After almost a decade as a pastor, and with dozens of his works published in psalters and hymnals, it was almost inevitable that Donald was eventually asked to speak about his passion: writing metrical psalms. He has spoken at conferences, retreats, and as seminary guest lecturer. Three of those lectures were captured on video and are presented here. Donald gave these lectures at Psalm Tap, an annual church music colloquium in Monroe Louisiana. Donald would be happy to speak at your event on these or any related topics.

Psalm Tap 2020:

We Can Do Better:

What does it take to write a psalm worthy of being sung? In this lecture Donald makes a passionate case that the church has settled for far too long — trading poetic excellence for good intentions and calling the result faithfulness. Drawing on voices from C. S. Lewis and Chesterton to Seamus Heaney and Ray Bradbury, this talk lays out a compelling vision: that metrical psalms can be both genuinely good English poetry and faithful to the Hebrew original — and that anything less is no longer worth doing. Whether you're a seasoned versifier or simply someone who's ever winced at a poorly scanned hymn, this lecture will sharpen your ear, deepen your love of language, and send you back to the psalms with fresh eyes.

Psalm Tap 2021:

No Lame Sacrifice

What if the songs we sing in worship are more than music — they are sacrifices? Donald builds a striking case from Scripture that the "fruit of our lips" is not a mere metaphor for offering but the real thing, and that means the same standard God demanded of Israel's burnt offerings applies to the Psalms we bring before Him today: no defects, no leftovers, no lame cattle. With sharp wit and a poet's eye, this lecture cuts through the comfortable assumption that good intentions are enough in worship, and calls psalm-writers to the demanding, rewarding, thoroughly worthwhile labor of revision — David refused to offer what cost him nothing, and so should we.

Psalm Tap 2022:

Detail Matters

Jesus hangs an entire argument about the resurrection on a single verb tense and mocks the scholars for missing it; how carefully then should we handle the words of the Psalms? In Detail Matters, Donald traces a thread from the master craftsmanship of creation to the exacting standards of the Temple, making the case that excellence is not perfectionism — it's faithfulness. Along the way, he wrestles honestly with one of the great puzzles of psalm-writing: is it even possible to translate poetry? Seasoned translators of Dante, Aeschylus, and Beowulf opine it isn't — and yet Donald refuses to let that be an excuse. The goal isn't just to get the words across the language barrier; it's to get the music across. And that demands the unhurried, detail-haunted, comma-agonizing care of those who love both the Psalms and the English language.