Christian Hymns | Richard Simpkin

New CHRISTIAN HYMNS

After a few months co-ordinating the music at St. Helen's, the Rector (Dick Lucas) sat me down at the piano and plonked his copy of Christian Hymns on the music stand. It was his favourite hymnbook, and I assume it remains so, though I still have his copy seven years on. Dick wanted to convince me of the need for God's people to sing rich theology that nourishes the mind with singable truth.

I haven't forgotten that hour (I had to play through every hymn till we ran out of time at no. 150!). It has meant that Christian Hymns is one of the first places I look to for songs that have Scriptural integrity.

I'm very glad that the publishers are bringing out an updated version this year, especially as they have had the boldness to recognise the many faithful songs that have been written in the contemporary era. Having had a chance to look through some of the new songs, I haven't been disappointed. I'm especially glad that the publishers have affirmed Stuart Townend in his gift for writing sound doctrine in an accessible way for all styles of Christian meetings.

The publishers have also sought to modernise the words of hymns where it seems appropriate and helpful. They haven't been slaves to this principle, however, which means that there is a healthy balance between contemporary and original language. There will be disappointments here, I'm sure, but I'm happy if the truth remains clear.

A real help to me will be the addition of a CD, which has been produced to complement the book. All the music scores are printable from the CD, and you can even listen to them, though it's not the sort of thing that would fire up the dance floor at the Ministry of Sound. The CD also enables you to search for key words when you are planning songs around a theme. This will be a real time-saver for many.

As an organist too, I am grateful for the sensitivity of the publishers to re-write some of the higher songs in a lower key. Transposition gives brain-ache to the best of organists, so it's a relief for us B-streamers to be able to play what's written without giving the congregation a hernia.

I look forward to the new edition taking up its place close to my desk in the St. Helen's office.