We note with sorrow the death on 12th August 2024 of Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith, the leading hymn writer of his generation and possibly of the twentieth century.

Bishop Timothy was 97 and his health had been declining for some months.

Bishop Timothy was highly esteemed not only in the UK but also in the USA and elsewhere. His many hymns are remarkable for the consistent quality of the writing as well as the spread of their subject-matter. Always meticulously crafted, they are widely published, and a number have been translated into other languages; they are sung all round the world. We are especially honoured, however, that he was one of our number. He was a frequent contributor to the Bulletin and a lecturer at our Conference more than once; the author of two of our Occasional Papers; a friend and mentor to many of us; an assiduous ambassador for The Hymn Society; and for over twenty years one of our Honorary Vice- Presidents. A full obituary will follow.

Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith will be remembered with fondness by many who never knew him as well as by those who did, and that memory will be sustained by his writing for many years to come.

The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland

There is a Tribute being aired on BBC Radio 4 on January 5th 2025. See our post for more details: https://hymnsocietygbi.org.uk/2024/12/lord-for-the-years-tribute-to-timothy-dudley-smith-on-bbc-radio-4/