Many of these melodies are very vigorous. This is often not recognized, because in many traditions the tunes are sung slowly, and often with simplified rhythm. However, in their original rhythms, at a brisk ‘folk-song’ tempo, some can be hair-raising, such as Psalms 2, 47, 99, or 148. It was not for nothing that Queen Elizabeth disdained them as “Genevan jigs.” Psalm 68 was sung by the French Calvinists (Huguenots) going into battle. This association became so strong that in certain places even whistling the tune was outlawed.

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