The Hymnal: With Supplements I and II, According to the Use of the Episcopal Church, 1940

I'm in the process of reviewing the many Christian books of devotion, prayer, and spirituality that I believe may feed the souls of the faithful. It might not occur to some to include a hymnal in this list, but music has always been extremely important to God's people, from the Psalms of David, to Gregorian chant, to the hymns of the various revivals, to the praise choruses of today.The 1940 Hymnal is simply one of the best hymnals ever printed. While it was only the official hymnal of the Episcopal Church from 1940 to 1982, its predecessor was used long before 1940, and the 1940 hymnal continues to be used by a wide variety of Anglicans. In my own life, I've found the 1940 Hymnal to be a wonderful worship resource, not just at church but at home. Sometimes I want to express my praise of God in hymns, and often we use the Hymnal in our family worship that we have every evening after dinner.There are a lot of reasons why the 1940 Hymnal remains a classic and an amazing resource. There are more than 700 hymns, which represent centuries and centuries of the best of hymnody. One hymn has its words taken from the Didache (c. A.D. 100), there are a lot of hymns adapted from plainsong, and some of the hymns come from the 20th century. In this way, the 1940 Hymnal helps connect us to the Church of all ages, and not just the Church of the last 10 years. It's easy to find the hymn you're looking for. Not only is there an index of first lines of the hymns, but you can also search by composer, tune, and meter.No hymnal is perfect, and I find it ironic that an Anglican hymnal doesn't include "Amazing Grace" by John Newton, who was an Anglican clergyman. I would also like to see more hymns by Wesley and to see some of the late 19th century ones dropped. But the bottom line is that this is a very rich treasury of beautiful, reverent music to the glory God. As such, it has the potential to lead us to worship Almighty God with the angels, archangels, and all the host of heaven!

Classic content. Includes an index of hymns linked to any standard one-year lectionary. Text is dark and large. Just what I wanted.

In the era before World War II, many Protestant denominations called their hymnals simply "The Hymnal," secure in the assumption that the congregants would know whose denomination was meant. This one has a secure place in the heart of older American Episcopalians, since their church used it specifically from 1940 to 1982, and it was often given to new members being confirmed in the Episcopal Church. (After that, "The Hymnal: 1982" was adopted.) This version has the extra advantage of two supplements that were added during the interim years. It speaks well for the quality of this hymnal and the love shown toward it, that it can still be purchased new today.

I have a copy myself and wanted to give one to our daughter who needed a good hymnal to play for funerals. The Crane School of Music also has several copies (old, and beat-up) in the practice rooms.Anne JohnsonPotsdam, NY

This is the classic 1940 Episcopal Hymnal, with supplements 1 & 2, that I grew up with in the Episcopal Church during its orthodoxy. I am happy to see that it is still in print and well bound.This is the hymnal that I grew up with while the Episcopal Church was still orthodox in following scripture and the sacraments.

This is an excellent edition of the 1940 Episcopal hymnal. I had one from several years ago that I passed on at some point, and this edition is so much better. The binding is better, and the pages lie flat when opened. Highly recommended if you're looking for a 1940 hymnal.

very happy with book and the transaction

We received 16 pristine, new copies of the Hymnal, 1940 (Used in the Episcopal Church from 1940-1982-- although there is no cut off date for the 1940) As a congregation which uses the Traditional Languague of the Services, we had some EXTREMELY well used 1940 hymnals (like 'falling apart')from which to sing God's Praises. The addition of these 16 new hymnals is much appreciated. The Rev. W.G.