David G. Preston

Born in London, 1939. Educated at Archbishop Tenison's Grammar School, London and Keble College Oxford, where he graduated in Modern Languages. 

Teacher of French, beginning at Leighton Park School, Reading, followed by eleven years lecturing on French language and literature at Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria, and again at Reading School on his return to England. He was awarded a doctorate for his study of the poetry of Pierre Emmanuel (1916-1984) of the Académie Française.

Edited 'The Book of Praises' (Carey Publications, Liverpool, 1987), a selection of 71 metrical Psalms by a variety of authors; member of the Editorial Board of 'Praise!' (2000), which includes 43 of his Psalm versions and revisions, seven tunes and one arrangement.

Among other books, his work is found in 'Church Family Worship' 1988, 'Come, Rejoice' 1989, 'Psalms for Today' 1990, 'The Worshiping Church' 1990 (Hope, USA), and 'Sing Glory' 1999, and is commended in Christopher Idle's 'Real Hymns, Real Hymn Books' (Grove, 2000), pages 18-20.

For many years David was a member of Carey Baptist Church (FIEC), Reading. In retirement he and his wife Mavis moved to Dorset and join Yeovil Parish Church under the ministry of James Dudley-Smith. David continued to work on his carefully crafted psalm versions, revising them extensively and completing them all by 2018. He died in June 2020.