This Old Hundredth Psalm Tune is one of two settings by Vaughan Williams of that venerable old melody. The first of Vaughan Williams' two settings was composed in 1929, and this later setting was written, along with the beautiful communion anthem O Taste and See, for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953. With fanfares adapted from the earlier setting, the work is a good representative of the ceremonial, public side of Vaughan Williams' musical personality. Scored for mixed chorus, organ, and orchestra, the piece shows the composer's idealism with its inclusion of a section inviting congregational participation. His characteristic evocation of the music of past masters is nicely handled; he uses the harmony from John Dowland's setting, from Ravencroft's Psalter of 1621, for one of the verses. Although not without moments of quiet reflection, this is clearly a work meant for a moment of profound pageantry. It has outlived its original raison d'etre and has found inclusion in other ceremonies—including the composer's funeral in Westminster Abbey on September 19, 1958.

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