Hymnal: 1940 Standard Harmony Edition Red [Hardcover]

Church Publishing (Creator)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 857 pages
• Publisher: Church Pension Fund (June 3, 1961)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898690021
• ISBN-13: 978-0898690026
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #530,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Worship & Devotion > Hymns & Hymnals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 86 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hymnal 1940, Standard Harmony Edition, April 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Hymnal: 1940 Standard Harmony Edition Red (Hardcover)

Were you a choirboy? Did you get a copy of your hymnal or prayer book for perfect attandance at Sunday School? For two generations since the middle of World War II, the prize for many Episcopal choirboys was this book, The Hymnal 1940. Most hymnals are serious works of scholarship: laboriously constructed by a committee appointed by the church to review, revise, edit and augment its previous hymnals, they are then condemned to perpetual scrutiny and comment by its users. This hymnal was no exception; indeed, the similarly sized "Hymnal Companion," which dilated at length on each hymn, was published along with it. Now superseded by the 1982 version, it is still considered a masterpiece and superior in several respects to its successor, in particular for its legibility, certain of its texts, and its inclusion of some hymns dropped in 1982. By then the Hymnal 1940 had been augmented to over 700 hymns and 160 pieces of service music. It contains several indexes by which a hymn can be located in several different ways, including the useful "metrical index," not a feature of every hymnal. The music ranges in age from the earliest years of the Christian era right up to the 1930's; so you will find most of your favorite classical composers represented. If you have other hymnals, you should have this one. If you don't, this is about the best place to start.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, enduring hymns, August 17, 2004

By 

Mern "Mern" (Los Angeles, ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hymnal: 1940 Standard Harmony Edition Red (Hardcover)

This hymnal is replete with example after example of the best, most beautiful, most intelligent congregational music Christendom has to offer, from ancient to modern. Happy is the church that sings these songs of praise and affirmation.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Hymnal, April 26, 2006

By 

Victor B. Minish II "Father Vic" (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hymnal: 1940 Standard Harmony Edition Red (Hardcover)

This is the Hymnal used in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States (ECUSA)from 1940 until 1982. It is reflective of the classic and traditional orthodoxy of that period. Though the hymnal has been replaced in ECUSA it is still used by many traditional jurisdictions of Anglicans in the United States. Some of the tunes are unfamilar and difficult to follow for those who are only acquainted with contemporary church music. However,any added effort on the part of the learner is rewarded in the richness of the recovery of these classic tunes. The theology is vibrant and sound. The binding of the volume is durable and the type is clear and readable. The 1940 Hymnal is a sound investment for any church or individual who desires to regain familiarity with traditional Protestant hymnody. For many of us in the "buster generation" these hymns have provided a connection with the transcendent we were looking for. Well worth the purchase.