At a time when worship in Presbyterian Scotland was often rambling and verbose, the Society's scholarly editions of earlier worship books helped restore classic patterns and lapsed Reformation forms. Its annual journal, established in 1928, encouraged the continuing study of liturgy and provided a forum for those who compiled worship resources and those who led and participated in worship Sunday by Sunday.

In the present day the Society, now ecumenical and with members in several countries, continues to engage with contemporary worship, studying, reflecting, evaluating and proposing.

News and Events

The Society's Annual Meeting for 2023 is on Tuesday May 23 during the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, beginning at 5.30pm.

The speaker is the Revd Dr Liam Jerrold Fraser, minister of St Michael's Linlithgow and Convener of the Assembly's Theological Forum. His topic is

THE END OF WORSHIP? THE PURPOSE OF CONGREGATIONS AND THE SUNDAY SERVICE IN AN AGE OF MISSION PLANNING.

Stay for supper afterwards, cost £25.

Book with the Secretary Scott McKenna smckenna@churchofscotland.org.uk.

Simple hymn arrangements

Easy versions to download and play

Learning to improvise

A course for beginners by Brigitte Harris

Journal Archive

Front cover of the Annual

Facsimiles of the Society's journals from 1928. Search the summaries and access the articles.

The Wode Psalter

The Tenor illustration from the Wode Psalter

Vocal scores of the complete contents of the sixteenth century Wode Psalter, assembled by researchers at Edinburgh University, together with MP3 sound files, for free local use.

Resources for Worship

Chapel at Scottish Churches House, Dunblane

Orders of worship and prayers

Singing the Reformation 2016

Psalms service recreation in the style of 1600

Congregational praise in Reformation Scotland recorded in St Mary's Haddington, with MP3 files and new SATB and Unison Kirk Part PDF scores for free download, reproduction and use.

One Voice

One Voice

Articles on church music, arrangements for instruments, simple keyboard settings of hymn tunes.

Sermons on Worship

Rev David Beckett

Sermons on Worship by Rev David M Beckett.

Biography of Rev David M Beckett