Some of the composers of the tunes we use with the 1650 Psalter. More information can be learned by reading Mrs. Isobel Scott’s article “The Scottish Psalmody” at www.sing-the-psalms.webs.com/scottishpsalter.htm
Jeremiah Clarke
The following was posted on the Precentor in Charlotte Blog prior to 2010. For your convenience, we’ve brought it over to this site.
“Jeremiah Clarke (c. 1673-1707) was an English baroque period composer as was his contemporary William Croft. A very familiar piece by Clarke is his trumpet voluntary. It also is believed that he wrote the melody and bass for the tunes including St. Magnus(Psalm 48, Psalm 96).
Other tunes in the Scottish Psalmody that bear the name Jeremiah Clarke as composer or contributor are Uffingham (SP 16, LM), Bishopthorpe (SP 34, CM), and Hermon (SP 74, CM). Hermon, with its combined plaintive and majestic characteristics, is a particularly good tune for singing the Scottish Metrical Psalm 57.”
William Croft
The following was posted on the Precentor in Charlotte Blog prior to 2010. For your convenience, we’ve brought it over to this site.
“William Croft was an English composer and church organist who lived from 1678-1727. He is credited with writing the melody for the tune Eatington (SP 54, CM), to which we sangPsalm 146:1-10…
Croft also composed tunes for Psalms 136 and 148, and is the same Croft for whom the tune Croft’s 136th (SP 185, 66.66.88) is named. He is also believed to have written the tune St. Matthew (SP 157, DCM). Certainly we are all familiar with St. Anne (SP 106, CM); perhaps his best-known tune.
More about William Croft can be found in this article on Wikipedia.”