The Hymn Society is not a publishing company, however we do own the copyrights for many hymns and congregational songs thanks to our decades of running hymn contests as well as from generous donations from our members of their intellectual property rights. Our goal when providing any publication is to reach as broad an audience as possible in the most helpful way possible for those who work in the field of congregational song. For questions or more information about our publications, please contact us.
Hymn Collections
Holding In Trust
Our first collection created in the early 1990s, this 200+ page collection featured the best hymns held under copyright by The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada at the time. It is currently being sold for $14.95 by our copyright administrator Hope Publishing.
Hymns in Times of Crisis
When tragedy strikes, we often find ourselves at a loss for words to express our sorrow, rage, and helplessness. When a community needs to gather, congregational song can be a powerful force to help us express what we cannot articulate ourselves. It can be a healing, unifying force. If your church community or a member of your community is experiencing a time of crisis due to death, natural disaster, family struggles, or any other time when singing these songs can help, The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada offers this resource of hymns with suggested tunes which can be useful at these times.
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Singing Welcome
For nearly 100 years, the work of The Hymn Society has included the promotion and creation of new hymns that respond to contemporary issues, inviting Christian communities to respond in worship through song. The current concerns surrounding refugees and immigrants has stimulated many expressions in song, and we are grateful to the authors, composers, and publishers who submitted hymns and songs for consideration for this collection. More than 200 submissions were received and reviewed, from which we have selected forty-six for this collection.
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Songs for the Holy Other
This free downloadable collection emerged from a desire by Hymn Society members to make queer hymns — hymns by, for, or about the LGBTQIA2S+ community — accessible to a wider range of congregations. We celebrate the contributions of those who have paved the way for this collection, and hope to create a dynamic resource of additional resources that are available to congregations in the near future.
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Resounding Voices
In 2003 the Women’s Sacred Music Project (WSMP) compiled a hymnal supplement, Voices Found, that featured the work of women textwriters and composers in creating congregational song for worship. On the twentieth anniversary of Voices Found, The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada is delighted to support the WMSP in the publication of this new collection, Resounding Voices, an ecumenical and interfaith collection that addresses the continued dearth of songs for worship by women. The compilers hope that “this rich assortment of sacred song [will] awaken our hearts, enliven our worship, and inspire our understanding of The Holy One.”
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Individual Songs & Hymns
This page contains individual hymns and songs for which The Hymn Society holds the copyright. These include some of the recent winners of our annual hymn searches.
Academic Journal
The Hymn
The Hymn is a peer-reviewed journal of congregational song for church musicians, clergy, scholars, poets, and others with varied backgrounds and interests. A journal of research and opinion, containing practical and scholarly articles, The Hymn reflects diverse cultural and theological identities. Recent issues are restricted to current members of The Hymn Society, but hundreds of past issues and articles are available for free. The journal includes academic articles, hymn performance columns, book reviews, and official news of The Society.
Newsletters
The Stanza
The Stanza is The Hymn Society’s monthly e-newsletter distributed the first week of each month. Contents include news of our members, interesting articles/news about hymnology and congregational song, notices about hymn searches/competitions, and more. Prior to 2017, our e-news publication was titled “The Verse.”
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The Song
The Song is the occasional digital newsletter for The Center for Congregational Song. Updates include new blog posts, video resources, upcoming events, and more.
Blogs
Word and Song: A Lectionary Reflection
Word and Song: A Lectionary Reflection is written by the Executive Director of The Hymn Society, Rev. Dr. Mike McMahon. The blog offers a weekly reflection and hymn suggestions based on the Revised Common Lectionary.
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Centered In Song
Centered In Song is a blog that features a core team of writers who care deeply about the congregation’s voice and who seek to have deep and meaningful conversations. Because the team is made up of folk from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, this blog offers a variety of viewpoints and opinions on congregational song, celebrating the diversity that the church’s song embodies each and every week.
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Puentes
Puentes es un blog que presenta un equipo central de escritores que se preocupan profundamente por la voz de la congregación y que buscan tener conversaciones profundas y significativas. Nuestro equipo de blogueros está siempre en busca de grandes eventos, ideas frescas y artistas apasionados por el canto congregacional. Debido a que el equipo está compuesto por gente de una variedad de orígenes y experiencias, este blog ofrece una variedad de puntos de vista y opiniones sobre el canto congregacional, celebrando la diversidad que encarna el canto de la iglesia cada semana.
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