''The New English Hymnal'' is a

hymn book A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chri ...

and

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

source aimed towards the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

. First published in 1986, it is a successor to, and published in the same style as, the 1906 ''

English Hymnal ''The English Hymnal'' is a hymn book which was published in 1906 for the Church of England by Oxford University Press. It was edited by the clergyman and writer Percy Dearmer and the composer and music historian Ralph Vaughan Williams, and wa ...

''. It is published today by SCM Canterbury Press, an imprint of Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd.

Origin

''The New English Hymnal'' inherits much music from the original 1906 ''English Hymnal'', its 1933 revision, and the 1975 supplement ''English Praise'', although a few hymns are re-written or dropped in favor of newly added hymns. The words of several hymns have been altered slightly, although it nonetheless enjoys continuing favour in a considerable number of cathedrals and collegiate chapels worldwide and it is a significant publication in

Anglican church music Anglican church music is music that is written for Christian worship in Anglican religious services, forming part of the liturgy. It mostly consists of pieces written to be sung by a church choir, which may sing '' a cappella'' or accompanie ...

. Its extensive provision of hymns for saints' days and mid-week religious festivals has proved popular with those schools still maintaining hymn-singing in daily acts of worship. The copyright is held by The English Hymnal Company Limited. The then chairman of the company, George Timms, was its general editor. The musical editor was

Anthony Caesar Anthony Douglass Caesar (3 April 1924 – 14 July 2018) was an English priest, organist and composer. Caesar was a boy chorister in the Winchester Cathedral Choir under Harold Rhodes, who directed choir rehearsals in the short street known as " ...

with significant assistance from Arthur Hutchings,

Christopher Dearnley Christopher Hugh Dearnley (11 February 1930 – 15 December 2000) was an English cathedral organist, who served in Salisbury Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral. Background Christopher Hugh Dearnley was born on 11 February 1930 in Wolverhampton ...

, and Michael Fleming. It is published today by SCM Canterbury Press, an imprint of Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd.

Supplement and revision

A supplement, ''New English Praise'', was published in 2006 containing additional liturgical material, canticle settings, psalm settings and plainchant accompaniments. A completely new and revised hymnal was initially scheduled for publication in 2018, 60 years after the death of its first musical editor, Ralph Vaughan Williams. Due to the effects of Coronavirus pandemic, it was then due to be published in 2021. In April 2021 the publication date was moved to September of the same year. In January 2022 it was announced that publication had been postponed to 30 June 2022. The most recent announcement from October 2022 has stretched the publication of the full music edition into May of 2023.

References

External links

List of hymns in the ''New English Hymnal'' at hymnary.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:New English Hymnal Anglo-Catholicism Anglican hymnals English Christian hymns 1986 books 1986 in music 1986 in Christianity British church music Anglican liturgical books

Origin

Supplement and revision

See also

References

External links