"Old 100th" or "Old Hundredth" is a hymn tune from Pseaumes Octante Trois de David (1551) (the second edition of the Genevan Psalter), and is one of the best known melodies in all Christian musical traditions. The tune is usually attributed to the French composer Loys Bourgeois (c.1510 – c.1560).
Although the tune was first associated with Psalm 134 in the Genevan Psalter, the melody receives its current name from an association with the 100th Ps...
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"Old 100th" or "Old Hundredth" is a hymn tune from Pseaumes Octante Trois de David (1551) (the second edition of the Genevan Psalter), and is one of the best known melodies in all Christian musical traditions. The tune is usually attributed to the French composer Loys Bourgeois (c.1510 – c.1560).
Although the tune was first associated with Psalm 134 in the Genevan Psalter, the melody receives its current name from an association with the 100th Psalm, in a paraphrase by William Kethe entitled All People that on Earth do Dwell. The melody is commonly sung with diverse other lyrics as well.
The Genevan Psalter was compiled over a number of years in the Swiss city of Geneva, a center of Protestant activity during the Reformation, in response to the teaching of John Calvin that communal singing of psalms in the vernacular language (French, in this case) is a foundational aspect of church life. This was in contrast to the prevailing Catholic practice at the time of sacred texts being...
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