Calvin and psalm singing

Contrary to popular belief, Calvin was not against trained singers leading worship song. While excluding organs and performing choirs, Calvin did allow a designated leader to teach children to sing the unaccompanied, unison, vernacular psalms in metrical paraphrase. The children, who were probably placed at the ends of the benches, supported congregational song. Loys Bourgeois* was Calvin’s director of congregational singing, and director (‘maître des enfants’) of the Geneva community children’s chorus. Citing David (Psalm 38:20) preparing himself for singing songs of praise and gratitude and inviting others to sing, Calvin [and other ministers in Geneva] state in ‘Articles concernant...