John Calvin is important in the history of hymnody for introducing Metrical Psalmody. In addition, Calvin (along with Martin Luther) was one of the primary theologians giving impetus to the Protestant Reformation. Calvinist theology and metrical psalmody were particularly important in the history of English hymnody.

Introduction to French Metrical Psalmody

Life and Times of John Calvin

John Calvin (Washington State University)
John Calvin (Michigan State University)
John Calvin (The John Calvin Center)
John Calvin (Hanover College)
Who was John Calvin? (from Paul Ipema's site at Oak Glen United Reformed Congregation)
The Calvinist Movement (for the SERIOUS scholar looking for exquisit detail -- GodRules.NET)
John Calvin The Theologian (from Reformation Ink)
John Calvin (from Foxe's Book of Martyrs, Chapter 13)
Calvin and Michael Servetus (Unitarian Universalist History)

What is Calvinism and the Reformed faith? (from Paul Ipema's site at Oak Glen United Reformed Congregation)
What is the Reformed faith? (from Rev. Richard E. Pot's site at Orangeville Canadian Reformed Church)
Institutes of the Christian Religion (from the Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics)
Institutes of the Christian Religion (from the Christian Classics Etherial Library at Calvin College)
Free Will and Predestination (from Institutes of the Christian Religion (1537) -- Washington State University)
The Necessity of Reforming the Church (1543) -- from Still Water Revival Books
On the Christian Life (from the Christian Classics Etherial Library at Calvin College)
Calvin's Commentaries (on the books of the Bible) -- from the Christian Classics Etherial Library at Calvin College
John Calvin's Bible
A Calvinist Understanding of the Bible
Cavin's Catechism
Calvin's Service of 1552
Worship in Geneva c. 1550

The Genevan Book of Order: The Form of Prayers and Ministration of the Sacraments, etc. Used in the English Congregation at Geneva (1556)

Reformed Theology (Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics)
Reformed Churches (Compton's Encyclopedia)
The Protestant Reformed Churches in America (see especially, Pamphlets and Articles)
The Canadian Reformed Church
Online Resources of the Canadian and American Reformed Church
Extremist Reformed Theology [... ok, proceed carefully and read critically. -- DL]
Here's another one: The Reformed Presbyterian Church (Covenented)

From Gospelcom.net [I'm not exactly sure who this group is yet, but this seems to be an informed and balanced site.]

Calvinish and the Reformed Faith
Predestination
A Brief Comparative Study of: Arminianism and Calvinism
A statement of the Reformed Church's doctrinal standards (as ratified in the National Synod of the Reformed Church Held at    Dordrecht in the years 1618 and 1619)

Calvin's Preface to the Genevan Psalter (1564)
The Genevan Psalter (Redeemer University College, Ancaster, Ontario. Also has MIDI files of tunes from the Genevan Psalter)
Singing the Psalms: A Brief History of Psalmody ( Institute for Worship Studies Laudemont Ministries)
John Calvin, Louis Bourgeois, and the Genevan Psalter ***** (This gets 5 stars! A great article on the Genevan Psalter)
The Singing of Psalms, Part I (Sherman Isbell)
More on the Genevan Psalter (Spendleworks.com)
A justification of the singing of the Psalms (The Protestant Reformed Churches in America)
Psalm Singing: A Reformed Heritage (by Rev. J. Kortering, First Evangelical Reformed Church, Singapore)
English language Psalters and where to obtain them ** Excellent **
History of Singing in the Reformed Tradition (PDF file by The Rev. James L. H. Brumm) -- download by holding down the    OPTION Key (right-click on IBM) and then select a location to save. File will open with Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Music from the Genevan Psalter

Music of the Genevan Psalter
Recordings of some Psalms from the Genevan Psalter
List of Recordings of some Psalms from the Genevan Psalter and other Psalters
Recording of Psalms by Claude Goudimel
Psalms and Chansons of the Reformation (CD recording). Sample MP3
See Melodieen (Midi files of all tunes from the Genevan Psalter -- great site!)
MP3 and RealPlayer recordings of Psalms from the Genevan Psalter Here are some samples:

Psalm 47
Psalm 116
Song of Simeon

(You may need to download an MP3 player such as RealPlayer to hear these.)

MP3 download site for MacOS
MP3 download site for PC

Music in the Reformation

Outline of Music in the Reformation (University of Wisconson)
Midieval and Renaissance Music ** Excellent ** Well-done MIDI files of musical examples from Midieval and Renaissance periods.)

Renaissance [musical] Style

A SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MUSIC AND LITURGY IN THE RENAISSANCE AND REFORMATION

Clement Marot
Theodore Beza
Louis Bourgeois
Claude Goudimel

The Hugeunot Psalter (Calvin's 1st Psalter which was later expanded into what is known today, as the “Genevan Psalter” )

So, what's a Hugeunot?
The Hugeunot Society of Great Britain and Ireland
The National Hugeunot Society (USA)
Texts (in French) and melodies of the Hugeunot Psalter (Also has MIDI files of all tunes from the Hugeunot Psalter)

Links to Other Psalters

cgmusic.com has a great link to several Psalters which includes COMPLETE TEXTS:

The Old Version (Sternhold and Hopkins, 1562)
The New Version (Tate and Brady, 1696)
The Bay Psalm Book (1640)
The Scottish Psalter (1650)
Watts', Psalms Imitated in the Languageof the New Testament (1709)

Midieval French History

Search the database at Calvin College: Calvinism Resources Database

The Reformation Guide (Michigan State University)
The Protestant Reformation (Hanover College)
The Protestant Reformation (from the site, A Puratin's Mind)
The Catholic Counter-Reformation (Hanover College)
Selected Source Readings from the Reformation Era (from t he Internet Midieval Sourcebook)