I love my Lord because he heard my voice

Apart from local collections, Jonathan Barnes’ version of this Psalm of personal testimony and dedication has till now appeared only in Psalm Praise 1973, for which it was written, and MP (1983 and further editions). In PsP David Wilson and Michael Baughen are also jointly credited as authors, probably for their work at revision stage. Calvin says of the writer of the Psalm, ‘All recompense failing him, he has recourse to an expression of thanksgiving as the only return which he knows will be acceptable to God.’ Even for him, Isaac Watts’ version included by Spurgeon in Our Own Hymn Book is exceptionally fine: I love the Lord: he heard my cries. David and Jill Wright include Samuel Wesley senr’s O thou who, when I did complain in their 30 Hymns of the Wesleys (1985): ‘a much freer rendering of Ps 116 than was normal at the time when it was written … the least satisfying line is the first …’ (which may account for its virtual oblivion). The present version, also free, omits the Psalm’s vv5, 7 and 15. David Wilson wrote his tune for these words while Curate of St Paul’s Onslow Square in central London. As with 114, its metre may be unique. This too is published in PsP, though its name ANYWAY was a later decision.

b Sidmouth, Devon 1951. Sir Walter St John’s Grammar Sch, Battersea, SW London; Christ Church (teacher training) College, Canterbury, Kent. In his youth he belonged to St Barnabas Ch, Clapham Common, where he was prepared for Confirmation by David G Wilson (qv). After training as a geography teacher he lived and taught at Eldoret in western Kenya for 3 years, returning to the UK for the next 7 for secondary teaching of history and geography. By then married with 2 children, he went next to Malaysia to teach English for two and half years, coming back (with a 3rd child) to primary school teaching, ‘developing my love for art and music as well as history, geography and RE’. 6 years on he was appointed head teacher of a Methodist Primary Sch, and after 8 more there (and child no.4), he moved in 1999 to Canterbury Christ Church Univ, where he had first studied, as Senior Lecturer in Primary Education. Their family church is Canterbury Cathedral. As well as the subjects already listed, his work has involved the psychology and neurology of learning, specialising also in cross-curricular studies. His international role includes caring for European students, lecturing in Germany, and annual visits with student groups to a religious orphanage in Tamil Nadu State, S India; he and his wife (potter, musician and ex-teacher) have lived happily alongside members of other faiths for much of their professional lives. He contributed 6 paraphrases (one with joint authorship) to the 1973 Psalm Praise, more than any other writer outside the editorial team. These are non-rhyming versions of Pss 15, 51, 84, 116, 130 and 146, all set to music by David Wilson. Like Timothy Dudley-Smith but unlike most of the contributors, he did not go on to become a ‘Jubilate’ member or associate, but his work does appear in other Jubilate books and elsewhere. He has not written further texts, but says ‘I still feel they hold a precious part of the truth for me and my family’. No.116.