What is Psalmprojektet?
Psalmprojektet is a solo project in which all 325 psalms from the ecumenical section of the Swedish hymnal (Den svenska psalmboken, 1986) have been recorded and released on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon, Deezer and YouTube — one psalm per week, every Sunday, from February 2020 to July 2026. The goal has been simple: make the Swedish hymn tradition accessible to everyone, without sheet music, without a hymnal, without a church pew.
How did it start?
The idea came in 2010. My name is Caesar, and at the time I was a devout Christian. I felt I had been called to do this. I made a promise to myself — and then life got in the way. I only got through 45 psalms before the project stalled. But the promise stayed with me. In 2019 I decided to actually see it through. Six and a half years, 325 songs, no financial support. Mildly terrifying, but it’s done now.
Who made it?
My name is Caesar. I’m not a professional musician — I read sheet music with some difficulty, and large stages are perhaps not what I was made for. In my day job I work with product data development. During this project I’ve lived in Moscow, on the island of Fotö and in Stockholm, built this website myself, just released my first mobile app, and acquired two herniated discs. I speak a number of languages and am curious about more or less everything.
What do the recordings sound like?
Bare and simple, by design. I didn’t want large arrangements to crowd out the melody and the text. Each psalm should be easy to learn by ear, easy to sing along to, and sufficient for you to understand what the original author was trying to say. The instruments vary: mostly piano, guitar and voice, sometimes mandolin or organ. Mastering by Gaëtan Golembiewski.
Where were the psalms recorded?
In an unusually large number of places. The very first was recorded in my student room at Moscow State University. Then in a decommissioned Soviet radar factory — Niidar, Ниидар. Then in another factory in Moscow, where I was forced to move. And finally on Fotö, in the old fishing harbour, in a studio room I returned to after the war began. The equipment was modest: a microphone (Blue Baby Bottle), a small Focusrite Scarlett interface, and Pro Tools and later Ableton as my DAW.
How long did each psalm take?
On average 3 hours and 15 minutes of focused, uninterrupted work: recording, arranging, mixing, learning and editing. Each analytical text about the psalm’s background, history and analysis took an average of 1 hour and 33 minutes to write. Multiply by 325.
How many people listen?
Over the past two years, 81,048 completely unique listeners have played Psalmprojektet on Spotify. 1,500 people follow each new Sunday release. A significant number also listen on Qobuz, Apple Music, Amazon and YouTube — Spotify is simply the easiest platform to measure.
The most dedicated listener type averages 51 psalms per day. That was not something I anticipated.
Which psalms are most popular?
Funeral psalms dominate overall — the project launched at roughly the same time as COVID, and that was visible in the playlists. Names like Goodbye to Grandpa and Signe’s Funeral appear often.
Psalm 304 — Lär mig du skog att vissna glad — was the first to pass 100,000 streams. Psalm 231 — Amazing Grace — is currently one of the most streamed. Psalm 82 — Gud se i nåd till dessa två — is distinctly seasonal: it peaks in summer and is almost invisible the rest of the year (it’s a wedding psalm).
One surprise: Psalm 219 — Jag skulle vilja våga tro (I would like to dare to believe) — is among the strongest risers. A psalm for those who aren’t quite convinced.
Who listens?
By age, 25–44 is the largest group (47%). Under 18 is less than 1%. 65 and older is 13% — a more faithful group than you might expect. By country: Sweden, Finland, Norway and the United States, in that order.
Are you a believer?
At various points I have called myself Pentecostal, atheist, agnostic and a believer in something that doesn’t quite fit within the Nicene Creed. Despite no longer being Christian in a conventional sense, I have tried to record these psalms with feeling, respect and authenticity. The psalms deserve that, regardless of what I personally believe.
Can I use the recordings at a wedding or funeral?
The short answer is: yes, of course! The longer answer is that standard copyright law applies — the same rules that govern all other recorded music. You may not, for example, use a personal Spotify subscription to play the music at a ceremony. But if you have purchased the recording through iTunes, Qobuz or a similar service, you are free to use it. Your local congregation handles everything related to the relevant performing rights organisations. The Church of Sweden knows this inside out.
Is the project finished?
The final psalm was released on 5 July 2026. But the project doesn’t end there. It moves into a phase of outreach. Seven years went into production; there is now time for seminars, workshops and concerts. If you are interested in a collaboration, a lecture or a concert — get in touch.
Contact: [email protected]