Composed by John Darwall (b. Haughton, Staffordshire, England, 1731; d. Walsall, Staffordshire, England, 1789), DARWALL'S 148TH was first published as a setting for Psalrn 148 in Aaron William's New Universal Psalmodist (1770) with only soprano and bass parts. The harmonization dates from the nineteenth century.

The son of a pastor, Darwall attended Manchester Grammar School and Brasenose College, Oxford, England (1752-1756). He became the curate and later the vicar of St. Matthew's Parish Church in Walsall, where he remained until his death. Darwall was a poet and amateur musician. He composed a soprano tune and bass line for each of the 150 psalm versifications in the Tate and Brady New Version of the Psalms of David (l696). In an organ dedication speech in 1773 Darwall advocated singing the "Psalm tunes in quicker time than common [in order that] six verses might be sung in the same space of time that four generally are."

The only Darwall tune still in common use, DARWALL'S 148TH is marked by both its dramatic opening figure (outlining the tonic chord) and by the convincing ascent of, the final line. Sing in unison or in parts at a lively tempo. Try adding trumpets both to the melody as well as to the descant by Sydney H. Nicholson (PHH 358) on stanza 4. ,

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook