Book excerpt: ANCIENT MEETS MODERN - In The St. Michael's Psalter, composer and choir director John Cantrell fuses contemporary harmonies with ancient texts. His all-new adventurous musical settings bring the venerable tradition of Anglican chant into the 21st century. Cantrell's unique harmonic language, infused with jazz and other American roots music, heightens the raw emotional effect of the texts, be it joyful or sorrowful, fierce or tender. At last, the immense spiritual range expressed in the Psalms over thousands of years of worship meets its match in musical settings that amplify their impact. For the world of Anglican chant, The St. Michael's Psalter is an unprecedented compositional achievement and sure to be an enduring choral resource.