The Old Hundredth

From a Swiss Hymn

In his church in Geneva, Switzerland, John Calvin would allow the congregation to sing only Old Testament Psalms. To this end he had the Hebrew psalms translated into French and cast into poetry.

From 1545 until 1557, Louis Bourgeois (1510-1561) served as music director at Calvin's St. Peter's Church. For the new French psalm versions, he composed and adapted tunes and edited the music for Calvin's Psalters.

Bourgeois' most enduring tune was first included in the Trent Quatre Pseaumes de David (Genevan Psalter), 1551.  There it was the setting for Psalm 134, "Or sus, serviteurs du Seigneur," a text by Theodore Beza. 

The first Anglo-Geneval psalter, published in 1556, did not have a version of Psalm 100. When the versionon here first appeared in the 1561 Anglo-Genevan and English psalters it was set to this tune, and has been associated with it ever since.

The Music
The Old Hundredth
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The Song
The song in this book which is sung to the tune of
"The Old Hundredth"

1. As I was Walking

The Old Hundredth (Psalm 100)

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the LORD with cheerful voice;
Him serve with fear, his praise forth tell,
come ye before him and rejoice.

The LORD ye know is God indeed,
Without our aid he did us make;
We are his flock, he doth us feed,
And for his sheep he doth us take.

O enter then his gates with praise,
Approach with joy his courts unto
Praise, laud and bless his Name always
for it is seemly so to do.

For why? the Lord our God is good,
His mercy is for ever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.