as an accompanist. The meat of this psalter is, of course, the chants themselves. Be forewarned, Cantrell’s writing is not easy. It is at once, however, refreshing, enlightening, and definitely rewarding, making the hard work needed to chant these psalm settings contribute to the betterment of one’s musicianship, the uplift of the liturgy, and the sending up of the worshipper’s prayers, all surrounded by beauty. His well-rounded and all-encompassing musical gigantism is in full display here, ranging from chants barely hinting at romantic chromaticism to those that conjure images of cold, rainy New York City streets the likes of which are the backbone for many a film noir. It is a great honor to commend and recommend John Edward Cantrell’s “Saint Michael’s Psalter” to anyone and everyone desiring a fresh collection of psalm settings to be placed among those we have known and loved for many years, both as parishioners and as parish musicians in the service of the church. Thank you and congratulations to you, John Edward Cantrell, and to those saints and angels who helped to make this beautiful work come to life.”
Jackson Borges,
Organist & Parish Director of Music
The Episcopal Parish of All Saints & St. George’s Chapel
Rehoboth Beach & Harbeson, DE
“These chants are a beautiful new branch on the tree of Anglican chant! Cantrell makes the ancient prayers come alive in a fresh way, in harmonies that reflect the fulness of contemporary sonic experience. His settings are carefully pointed and presented. I am looking forward to exploring this entire collection with my choir!”
Daniel Brinson
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Charlottesville, VA
“John has a unique language that speaks very much of the 21st century, and a language really suited to the modern church. To me, as someone living and working in England, it is instinctively American – the sound of New York instantly came to my ears, the buzz, the excitement, the distinctiveness of heritage from many different traditions and cultures is all there, wrapped up in these chants!”
Katherine Dienes-Williams, MA, BMus, LTCL, FRCO, Hon ARSCM, Hon GCM
Organist and Master of the Choristers Guildford Cathedral Surry, UK
“Warmest congratulations to John Cantrell on the appearance of his new Anglican chant collection! The age-old wisdom of the psalmist coupled to John’s suave and jazzy chant tunes makes for a beguiling combination of text and tune. Church choirs will appreciate the musical challenges and all lovers of church music will be grateful for this sophisticated update on a timeworn and beloved tradition.”
Bruce Neswick, M.M., FAGO, FRSCM
Canon for Cathedral Music Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Portland, OR
“John Cantrell’s new psalter is a breath of fresh air in church music! This much-needed collection of new Anglican chants is an incalculable gift of creativity and beauty! John cleverly sprinkles in harmonies from jazz and other traditions, and backlights the psalms with fresh meaning and new emphasis. Choirs will love singing these psalms, organists will relish the chance to accompany them, and congregations will gain a new found love and appreciation for a venerable jewel in the treasury of church music – Anglican Chant.”
Andrew Sheranian, M.M.
Organist and Master of Choristers All Saints Episcopal Church Ashmont Boston, MA
“…Each tune is unique and features expanded tonality. All have beautiful melodic arcs and lines. The best use of this psalter for my choir will be in using it pedagogically. By learning these chants, it teaches my singers to hear and read in a new way. Tuning vertical chords without the crutch of bass-driven harmonic function is a terrific skill for singers of any level. I think it will yield dividends for other expanded-tonality repertoire that we sing.”
Michael Smith, M.M.
RSCM America Board of Directors Organist and Choirmaster
St. Thomas Episcopal Church Whitemarsh, PA
“The St. Michael’s Psalter offers a fresh, new look at the Psalms through a modern musical lens. The music, so skillfully written, is combined with a thoughtful pointing of the Psalms, rendering an original and effective interpretation of the text. I commend this Psalter to choirs and directors who seek an adventurous departure from traditional-harmony Anglican Chant.”
Frederick Teardo, D.M.A.
Director of Music & Organist Cathedral Church of the Advent Birmingham, AL
“Many recent liturgical treatments of the psalms we might consider modern use musical language that is fifty or a hundred years old, or violate the free form of the original Hebrew poetry by adding a highly forgettable refrain. John Cantrell, by contrast, has created something truly fresh, using harmony that takes a step beyond Stravinsky, Pärt, or Coltrane. And yet, the classic form of Anglican chant preserves the psalms’ structure, even as they take flight with new wings.”
David Enlow, M.Mus, FAGO
Organist & Choir Master Church of the Resurrection New York, NY