All People That on Earth Do Dwell

Performance Notes:

• For performance notes on this song, see page 1086 of Psalms for All Seasons: A Complete Psalter for Worship.
• The following article is from the Psalter Hymnal Handbook.

Tune Information:

GENEVAN 134 is one of the noblest and most loved tunes in all of Christendom. It was composed by Louis Bourgeois and first published in the 1551 edition of the Genevan Psalter, which he also edited. In the Anglo-Genevan Psalter of 1561 it was set to William Kethe's versification of Psalm 100, "All People That on Earth Do Dwell" (100), and since then the popular name for the tune has been OLD HUNDREDTH.

GENEVAN 134 is also traditionally associated with Thomas Ken's doxology text "Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow" (638). The Psalter Hymnal retains the slightly altered version introduced by sixteenth-century English psalters: the last phrase of the melody originally began with three half notes. During the last few centuries GENEVAN 134 was usually sung in isorhythm (all notes of equal value).

John Dowland (b. London [?], England, 1563; d. London, 1626) was a well-known composer, singer, and lute player during the Elizabethan era. His greatest ambition was to be a lute player at the royal court in London. When this position was denied him, he served as lutenist in Paris for the British ambassador and in other continental courts, including the court of Christian IV of Denmark (1598-1606). He returned to London and in 1612 was finally appointed lute player for King James I. Dowland wrote numerous songs with lute accompaniment, solo works for lute, and a few arrangements of psalm tunes, including this setting of GENEVAN 134 published in Ravenscroft's Psalms.

Other Resources:

• Visit hymnary.org for more information on this song and additional resources.
• The following are alternative accompaniments for this tune, GENEVAN 134/OLD HUNDREDETH.

Alternative accompaniments for the organ:

• Archer, Malcolm. After the Last Verse. Kevin Mayhew ISBN 0 86209 502 6 [1995]
• Burkhardt, Michael. 5 Psalm Hymn Improvisations. Morningstar MSM-10-511 [1997]
• Dowland, John. Psalter Hymnal 1987 (Gray) Psalm 134 with melody in the Tenor. (PsH 134)
• Fedak, Alfred V. 25 More Harmonizations. Selah 160-729 [1998]
• Hancock, Gerre. Organ Improvisations for Hymn Singing. Hinshaw HMO-100 [1975]
• Mawby, Colin.  Hymns for Occasions. Kevin Mayhew ISBN 0-86209-568-9 [1994]
• McKinney, Howard D. Preludes for Fifty-Five Well-Known Hymn Tunes. J. Fischer 9770 [1967]
• Noble, T. Tertius. Free Organ Accompaniments to One Hundred Well-Known Hymn Tunes. J. Fischer 8175 [1946]
• Powell, Robert J. Free Hymn Accompaniments. Abingdon APM-513 [1979]
• Proulx, Richard. Hymn Intonations Preludes & Free Harmonizations. Vol. I Selah 160-720 [1991]
• Rawsthorne, Noel. 200 Last Verses. Kevin Mayhew ISBN 0 86209 189 6 [1991]
• Shaw, Geoffrey. The Descant Hymn-Tune Book bk 1. Novello 15207
• Thiman, Eric. Varied Accompaniments to Thirty-Four Well-Known Hymn Tunes. Oxford ISBN 0 19 323210 3 [1937]
• Wilkinson, John T. One Hundred and Four Descants for “The Hymn Book”. enThusia [1980]
• Willcocks, David. Six Hymns of Praise. Oxford  ISBN 0 19 353558 0  [1979]

Alternative Harmonization for Piano:

• Hopson, Hal H. The Creative Use of the Piano in Worship. Hope 8392 [2008]
• Organ, Anne Krentz. Let It Rip! At the Piano. vol. 2 Augsburg ISBN 0-8006-7580-0 [2003]