Here are half a dozen ideas about hymnody which may – or may not – contain a grain of truth … as seen by a self-confessed hymn lover. Or maybe not … Beginning in what came to be called the “hymn explosion” in the 1960’s, huge numbers of new hymns in English have been written, and a number of hymns …
Short Guide No 16: What are the Relative Benefits of Hymn Books, Service Sheets or Projectors?
Developments in technology have expanded the range of ways in which hymns can be presented during a service. No longer is it automatically assumed that hymn and service books will be handed out at the door. Even where they are, the time will come to replace these books—and then other options can usefully be explored. Among other possibilities, two of …
Short Guide No 14: Building a Hymn Repertoire
Even with a single hymn book, a typical congregation probably has more hymns at their disposal than they can realistically use; add a supplementary book and access to online resources, and the choice rapidly becomes unmanageable. It is, however, possible to tap into these diverse sources and construct a workable repertoire for a congregation’s use. Here are some hints and …
Short Guide No 6: What Makes A Good Hymn?
Answering this question inevitably contains a subjective element: a hymn which one person finds comforting can seem mawkish to someone else, while one believer’s treasured old favourite can sound dated to another Christian. Here, as food for thought, are five balances and five contrasts which may help to identify hymns of quality … On the one hand, the Christian faith …
Short Guide No 4: Which Hymn Belongs Where in the Service?
Some hymns are obviously ill-suited to certain services, or to certain parts of a service. It would make little sense to sing ‘Go forth and tell! O church of God, awake!’ as an opening hymn, or ‘Come, ye faithful, raise the anthem’ at the end; ‘We plough the fields and scatter’ is unlikely to be appropriate during Advent. Here are …
Short Guide No 3: Which Hymns and Songs Should we Use?
Have you been asked to put together a worship service, such as a Sunday morning or evening church service? Then here are some questions to use in reflecting on what you have chosen; not all questions will be appropriate for every occasion. Look at the items which you have chosen for use in the light of the questions above – …
Short Guide No 2: What Types of Hymns and Songs are Available?
Once, it was “hymns”. In recent years, many churches have adopted “worship songs” – sometimes alongside hymns, sometimes instead. Inevitably, however, the picture is far more complex than this. There are many different genres available for congregational use; here are a few of the main types and some of their strengths. The above labelling is by no means a comprehensive …
Short Guide No 1: What is the Point of Singing Hymns?
Hymn-singing as an activity is admittedly nowhere near as common as it once was, and that is probably true inside churches as well as beyond their walls. So what is the point of singing hymns? Here are ten benefits worth bearing in mind. This may seem a strange thing to say, yet it is true. When we engage in singing …