Westminster Hymnal

Annotation

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. This Hymnal is issued with the sanction of the Archbishops and Bishops of the Provinces Of Westminster, Birmingham and Liverpool. The Hymns that it contains are those which make up the book Of Hymns already approved by the Bishops, with seven added to bring up the number to 250. The tunes have been in part selected and in part composed by Mr. R. R. Terry, mus.d., Organist and Choirmaster Of Westminster Cathedral, who has also written and edited the harmonies. This eminent musician has here presented the public with a work of great originality and distinction, for which he is entitled to the thanks of the Catholic Church in English-speaking countries. The Hymns are what we have been accustomed to, but the musical setting is, on the whole, far more scientific and satisfying than anything that has hitherto appeared. There can be no doubt that it will conduce very much to the devotion and decorum of extra-liturgical worship and popular services to have one common manual Of Hymns, which at once Offers a suitable variety and prevents the undesirable introduction of amateur efforts and unedifying novelties. It Often happens, moreover, that a hymn or a setting, in the course of use, has undergone slight variations in different localities, and it is useful to have an authentic version both Of text and music. The book has been printed and got up with great care and in good form. The Hymnal may be strongly recommended to the clergy and to all concerned. The hymns are arranged and numbered in the order prescribed by the Bishops' Committee.