History of The Hymn Society

*Bold text pertains to The Hymn Society*

1930

• Fosdick, “God of grace and God of glory”
• The Hymnary of the United Church of Canada
• Ryden, The Story of Our Hymns

• Papers of The Hymn Society I, Benson, “The Hymns of John Bunyan”

1931

• “The Star-Spangled Banner” becomes the national anthem of the United States

1932

• Dorsey, “Precious Lord, take my hand”

1933

• The Hymnal

• THS holds meeting at Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago

1934

• Psalter Hymnal 

1935

• The Methodist Hymnal

• The Hymn Society of Philadelphia founded

1936

• Hymns of Universal Praise
• Covert and Laufer, Handbook to The Hymnal

• The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland founded

• THS formally named The Hymn Society of America

• The Diapason begins a regular column supplied by THS, which has designated the periodical as its “official organ”

1937

• The New Church Hymnal
• HSGBI issues first Bulletin

• British and American hymn societies begin communication about a supplement, or successor, to Julian’s Dictionary 

1938

• The Book of Common Praise (Revised 1938)

• THS incorporated

*Bold text pertains to The Hymn Society*

1950

• National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America founded
• Bailey, The Gospel in Hymns

• First general meeting outside New York held in Cleveland with MTNA, enabled by Ohio Chapter

• Chapter forms at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

1951

• McAll visits HSGBI to discuss resumption of work on Julian replacement

1952

• Hauessler, The Story of Our Hymns

• Chapter forms in Los Angeles

• Three-day meeting, May 18-20, celebrates Society’s 30th anniversary

1953

• Harkness, “Hope of the world! thou Christ of great compassion”

1954

• Office moves to National Arts Club building,119 East 19th Street, New York City

1955

• The Hymnbook [Presbyterian and Reformed]
• People’s Hymnal

• 14 new and developing chapters

• Leonard Ellinwood succeeds Henry Wilder Foote as Chairman of THS committee on replacement for Julian’s Dictionary 

1956

• Baptist Hymnal

• HSGBI approves concept of American dictionary of hymnology

1957

• Worship and Service Hymnal
• McCutchan, Hymn Tune Names 

1958

• Pilgrim Hymnal
• Service Book and Hymnal

1959

• American Choral Directors Association founded
• Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Hymnologie / International Society for Hymnological Studies established

• Caroline Bird Parker is the last of Founders to die

• Members in all 50 states, in all but 1 Canadian province, and in 24 other countries

*Bold text pertains to The Hymn Society*

1970

• Douroux, “Give me a clean heart”
• Hymnbook for Christian Worship 

1971

• Fishel, “Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks,” ALLELUIA NO. 1
• Lafferty, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God”
• The Hymn Book [Canadian Anglican and United Church]
• Worship (2nd edition, 1975)

• Two-day annual meeting in Washington, May 7-8; 75 attend

1972

• The Worshipbook 
• Cone, The Spirituals and the Blues 

• Reid, Continuing Sing with Spirit and Understanding: The Story of the Hymn Society of America, 1962-1972 

• Contests and searches have produced more than 225 hymns

1973

• Hopson, MERLE’S TUNE
• The Hymnal of the Baptist Federation of Canada 

1974

• Christian Conference of Asia Hymnal 
• The Hymnal of the United Church of Christ

1975

• Baptist Hymnal

• Ohio Chapter hosts National Festival, Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio

• Ralph Mortensen and Jan Bender named Fellows; “There are now eleven living Fellows of the Hymn Society of America.”

1976

• THS reorganizes

• W. Thomas Smith named first Executive Director

• Office moves to Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio

1977

• Australian Hymn Book 
• Ecumenical Praise 
• The New National Baptist Hymnal 
• Consultation on Ecumenical Hymnody recommends 227 hymns for ecumenical use

• The Stanza first published in February

• Music: The AGO and RCCO Magazine (later, The American Organist ) begins inclusion of a column provided by THS

1978

• Lutheran Book of Worship 

1979

• Routley, An English-Speaking Hymnal Guide
• Routley, A Panorama of Christian Hymnody

*Bold text pertains to The Hymn Society*

1990

• International Songbook
• The Presbyterian Hymnal
• The Worshiping Church 
• Glover, The Hymnal 1982 Companion 

