A series of eight newly composed psalms based on experiences of victims and first responders during the Troubles has been launched by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
The project was supported by the Department for Foreign Affairs which funded the hymn writing and recording costs
The new suite of psalms rang out for the first time at a special service in the Presbyterian Assembly Rooms in Belfast last week.
They reflect the experiences of members of eight focus groups across Northern Ireland with the words in the songs coming from phrases used during their discussions.
In addition to musicians singing the psalms, there were stories from the different regional focus groups focusing on the theme of reconciliation, including first-hand stories from people directly impacted by the Troubles.
Members of the focus groups introduced each psalm.
A former RUC officer recalled the lasting trauma of attending the scene of an IRA bomb in Derry in October 1990.
Catholic civilian Patsy Gillespie had been chained into a van and forced to drive a 1200 pound device to an army checkpoint.
The explosion killed him and five British soldiers.
She read out his name and those of the soldiers, Stephen Burrows, Stephen Beacham, Vincent Scott, David Sweeney, and Paul Worrall.
"These names, like so many others killed in the Troubles, are mostly forgotten by history," Helen said.
"But their families will never forget them. The devastating grief they have suffered, never really easing, the anniversaries, the birthdays, the Christmases, all holding a solemn loneliness that the loss of these men has inflicted on their families."
Another former RUC officer who was a member of a focus group based in Bangor in Co Down recalled being shot.
"We talked about living in the context where people are being killed in terrorist incidents and yet in a very short time everything went back to normal," said John.
"When I was shot through the chest I thought I was going to die and as I looked at the blood oozing through my clothing I was conscious of my sins and transgressions and being before the Lord."
Each focus group also included a member of the nationalist community and young people who grew up during the peace process.
Entitled 'Considering Lament: Psalms of protest, pain and hope', the psalms were written and composed by Rev Dr Karen Campbell and her husband David.
"In this moment, at this time, for these people I think it's really important that they have these tunes, these new words, to give voice to the things that maybe haven't been heard before," explained David.
"The idea of providing a platform, there's a process there that these people can still fell they're being heard, and that their story is still being told. I think that's a really significant statement from this event."
The Presbyterian church described the evening as a reminder "of the brokenness in our society pointing us to the hope of singing our pain before the God of justice."
Dr Campbell, a former minister of two County Antrim Presbyterian churches, said it had been a privilege to have been asked to be part of the project.
"It has been a special honour to accompany people in their pain, listen to their stories and make sense of suffering through the lens of scripture," she said.
"The Psalms of Lament provide honest words to speak before God when our own words fail us."
Those behind the project say they hope the psalms will now be used by congregations across the island.
"I think people need to be heard. They need to have their stories heard and they deserve to have their stories heard," explained Dr Rebecca Stevenson, the Public Affairs Officer for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
"Our hope is that this will allow people to process their pain, take it to God, where they'll find hope instead of keeping it or nursing it or passing it on to the next generation."
‘Considering Lament’ is part of a decade-long project undertaken by the all-island denomination which led to the 2019 publication of the book ‘Considering Grace: Presbyterians and the Troubles’.
It is a collection of the experiences of 120 Presbyterians who tell how they coped with loss and tests of faith during the Troubles.
