On the shelf: Psalms by John Hermanson

by Amy Frykholm

The first time I listened to this CD I blushed. I had the oddly uncomfortable sensation of listening in on another person’s private conversation with God. Yet the words couldn’t have been more familiar to me. These are songs written 3,000 years ago in a place a long way from here. I have been hearing them all my life in many contexts.

This collection of psalms with music written and performed by singer-songwriter John Hermanson is striking because of the way Hermanson harnesses the intimate power of ancient songs. Accompanied simply by guitar, the words of famous psalms are sung as if they had just been written yesterday.

Hermanson began writing psalm settings eight years ago while working as a musician at Oak Knoll Lutheran Church in Minnetonka, MN. He performed them at various times in the service, as a call to worship or in the traditional place after the first lectionary reading. Developed in a liturgical context, the psalms take on yet another layer of meaning. They are at once personal, communal and universal.

Almost as if intentionally avoiding associations of the psalms with praise singing, Hermanson begins with Psalm 22:—“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”—before moving on to the more comforting and familiar words of Psalm 23. Whether mourning or longing or celebrating, Hermanson never overplays the emotional weight. His touch is delicate, and this makes it possible to hear the words as if for the first time.

While the musical settings are fresh, Hermanson relies largely on familiar English translations. He does not remove the rough edges or try to resolve what the ancient poems leave unresolved. His plaintive and restive voice treats the psalms with intimacy and reverence. If you have become a psalm junkie, as I have, you will want a copy of this CD.