DUNDEE first appeared in the 1615 edition of the Scottish Psalter published in Edinburgh by Andro Hart. Called a "French" tune (thus it also goes by the name of FRENCH), DUNDEE was one of that hymnal's twelve "common tunes"; that is, it was not associated with a specific psalm. In the Psalter Hymnal the tune is in isorhythmic form (all equal rhythms) and has a harmonization that was published in Thomas Ravenscroft's (PHH 59) Whole Booke of Psalmes (1621). The tune's name comes from the city of Dundee, known as the "Scottish Geneva" during the era of the Scottish Reformation.

DUNDEE fits the meditative character of the text; its smooth lines invite part singing.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook