The Lord’s My Shepherd: the words, the tune Crimond and its place at a funeral
The Lord’s My Shepherd and Abide With Me are the two hymns families ask us for most at funerals. It is Psalm 23 in verse, and many people who have not been to church in years can still sing the first verse from memory.
What tune is The Lord’s My Shepherd sung to? Crimond, a Scottish tune first published in 1872 and usually credited to Jessie Seymour Irvine. The words come from the Scottish Psalter of 1650. Some churches use Brother James’s Air instead, and Howard Goodall’s setting from The Vicar of Dibley is a separate piece for a choir or soloist to sing.
We provide soloists, organists and choirs for funerals across London and the rest of the UK, and can lead the congregation in The Lord’s My Shepherd.
This is one of our soloists singing He Shall Feed His Flock, Handel’s aria on the same shepherd image, from Messiah. Hear more recordings.
The words of The Lord’s My Shepherd
The text is out of copyright. These are the five verses of the Scottish Psalter of 1650, which most hymn books print with small changes in spelling.
The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; he leadeth me
The quiet waters by.My soul he doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for his own name’s sake.Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear none ill;
For thou art with me, and thy rod
And staff me comfort still.My table thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house for evermore
My dwelling-place shall be.
Crimond is short, so most funerals sing all five verses. Some organists repeat the last two lines of the final verse; tell us if the church does this and we will follow.
Psalm 23 in Scottish metre
The Church of Scotland’s Psalter of 1650 set all 150 psalms in rhyming verse so that congregations could sing them to a small stock of tunes. Its Psalm 23 is usually traced to the English Puritan Francis Rous, though the Psalter’s editors rewrote most of his lines. The result keeps close to the Bible’s words, and it puts “death’s dark vale” in the third verse, which is why families reach for it at a funeral.
Source: “The Lord’s My Shepherd”, Wikipedia.
Crimond and the other tunes
Crimond takes its name from a parish in Aberdeenshire. Most hymn books credit Jessie Seymour Irvine, who wrote it around 1871–72; The Northern Psalter of 1872 named David Grant, who harmonised it, and some books still do. The melody moves slowly and stays in the middle of the voice, so people can keep singing through tears. Crimond was sung at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth in 1947 and at her state funeral in 2022.
Brother James’s Air, by James Leith Macbeth Bain, is a gentler tune that some Scottish and English churches use for the same words. Fewer congregations know it, so it suits a choir or soloist more than a congregation.
Howard Goodall’s setting is the theme of The Vicar of Dibley, sung on the programme by the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. It sets the psalm in prose, and the congregation listens to it. Some families have Goodall’s setting as a solo and Crimond as a hymn later, so the psalm is heard twice. Our funeral songs guide covers it with the other listening pieces.
Where it sits in a funeral
It fits at any point. Many families open the service with it because the whole room knows it and the first verse settles people. Others place it after the readings, especially if one of the readings is Psalm 23 in prose.
If there are three hymns, open with The Lord’s My Shepherd and close with Abide With Me or Love Divine, with something less familiar such as It Is Well With My Soul in the middle. Our guide to popular funeral hymns lists the other common choices.
A congregation will sing Crimond with only an organ, but a soloist or choir leading the hymn gives people the confidence to sing out. In Greater London a soloist costs £275, a soloist with an organist £550 and a choir of four £1,150, with travel added outside London. The pricing page lists every size.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote The Lord’s My Shepherd?
The words are a version of Psalm 23 from the Scottish Psalter of 1650, usually traced to Francis Rous and revised by the Psalter’s editors. The tune Crimond is credited to Jessie Seymour Irvine, though some hymn books name David Grant.
Is The Lord’s My Shepherd a good funeral hymn?
Yes. It is one of the two hymns families ask us for most at funerals, with Abide With Me. The words speak of walking through “death’s dark vale” without fear, and most congregations know the tune.
Was The Lord’s My Shepherd sung at the Queen’s funeral?
Yes. It was sung to Crimond at the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey on 19 September 2022. It had also been sung at her wedding in 1947.
Is the Vicar of Dibley theme the same as the hymn?
No. Howard Goodall’s setting sets the psalm in prose and is sung by a choir or soloist for the congregation to listen to. The hymn uses the 1650 rhyming words and the tune Crimond, which the congregation sings.
How much does it cost to have The Lord’s My Shepherd sung at a funeral?
In Greater London a soloist costs £275, a soloist with an organist £550, and a choir of four £1,150, which covers the rehearsal and the service. We add travel for funerals outside London.
Ask us about the hymns
If you want The Lord’s My Shepherd and would like help with the other music, or with Goodall’s setting as well as the hymn, get in touch. Asking costs nothing.
Tell us about the service you’re planning
Text us on WhatsApp for the fastest reply, or email office@londonchoralservice.com.