The fool whose heart declares in pride

This version of a famous Psalm (reminiscent of the prophets, almost duplicated in Psalm 53 and crucially quoted in Romans 3) was written in 1982 when Stephen Wilcockson was Vicar of Rock Ferry on Merseyside. The Psalm is one of several incisive scriptural texts about fools; this paraphrase came in a small collection of metrical Psalms for local use, as its author found a lack of usable versions that would fit familiar hymn tunes. This helped a struggling congregation ‘escape’ from traditional chant by finding acceptable alternatives. However, when first published in Church Family Worship (1988) it was set to an adaptation of JANE—see 18. Psalms for Today (1990) chose the Kentucky Harmony tune DETROIT, with STRACATHRO a named second option. This is its first appearance in a full hymnal. MARTYRDOM, originally named FENWICK and in common time, was composed in the late 18th c for music teachers in Fenwick near Kilmarnock. In 1825 R A Smith (the reforming precentor at Paisley and Edinburgh) renamed, rearranged and reissued it, but legal action established its composer as Hugh Wilson who had died in the previous year. This triple time arrangement became well-known in England, mainly from its inclusion in the 1868 Appendix to the first edn of A&M. Both versions remain popular in Scotland, often set to other metrical Psalms. Mr Smith may have chosen the present tune name by mistaking its original one for that of the martyred covenanter James Fenwick.

b 1951. Univs of Nottingham (BA, French) and Oxford (MA, Theology); Wycliffe Hall Oxford, ordained (CofE) 1976. He served in northern and southern parishes (Pudsey, Yorks; Rock Ferry, Merseyside; Wandsworth, S London); in 1955 he became Vicar of Howell Hill nr Cheam, Surrey, and was made Rural Dean of Epsom in 2000. He has contributed to Jubilate publications. No.14.