Michael Bird is a theological lecturer who has just returned to Brisbane after a stint lecturing at the Highland Theological College in Scotland.
As he explains in his post, while in Scotland he was part of a church which practiced exclusive psalmody. (Singing only psalms with no instrumental accompanyment during worship.)
He notes that their are those who would like to see the custom departed from and other hymns and songs included, and instruments used.
Bird offers some observations about the practice with his usual mix of biblical insight and humour.
Read: Music In The Wee Free.
mgpcpastor's blog 
sorry Gary, but that was a very superficial set of “reflections”!
No acknowlegement that the Free Kirkers are maintaining worship practices that all Presbyterian churches once followed, and which were sometimes departed from for less than worthy reasons. Not even an accurate characterisation of Free Kirk practice – which is not Exclusive Pslamody, but the exclusive use of scriptural texts (old and new testament) in sung worship – or as they put it the exclusion of non-inspired materials. No sign that he has reflected on or has any time for the “Regulative Principle of Worship.”
Michael Bird has a habit of slipping very easily into criticism of the confessional Reformed – in fact quite recently he promised on his blog to leave them alone – http://euangelizomai.blogspot.com/2010/04/this-time-i-mean-it.html
For those that would like to read a deeper reflection on these things, check out R Scott Clark’s “Recovering the Reformed Confession”.
In the post Bird grounds his comments in his experiences as: “a member of a lovely Free Church of Scotland congregation in Dingwall. Friendly people, good preaching, mission focused, genuine care for the community, and very austere worship.”
His time as a lecturer at the Highland Theological Seminary no doubt brought him into daily contact with the ‘confessional reformed’, some of whom I’m sure gave full subscription to a regulative principle of worship without being committed to the historical scruple of psalmody, whether practiced exclusively or supplemented by songs based on other portions of Scripture.
In the post he references the position of others within the Free Church to change their custom and makes his comments in that light, admitting that: “with a mix of seriousness and comedy, I have to make several criticisms of my former denomination”.
It would not be the first time Bird’s tendency toward a glib comment has been seen as something else.
In this case, I posted the comments because they are made in the light of personal experience and, no doubt, were made knowing that many friends from his former place of worship would read them.
Contrast Bird’s comments with those of David Robertson and you will see the same position put with a very different tone.
Clark’s “Recovering The Reformed Confession” can make a position for exclusive psalmody from historical theology, what it cannot do is sustain a case from exegetical theology.
That is the position behind the practice of the Presbyterian Church of Australia.
Thanks Gary. I don’t share the convictions of the FCoS on this issue but I’d still like to see them represented with accuracy, respect, and due consideration.