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A beautifully illustrated art historical reference book which explores in depth the central role of the Book of Psalms in the Middle Ages from the sixth to the sixteenth centuries.
Traditionally ascribed to King David, the Hebrew Book of Psalms is a varied collection of sacred poems that constitute the longest and most popular book of the Bible. Offering inspiration, hope, and comfort to people for thousands of years, these verses include expressions of lament and loss, petitions and confessions, as well as exclamations of joy and thanksgiving—universal themes that speak to what it means to be human.
Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life traces the impact of the psalms on men and women of medieval Europe from the sixth to the sixteenth century. It encompasses daily practices and performance, as well as the creation of Psalters (Books of Psalms), some of the most richly ornamented manuscripts ever made. Life, liturgy, and art in the Middle Ages and Renaissance were suffused by psalms. They were present at the beginning of one’s life and at the end: children learned to read from psalms, and the dying were comforted by their recitation. Exploring the integration of the psalms in medieval life, this stunningly illustrated and comprehensive publication charts the ubiquitous presence of this poetry in people’s lives for over a millennium.
Published to accompany an exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum, New York through January 11, 2026.
Features works from the Morgan Library & Museum; Walters Art Museum; Indiana University; Coptic Museum, Cairo; Corpus Christi College and Trinity College, Cambridge; Harvard University; Musée Condé, Chantilly; University of Chicago; Dombibliothek, Cologne; Kongelige Bibliotek, Copenhagen; National Museum of Ireland; Dombibliothek, Hildesheim; Israel Museum; Universitaire Bibliotheken, Leiden; Lincoln Cathedral; British Library; J. Paul Getty Museum; Biblioteca Nacional de España, Madrid; Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich; Yale University; New York Public Library; Bodleian Library and Exeter College, Oxford; Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris; Biblioteca Palatina, Parma; Free Library of Philadelphia; Stiftsbibliothek, St. Paul im Lavanttal; Universiteitsbibliotheek, Utrecht; Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venice; Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna; Museum of the Bible, Washington DC.
"Sing a New Song is illustrated with indulgent lavishness. Close attention is paid to the material conditions of every artefact: size and weight; use of ink, paint, gilding; portability; the tactile qualities of parchment, papyrus, leather, wood and metal. We are being introduced first and foremost to the tangible matter of books."—Ardis Butterfield, London Review of Books
Like the illuminated manuscripts chronicled in its pages, the catalog of Sing a New Song, published by the D. Giles company, is truly a book to cherish."—Ed Voves, Art Eyewitness
"An extraordinary, beautifully produced, impressively informative, and simply stunning showcase of Medieval sacred art."—Helen Dumont, Midwest Book Review
Joshua O’Driscoll is associate curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, Morgan Library & Museum.
Deirdre Jackson is assistant curator, Morgan Library & Museum.
Frederica Law-Turner is an independent art historian specializing in medieval illuminated manuscripts and tapestries.
Emerald Lucas is Belle da Costa Greene Curatorial Fellow, Morgan Library & Museum.