• Emily R. Brink becomes the first female President of The Hymn Society

1991

• The Baptist Hymnal
• Hymnal Supplement 1991
• Libro de Liturgia y Cantico
• Songs and Prayers from Taizé

• Acoustics for Liturgy; A Collection of Articles of The Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada

• The Hymn Society provides a toll-free number: 1-800-THE-HYMN

• Joint conference in Louvain, Belgium

1992

• Hymnal: A Worship Book
• Voices
• Adams, Handbook to The Baptist Hymnal
• Precht, Lutheran Worship Hymnal Companion
• Spencer, Black Hymnody

• Holding in Trust: Hymns of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada

• George R. Black becomes the first Canadian President of The Hymn Society

1993

• Zschech, “Shout to the Lord”
• Costen, African-American Christian Worship
• McKim, The Presbyterian Hymnal Companion
• Young, Companion to The United Methodist Hymnal

• Joint conference with the Canadian Liturgical Society

1994

• Catholic Book of Worship III
• New Songs of Rejoicing

• Amazing Grace: Hymn Texts for Devotional Use 

1995

• Chalice Hymnal
• Global Songs–Local Voices
• Moravian Book of Worship
• The New Century Hymnal
• Boyer, How Sweet the Sound

• Joint conference with Choristers Guild

1996

• The A. M. E. Zion Bicentennial Hymnal
• Global Praise 1 (2 in 2000; 3 in 2004)
• Mil Voces para Celebrar
• Thuma Mina
• Voices United
• Cyber Hymnal founded
• The Book of Psalms 

• Mitchell-Wallace, The Art and Craft of Playing Hymns, released on VHS

• Hugh T. McElrath Fund for Hymnological Research established

• W. Thomas Smith retires and Carl P. Daw, Jr., named Executive Director

• Office moves to Boston University School of Theology

1997

• The Book of Praise
• Unisono
• Wonder, Love, and Praise
• Watson, The English Hymn

• McKellar, “A History of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, 1922-1997,” The Hymn, July 1997

• Joint conference in York

1998

• Africa Praise Songbook
• Common Ground
• Common Praise [Canadian Anglican]
• El Himnario
• Sing Justice! Do Justice!
• Brink and Polman, Psalter Hymn Handbook
• Forman, The New Century Hymnal Companion
• Temperly and others, The Hymn Tune Index
• Wasson, Hymntune Index and Related Hymn Materials 

1999

• This Far by Faith
• Together in Song

• Website established

• Annual Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, focuses on global hymnody

• Patrick Matsikenyiri and Pablo Sosa named Honorary Members

*Bold text pertains to The Hymn Society*

2010

• The Roman Missal revised
• Celebrating Grace Hymnal
• Steel and Hulan, Makers of the Sacred Harp
• Westermeyer, Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship

2011

• Total Praise
• Worship (4th edition)
• Loh, Hymnal Companion to Sound the Bamboo

2012

• Psalms for All Seasons

2013

• Community of Christ Sings
• Glory to God
• Lift up Your Hearts
• Oramos Cantando / We Pray in Song
• Hawn, ed., New Songs of Celebration Render
• Watson and others, Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology

2014

• One in Faith
• Budwey, Sing of Mary

• “Lifting Hearts, Joining Hands, Raising Voices” campaign to increase endowment begins

2015

• Gray, Hermeneutics of Hymnody

• Brian Hehn named Director of the Center for Congregational Song; Executive Director becomes part-time to enable enlargement of staff

• Hymns in Time of Crisis published online

2016

• Ritual Song (second edition)
• Daw, Glory to God: A Companion
• Guenther, In Their Own Words: Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals

2017

• Kubicki, The Song of the Singing Assembly

• Singing Welcome

• Deborah Carlton Loftis retired as Executive Director

• Jan Kraybill named Executive Director

• Center for Congregational Song launched in Dallas

2018

• One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism
• Ingalls, Singing the Congregation: How Contemporary Worship Music Forms
• Evangelical Community
• Phillips, The Hymnal: A Reading History

• Jan Kraybill resigns as Executive Director

• J. Michael McMahon named Executive Director

2019

• Santo, Santo, Santo / Holy, Holy, Holy
• Herl and others, Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns
• Lamport and others, Hymns and Hymnody: Historical and Theological Introductions